What is a Cockroach?
May 19th, 2010
The word cockroach is taken from the Spanish cucaracha. The cockroach is characterizable by a flattened oval body, long threadlike antennae, and a gloss black or brown leathery integument. The head is directed downward, and the mouthparts are directed rearward instead of forward or downward as is the case with the majority of other insects. The male generally has two pairs of wings, whereas the female, who in some species, is wingless or holds vestigial wings. The female produces eggs in egg cases (labeled oothecae). These are at times held away from her body or may be stuck in protected places. After the female deposits an egg case, the soft, white nymphs emerge. As their exoskeleton hardens, it turns brown in appearance. The structure and huge size (some species possess a wingspan measurement of higher than 12 cm [4.7 inches]) of cockroaches have turned them into a singular area in the biological laboratory.
The cockroach takes a warm, humid, dark living and is more often than not found thriving in tropical or other mild locations. Only a few species have become pests. The insect inflicts damage on more material than it consumes and emits a unpleasant scent. The nutrition of the roach, which can be both plant and animal products, goes from food, paper, clothing, and books to dead insects, particularly bedbugs. Insecticides are used in roach removing.
The American cockroach (species Periplaneta americana) is 30 to 50 mm long (up to about 2 inches), reddish brown, and inhabits outdoors or in dark, heated indoor spaces (e.g., basements and furnace rooms). During its adult life, generally about 1.5 years, the female generates 50 or more oothecae, each holding about 16 eggs that hatch after 45 days. Nymphal life goes from 11 to 14 months. The American cockroach, a native of tropical and subtropical America, possesses well-developed wings. However, most species are seldom gifted flyers.
The German cockroach (Blattella germanica), a common pest in the household and on occasion erroneously thought of as a waterbug, is light brown with two dark stripes on the prothoracic region. The female deposits the ootheca three days from mating and carries it for about 20 days. Because it is small (about 12 mm [less than 0.5 inch] long), this cockroach generally can be introduced into homes in grocery bags and boxes; it has moved across the world by boat. Three or more generations may occur yearly. This cockroach, abundant through the water pipes of the Croton Aqueduct in New York City, is now known as the Croton bug.
The brown-banded cockroach (Supella supellectilium) is similar to the German cockroach but is even smaller. The male possesses wholly developed wings and is brighter in colour than the female, whose wings are stunted and nonfunctional. Both sexes have two light-coloured bands across the back. The adult life span is roughly 200 days, and there may be two generations annually. Eggs may be deposited in clothes, wood molding, or cracks in the floor. With the advent of heated buildings this cockroach became more common in cooler locations.
The Oriental cockroach (Blatta orientalis) is considered one of the most disgusting 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 spread in vehicles of trade from its Asiatic origins to almost all the temperate regions.
Wood roaches are not domestic pests. Parcoblatta pennsylvanica, the common wood cockroach, may be found beneath logs and stones in northern latitudes. The male and female are so unlike in appearance that they were first believed to be unique species. The male, 15 to 25 mm (0.6 to 1 inch) long, possesses wings that expand beyond the abdomen; the female is smaller and possesses much shorter wings. Cryptocercus punctulatus consumes wood with the aid of select protozoans in its digestive tract.
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