Professor Michael Alvard was the first to capture the bizarre scene. What started out with a simple pink headstone made out of paper quickly grew into a shrine, complete with candles, testimonials, flowers and other random offerings.

A tiny coffin was created for the fallen bug, then a funeral pyre. The roach was cremated a couple of weeks later.

The roach shrine was posted on Reddit where it quickly went viral, making international headlines.

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The city of Atlanta opened Azalea Fresh Market downtown to help residents find affordable groceries. (Natrice Miller/AJC)