Unusually for insects, it gives birth to 18–24 live creatures and it even protects the young for a while.
When scared, it lifts its abdomen into the air, squeaks loudly and lets go a nasty smelling liquid from glands on its back.
Adult females can be from 30 to 40 millimetres and they have no wings! Males are a bit smaller: 29 millimetres long.
