Jewelled Heath Cockroach Polyzosteria invisa

Forget everything you think you know about cockroaches. This Australian genus includes some of the most strikingly beautiful roaches on the planet, with attractive markings that rival butterflies. The closely related Botany Bay cockroach (the genus type species) sports patterns so striking it's genuinely hard to believe it's a roach at all. These jeweled beauties prove that even insects we typically fear can be genuinely gorgeous. They're a reminder that cockroaches occupy every ecological niche imaginable, and some have evolved to be true works of art.