Relationship With Humans
They are considered pests by some South Africans, and held in high regard by others. They are most visibly prevalent after rain during summer, which is when they are most likely to be found indoors. Parktown prawns seem to be more active at night.
The Parktown prawn is capable of large jumps when threatened, often ejecting an offensive black fecal liquid.
A popular urban legend, fuelled by April Fools' Day articles published by the Johannesburg newspaper The Star, tells that the Parktown prawn was actually the result of an escaped genetic experiment by students from the University of the Witwatersrand in the 1960s (thus explaining the insects' sudden arrival in Johannesburg at that time). The insect's unusual strength, vivid orange colouring and size are seen to 'confirm' this urban legend.
The resilience and strength of the Parktown prawn allowed two cartoon versions to become objects of humour in the well known South African cartoon strip Madam & Eve, inspiring fear in Gwen Anderson and Eve Sisulu. In the cartoons, the Parktown prawns get 'high' on insecticide (in reference to their size and how much poison is required to kill them), and produce two cricket-shaped indentations on the bottom of a frying pan with which they are swatted, in reference to their hard exoskeletons.
In the 1980s, Andrew Buckland's acclaimed play The Ugly Noo Noo used Parktown prawns as part of an extended parody of South African politics of the time.
Neill Blomkamp's film District 9 features an alien race some humans disparagingly refer to as prawns. Some film critics have speculated that the appearance of the aliens was inspired by the Parktown prawn.
Die Antwoord's video Fatty Boom Boom, featuring a "Prawn Star", was released in October 2012. Artwork for the video features a Parktown prawn covered in vaginal mucus.
Read more about this topic: Parktown Prawn
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