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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Watermelon inspector Brian Nichols pats melons at the Cordele State Farmers Market to gauge their ripeness. (Joe Kovac Jr./AJC)

Credit: Joe Kovac Jr.

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Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, seen here in a file photo from Nov. 14, 2024, is conducting a statewide audit of voter registrations targeting registrations at businesses and P.O. boxes for possible cancelation. (Jason Getz / AJC)

Credit: Jason Getz / Jason.Getz@ajc.com