Think of the grossest bug you might encounter in your home. The cockroach might have come to mind, but what they lack in looks, they make up for in personality... well, kind of.
According to a study published in The Royal Society Publishing Proceedings B, cockroaches aren't just a mass of scurrying, crunchy homogenous bodies - they actually have character traits that can be identified and studied.
Researchers from the Université libre de Bruxelles observed how the insects acted while out in the open. "We have categorized the observed personalities," said one of the study's author's, Isaac Planas Sitjà, according to The Guardian. "We call them 'shy or cautious' and 'bold or explorers.'"
"Shy individuals are those that spend more time sheltered and explore less the arena or the surroundings," he said. "Instead, bold individuals are those that spend most part of the time exploring the surroundings and spend less time sheltered."
"From studying the way they find shelter, we show that individuals have consistent behavior which can differ between individuals in a group - cockroaches have personalities," the researchers summarized, according to The Guardian.
Survival of a species depends on individuals with varying behavior. The behavior of the few can also affect the behavior of many.
