Why do cockroaches turn belly-up when they die?
by 
ChillWinterheart
ANSWERS: 4
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Creatures with exoskeletons frequently have a primitive muscle/blood flow circulation system tied into each other and it is hydraulic by nature. The natural state of their legs is curled up and a force of exertion combined with the pushing of blood through their legs causes them to straighten. They have fine motor control of this which allows them to move, in fact it's probably unconscious such as the way we move our limbs, the process is lsot on us we just know we can do it. Now, when the insect in question hasn't got enough food or water they grow weak, or with something like old age. So they find it harder to exert to force their legs "open" So imagine their standing on all their legs and can't summon the effort to keep the set on one side open. That side will collapse and they will tip. This causes them to roll over onto their backs. You can try this with a healthy insect and they will tilt and get back up but it's a strain and they use their legs a lot. When they are too weak to do this they are stuck, and frequently die shortly afterwards as they become too weak to right themselves.
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THEY DON'T ,THE WIND BLOWS THEM OVER AFTER THEY PASS AWAY . I HAVE TURNED OVER LIVING COCKROACHES THAT BE STUCK . I AM GUESSING
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So they can say goodbye to that great fireball in the sky.
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While I am sure that some dead cockroaches are upside down when they are found, I am not so certain that this is in any way related to the process of their death. Note: I am not an expert on cockroaches.
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