What is a Cockroach?

May 19th, 2010

The word cockroach is stemmed from the Spanish cucaracha. The cockroach is characterizable by a flat oval body, long threadlike antennae, and a shining black or brown leathery integument. The head is held downward, and the mouthparts point to the back instead of forward or downward as is the case of most other insects. The male generally has two pairs of wings, but the female, who in some species, is wingless or holds vestigial wings. The female creates eggs in egg cases (called oothecae). These are sometimes held coming from her body or could be held in protected areas. After the female deposits an egg case, the soft, white nymphs emerge. As their exoskeleton solidifies, it turns brown in appearance. The geometry and big size (some species have a wing spread of higher than 12 cm [4.7 inches]) of cockroaches have turned them into objects of objective in the biological laboratory.

The cockroach takes a warm, humid, dark living environment and is generally found in tropical or other mild climates. Just a small number species have become pests. The insect damages more material than it consumes and emits a disagreeable odour. The diet of the roach, which should be both plant and animal products, can be from food, paper, clothing, and books to dead insects, especially bedbugs. Insecticides could be taken in roach killing.

The American cockroach (species Periplaneta americana) is 30 to 50 mm long (up to about 2 inches), reddish brown, and lives out of doors or in dark, heated indoor places (e.g., basements and furnace rooms). In adult life, usually about 1.5 years, the female generates 50 or more oothecae, each holding around 16 eggs that hatch after 45 days. Nymphal life lasts from 11 to 14 months. The American cockroach, originally from tropical and subtropical America, has well-developed wings. However, many species are often not gifted flyers.

The German cockroach (Blattella germanica), a common household pest and is on occasion erroneously thought of as a waterbug, is light brown with two dark stripes on the prothoracic region. The female generates the ootheca three days after mating and carries it for generally around 20 days. Because it is tiny in size (about 12 mm [less than 0.5 inch] long), this cockroach often is carried into houses in grocery bags and boxes; it has spread between nations by boat. Three or more generations can occur yearly. This cockroach, found abundantly throughout the water pipes of the Croton Aqueduct in New York City, became labeled the Croton bug.

The brown-banded cockroach (Supella supellectilium) resembles the German cockroach but is a little bit smaller. The male possesses completely developed wings and is lighter in colour than the female, whose wings are undeveloped and nonfunctional. Both sexes have two light-coloured bands over the back. The adult life span is around 200 days, and there can be two generations in a year. Eggs might be left in clothes, wood molding, or cracks in the floor. With the advent of heated buildings this cockroach became more common in cooler temperatures.

The Oriental cockroach (Blatta orientalis) is thought to be one of the filthiest of household pests. It is oval, shiny black or dark brown, 25 to 30 mm (1 to 1.2 inches) long, with a life cycle resembling that of the American cockroach. The male has short, fully developed wings, and the female possesses vestigial wings. This cockroach has been carried in vehicles of commerce from its Asiatic origins to almost all the temperate regions.

Wood roaches are feral pests. Parcoblatta pennsylvanica, the common wood cockroach, may be found under logs and stones in northern latitudes. The male and female are so different in appearance that they were initially seen as unique species. The male, 15 to 25 mm (0.6 to 1 inch) long, has wings that extend past the abdomen; the female is smaller and possesses much shorter wings. Cryptocercus punctulatus digests wood with the aid of some protozoans in its digestive tract.

Got a cockroach or pest problem? If you’re looking for pest control Brisbane or a pest exterminator Brisbane, contact Brislander today.

Sphere: Related Content

Categories: General Travel Information | Tags: , | No Comments