Books about Bugs

So, why are there books about bugs?

Because, I've been thinking. Everything on the planet, so far as we can tell, has some useful purpose. It's here for a reason. Whether it's the sole food source for some obscure bird, or serves to pollinate flowers, or controls the population of other animals, there's some reason. It's all about checks and balances, and so everything has its place in the system.

But what, I've been wondering, are the useful purposes of the cockroach, and the "thousand-legger," more formally known as the house centipede?

I have learned much in the past week, with my books about bugs. I have learned that there are hundreds of varieties of cockroaches, but only 20 are considered to be pests. I have learned that what I always thought were antennae on the centipede are instead a long set of legs, and that they run on tip-toe. I have even learned the useful purpose of the thousand-legger: it eats other household pests, thus controlling those populations.

But I can not find a useful purpose for a cockroach. I'm sure there must be one. I'm afraid I'm going to have to kick the research up at least a notch at this point, and snag the scholarly stuff via Inter Library Loan. If that doesn't work, my next step is to find me an entomologist who is a cockroach expert and see if they can explain.

I know there must be something.