A cockroach can survive for about a week without its head, dying eventually of thirst rather than injury, because its open circulatory system and body-wide breathing let it function long after decapit
American cockroaches can survive for up to a week without their heads due to their open circulatory system and decentralized breathing through spiracles. They eventually die from dehydration rather than the trauma of decapitation.
Why it matters
Understanding insect physiology provides insight into why certain species are highly resilient to environmental stressors and mass extinction events.
Entomologists who have spent careers studying the American cockroach Periplaneta americana will tell you the same thing: cut the head off a healthy adult and it will keep standing for the better part of a week.
The article is a scientific explanation of biological phenomena.
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