Name: 為什麼還會有蟑螂存在？ (Why Do Cockroaches Even Exist?)
Uploaded: 2021-01-14T06:24:29.000Z
Duration: 4 min 13 s

If a cockroach walked by you right now, would you step on it?

如果現在有一隻蟑螂從你面前爬過，你會踩死牠嗎？

If so, I get it, but you should know cockroaches are cooler than you might think.

如果你會的話，我能理解，但你知道其實蟑螂比你想像的更酷嗎？

Hey guys! What’s up? I’m Sapna here at DNews.

嗨，大家好！我是 DNews 的 Sapna。

Today we’re answering a question that came from our subreddit page, r/Dnews.

今天我們要來解答一個來自我們新聞網頁的問題，使用者 Semihc 想知道：

The user "Semihc" wants to know if cockroaches have any benefit to nature.

蟑螂對於自然界是否存在任何益處？

Well yes they do, Semi! Despite their bad reputation, most roaches play an important role in the natural world.

他們當然有為自然界帶來好處！儘管他們的名聲非常差，但蟑螂在自然界中扮演著重要的角色。

And we humans may even be able to learn a thing or two from these resilient creepy creatures.

人類可能還能從這些適應力強且令人頭皮發毛的生物上學到一兩件事呢。

I know it’s tough to see cockroaches as anything but awful.

我知道看到蟑螂除了厭惡之外，很難有其他的想法了。

And no matter what we do to try and get rid of them, they often outsmart us.

儘管我們想盡辦法擺脫牠們，但牠們似乎總有辦法應對。

For example, cockroaches eat pretty much anything:

your leftover steak, the soap scum in your bathtub, even the glue on an envelope, which is actually pretty incredible.

吃剩的牛排、殘留在浴缸的浮垢，甚至是信封上的膠水牠們都吃，這其實還挺不可思議的。

Roach poison takes advantage of that, and tastes sweet to the little buggers, they eat it and die.

殺蟑劑正好利用了這點，殺蟑劑對蟑螂來說是帶有甜味的，蟑螂吃了後就會死亡。

But according to a recent study in the journal "Science," some cockroaches evolved new body chemistry so the poison no longer tastes good, thus no snack and no death.

但根據近期一份科學學刊指出，有些蟑螂已經進化出了一種化學物質，殺蟑劑的味道對牠們來說不再可口，如此一來他們不再受吸引，也不會因此死亡。

Most people think of cockroaches as household pests, but there are actually about 4500 different species of cockroaches around the world.

大多數的人認為蟑螂屬家居害蟲，但其實世界上約有 4500 種蟑螂。

And less than 1% of them are the freaky ones that scatter when we turn on the lights.

而其中只有 1% 的蟑螂是那些潛伏在我們家中，一見光就逃跑的蟑螂。

Those in our homes are often covered in bacteria and fecal matter; it sticks to them, they ingest it, and defecate everywhere.

牠們身上常帶有細菌和糞便，這些物質會黏在身上，而牠們將它消化後還會到處排放。

And proteins in their feces, saliva, and eggs are one of the biggest causes of allergies and asthma for people living in urban environments.

存在於牠們排泄物、唾液和蟲卵中的蛋白質為其中一個造成都市人過敏和氣喘的最大原因。

And maybe that’s more than you wanted to know about cockroach feces, but beyond the cities where we live, it gets better!

也許你不想知道那麼多跟蟑螂排泄物有關的事情，但除卻我們居住環境，其他地方的情況好很多。

Cockroach poop is actually beneficial to the environment! It plays a role in the earth’s nitrogen cycle.

蟑螂排泄物對自然環境其實是有益的！牠們在土壤的氮循環中扮演著其中一個重要角色。

Forest roaches consume decaying organic matter and release its nitrogen back into the soil through their feces so it can be used again by plants.

森林裡的蟑螂會吃下腐壞的有機物質，並透過排泄物將氮氣釋放回土壤裡，如此一來，氮氣就能再次供植物利用。

Most cockroaches, 99.7% of them, live far away from people, mostly in wooded areas.

大部份的蟑螂，也就是 99.7% 的蟑螂，都居住於遠離人群的地方，大部份都居住於林地裡。

And they actually do some good in the world.

而實際上牠們真的有益於整個世界。

In some environments, they serve as pollinators for flowers.

在某些環境之中，牠們扮演著傳粉者的角色。

And by consuming the decaying vegetation, the microbes inside their gut break down plant materials that are often indigestible by most mammals,

透過吃下的腐爛植物，腸子內的微生物會分解植物體，而這些植物通常對哺乳動物來說難以消化。

which is why some experts call cockroaches nature's janitors or decomposers.

這也就是為什麼有些專家會將蟑螂稱之為大自然的清潔工或分解者。

Now, roaches are also an important source of food for some species, like centipedes, lizards, and birds.

蟑螂對於某些生物物種來說，也扮演者重要的食物來源角色，例如：蜈蚣、蜥蜴和鳥類。

And at least one species of wasp couldn't live without the cockroach.

且至少有一種蜜蜂種類得依靠蟑螂生存。

So, the parasitic emerald wasp stings a cockroach and injects venom into a specific part of its brain which blocks voluntary movement.

扁頭泥蜂會透過蜂螫將毒液注射至蟑螂頭部的特定部位，該毒液會使腦部短暫麻痺，也因此可短暫控制蟑螂的行動。

The wasp then leads this zombie roach back to its burrow, lays an egg on it, and when that egg hatches, the larva eats the roach from the inside out and emerges as a mature wasp.

接著扁頭泥蜂會引導有如喪屍般的蟑螂返回巢穴，並在蟑螂身上下蛋，卵孵化之後，牠們的幼蟲會鑽入蟑螂體內，以蟑螂為食，並於成型時鑽出體外。

I know it’s disgusting, but isn’t that awesome?

我知道聽起來很噁心，但不覺得很厲害嗎？

Cockroaches can help humans too, by the way.

順帶一提，蟑螂對於人類也是有益處的。

Because they survive in the filthiest of conditions, their central nervous system produces natural antibiotics.

因為存在於骯髒環境裡，蟑螂的中樞神經能製造天然的抗生素。

We've found that their natural defenses work even against antibiotic-resistant bacteria like staph aureus, also known as MRSA.

而我們發現，蟑螂天生的防禦系統甚至能對抗耐抗生素細菌，例如：金黃色葡萄球菌，又稱耐甲氧西林金黄色葡萄球菌。

And scientists at Harvard's Biorobotics Laboratory are studying the legs of cockroaches, too.

哈佛仿生機器人實驗室的科學家們也正在對蟑螂的四肢進行研究。

Cockroach legs are not only springy and flexible, but they also work together seamlessly so the insect can run at really fast speeds on uneven ground.

蟑螂的四肢不僅具彈性又靈活，且能同時完美地配合活動，這就是為什麼牠們在不平坦地面依舊能跑那麼快。

By copying these evolutionary advantages, scientists hope to design new prosthetics and mechanical hands!

藉由複製這些進化優勢，科學家們希望能設計出新的義肢和機械手。

So there you go Semihc, we love your question. And yes, cockroaches really do play an important role in our ecosystem.

這些就是你要的答案了Semihc，我們很喜歡你的問題，而答案是：沒錯，蟑螂在我們的生態系統中扮演著重要的角色。

And get this, engineers are actually turning roaches into robots.

而且科學家們也正致力於將蟑螂轉換成機器人呢。

從這則影片中探究原因及實行方式。

The remote control doesn’t tap into the brain per se, because the cockroach doesn’t navigate with eyes in the same way we do, but it uses its antennae to feel for the walls or their predators.

遙控設備並不會直接安裝在蟑螂大腦，因為蟑螂不像我們一樣能操控眼睛，但牠們會利用觸鬚去感受牆壁或捕食者。

This package stimulates the nerves in their antennae so the roach thinks that there’s a wall coming or harm, and it causes it to turn to the direction the controller wants.

觸鬚內部會刺激神經讓蟑螂能感受到前方是否有牆壁或危險，也能引導牠們變換爬行方向。

So what do you think about cockroaches now? Tell us down in the comments section down below.

現在你對於蟑螂的看法如何呢？在下面評論區留言讓我知道。

And if you have any other questions let us know on our subreddit page at r/Dnews.

如果你還有其他問題，請到我們的網站：r/Dnews 讓我們知道。