Another species of insect that only gets reported in a bad light is the cockroach. If your initial reaction is to shudder you can thank decades of sensationalist news reports. The cockroach that can become a pest of commercial kitchens and factories is a non-native species and doesn’t live in open countryside. Most people are unaware that there are three native species of cockroach – all are small and scarce. In the Country Park we have the Lesser Cockroach Ectobius panzeri. It used to be found only in the quarry, and even there it was a rare find. Removal of gorse on the Firehills has made available a new area of habitat that is to the liking of the Lesser Cockroach. This summer it has been found on the Firehills on three occasions and is doing very well in the maritime heath environment. It is a small species, up to 10mm long, and a very fast runner.
