Cockroaches - insects belonging to the type arthropods, detachment cockroach. They love damp and warm places. Domestic cockroaches are most active at night, and during the day they hide in secluded places. Their diet includes the remains of plants and animals.

Albinos

Some individuals may acquire white color due to exposure to chemical reagents. Many believe that these insects become light because they live in pitch darkness, but this opinion is incorrect. Scientists have proven that there is no separate type of "albino".

American view

This species is native to Africa.. He came to America and other countries with goods that were transported by sea.

They quickly adapted to the new living conditions and settled in human dwellings.

Representatives of this species are very mobile, they can even bite.

They multiply rapidly and feed on any food, however can't stand low temperatures.

In our article we will consider the structure of cockroaches. Traditionally, very unpleasant associations are associated with these insects. But in fact, these animals have a number of unique features. We'll talk about this.

Classification

Structural features of cockroaches determine their systematic position. These animals are representatives of the phylum Arthropods, the subtype Tracheal breathing, the class Insects, the order Cockroaches.

Like other representatives of this systematic unit, their characteristic features are the presence of three parts of the body - the head, trunk and abdomen, the fat body in the cavity, striated muscles and the external skeleton in the form of a cuticle.

Etymology

The name of this insect is found in several languages. On this moment scientists have not been able to determine the exact origin given word. Translated from the Chuvash, it translates as "running away." And this is no coincidence. Cockroaches are the champions in the speed of movement among all land insects.

Yes, it's very hard to catch him. The fact is that in a second cockroaches can change the trajectory of their movement more than two dozen times. Perhaps that is why, in translation from the Turkic language, its name means "to diverge."

Habitat

In nature, there are more than 4 thousand species of these insects. Despite this diversity, the structure of cockroaches and lifestyle are similar: they all love warmth and moisture. Therefore, most species live in the tropics. Some species have adapted to the cold climate of the northern regions, where they feed on moss and lichen. Cave cockroaches are also known, which have lost the ability to see.

Sinanthropus animals

According to popular belief if cockroaches settled in the house - this is to wealth and prosperity. It is unlikely that those who have ever tried to get rid of these annoying insects will agree with this. Since ancient times, cockroaches settled in human dwellings. After all, it provides these animals with everything they need: a constant temperature, moisture and food. Animals that live with humans are called synanthropes. In addition to this species, these include ticks, flies, mosquitoes, mice, pigeons, ants.

The external structure of a cockroach

A distinctive feature of this species of insects is the oval shape of the body. Its dimensions vary from 2 to 9 cm. The head is triangular and flat. In front, it is protected by the pronotum. Eyes are located on the sides of the head, which allows these creatures to see in all directions.

A distinctive feature of the structure of cockroaches are the mouth organs of the gnawing type. They consist of paired upper and lower jaws and two unpaired lips. The oral apparatus of this type is designed for grinding any kind of food. This is possible due to the presence of numerous chitinous teeth on the jaws. There is also one pair of bristle antennae on the head.

The thoracic region is represented by three segments, to which a pair of legs is attached. Running type limbs. Each leg consists of five segments and ends with claws. This structure allows cockroaches to move even on steep surfaces.

Wings are located on the chest - double lamellar folds of integument.

The structure of the wings of cockroaches has its own characteristics. By origin, they are double lamellar folds of integument. Outside, they are protected by dense elytra, which have tubular thickenings - veins. These structures perform a supporting function. The wings are thin, reticulate. In some species aircraft reduced.

The abdomen of cockroaches consists of 8-10 segments. In each of them there are nerve nodes and spiracles - openings with which the trachea open outward. This structure explains the fact that cockroaches can live for a long time without a head.

The abdomen ends with a special structure - the cercus. Visually, it resembles a bristly mustache. Its existence is proof ancient origin cockroaches. By the structure of the abdomen, you can determine the sex of these animals. In males, the genital plate is located here, but the female ovipositor is located inside the body.

Cockroaches are represented by the cuticle. The middle layer of this substance contains pigments that determine the color of the body of insects. Cockroaches can be black, red, white, tan.

Features of the internal structure

The organ systems of cockroaches are typical of insects. The muscles are well developed, able to contract at a high frequency. For example, the American cockroach is able to cover a distance of 75 centimeters in a second. On the limbs of these insects there are thin hairs that perceive even the slightest movement of air. Therefore, cockroaches are quite difficult to catch.

Digestive system of the through type. In cockroaches, the structure of its organs has the same plan as in all arthropods. But all insects have developed salivary glands and no liver. To the organs digestive tract include oral cavity, subglottis, pharynx, esophagus, goiter, muscular stomach, intestines. From the last section, undigested products enter the excretory system, which is represented by malpighian vessels. The presence of a goiter and a complex splitting process organic matter allows cockroaches to live for several weeks without food.

The circulatory system is not closed. It is represented by a tubular heart and a single vessel. The blood is colorless. It mixes with the abdominal fluid, forming hemolymph. Such a primitive structure is explained by the fact that the respiratory system, represented by spiracles, performs the function of gas exchange. There are ten pairs in total.

What is a fat body

The internal structure of the cockroach is characterized by the presence of loose connective tissue in the body cavity. It is called the fat body. This tissue occupies all the space between the internal organs.

Cells of the fat body - trophocytes. Their cytoplasm contains various inclusions. Due to this structure, this tissue is involved in metabolic processes, the accumulation of fats, carbohydrates, calcium compounds.

Uninvited guests

Features of the structure of cockroaches and physiology determines their favorite habitat - human dwelling. There are all comfortable conditions here: heat, water and darkness.

Getting rid of cockroaches is often quite difficult. They are hammered into the smallest cracks, cracks, cavities in wallpaper or ceramic tiles. So process chemicals all hard-to-reach places.

reproduction

Cockroaches are dioecious individuals with noticeable sexual dimorphism. The latter is manifested in morphological differences between males and females. Anyone can define them. The male is smaller. Its wings are better developed, which allows it to fly to short distances. The last segment on the abdomen of the male has specialized outgrowths called styli.

The structure of cockroaches determines their ability to internal fertilization. After mating, the female lays eggs covered with a protective sheath - edema. It is characteristic of cockroaches. This means that larvae emerge from the eggs, outwardly resembling an adult insect. It's called imago. At first, the larva is devoid of wings. It grows, molts and develops into an adult insect. This period lasts about four weeks. Individuals become sexually mature only after three months.

Cockroaches are very prolific. In a lifetime, one female gives birth to more than a hundred individuals. She lays eggs repeatedly. And for this she does not have to constantly mate. The fact is that spermatozoa can be stored in the female genital ducts for a long time.

Species diversity

They are not fiction. This kind does exist. They acquire such an unusual color for these insects as a result of molting. They darken over time.

Furniture is special. It has a bright red color. The wings of such an insect are transparent, brown stripes are located on them. His favorite delicacy is starch and everything that contains it. Mostly book bindings. Therefore, they do not settle in kitchens, but in libraries and archives.

The most common species in the south is the Central Asian cockroach. It can be recognized by its yellow head and dark abdomen. They jump high and are able to fly short distances. It is practically omnivorous and feeds on the remains of food, plants and sewage.

So, a feature of the structure of cockroaches is the presence of three parts of the body, a dense chitinous cover, six walking legs and a pair of wings. are synanthropic animals. This means that cockroaches prefer to settle in human dwellings. Here for them there are all comfortable conditions: heat, moisture, darkness and a sufficient amount of food waste.

A cockroach is an arthropod insect from the cockroach superorder, cockroach orders (Blattoptera, Blattodea).

None of the versions of the origin of the Russian word "cockroach" has found an exact confirmation. According to some etymologists, cockroaches got their name thanks to the Chuvash word “tar-aqan”, which means “running away”, or the Turkic “taz” (“to run away”).

Cockroach: description, characteristics, structure

Cockroaches are distinguished by a flattened oval-shaped body, from 1 to 10 cm or more in length. The elongated abdomen of a cockroach consists of 8-10 tergites (dorsal sclerotized segments) and 7-9 sternites (abdominal sclerotized segments), 7 in females, 8-9 in males. At the end of the abdomen are long, usually segmented cerci. Males have 1-2 styli on the last sternite. Usually cockroaches have a light body color with elytra of yellowish-brown shades, dark or black color is less common.

The elytra of the cockroach is dense, horny or leathery, with pronounced venation. The hind wings are equipped with membranes and, when folded, hide under the elytra.

In some species, the fore and hind wings are shortened, and wingless species of cockroaches also exist. Some varieties of cockroaches can fly, although their flight does not last long.

A cockroach has 6 legs in total. The thighs and lower legs are endowed with spikes. The legs of these insects with five-segmented tarsi are well developed and adapted for running.

The speed of the cockroach is quite high: for example, the American cockroach covers a distance of 75 cm in a second. In addition, it is almost impossible to catch a cockroach with bare hands, because a nimble insect changes direction about 25 times per second.

The flat head of a cockroach can be triangular or heart-shaped.

The pronotum is almost flat, shield-shaped, rather large, with transparent margins in many species.

The jaws of insects are very strong, of a gnawing type, with many chitinous teeth.

The mouth is turned downward.

The eyes of a cockroach are large, there are 2 simple eyes, in wingless cockroaches they are often atrophied, in cave species they are completely absent.

The sensitive whiskers of insects are quite long, sometimes exceeding the length of the body, bristle-shaped, multisegmented, covered with many microscopic setae.

The external reproductive organs of the male cockroach are represented by the genital plate formed by the ninth sternite.

Females are endowed with a hidden ovipositor and ootheca - a special protein capsule designed for bearing offspring.

A cockroach lives from 4 months to 4 years, the life expectancy of a cockroach depends on the species.

The cockroach is one of the most enduring insects, able to starve for a whole month without compromising health. But under favorable conditions and due to the peculiarities of the oral apparatus, cockroaches feed on everything that is poorly hidden. A female cockroach eats from 30 to 50 g of various foods per day, males are not so voracious and eat 2 times less.

The cockroach is a nocturnal insect, and goes out in search of food after dark, and the “feast” continues until dawn, to a greater extent because cockroaches do not eat as much as bite various foods, finding the most delicious for themselves by sampling.

The favorite food of cockroaches is any bakery products, sugar and all kinds of sweets, meat products and cereals are in third place, and various vegetables and fruits, of any freshness, complete the list of preferences. In the absence of food, cockroaches are content with paper, carpentry and shoe glue, book bindings, fabrics, various garbage and any organic matter.

Where do cockroaches live?

Cockroaches are distributed almost everywhere and inhabit almost all parts of the world, with the exception of icy antarctica and other polar regions. The most numerous populations live in the tropics and subtropical latitudes, although these insects feel no less comfortable in the temperate zone. Cockroaches live in North and South America, in Europe, in Russia, in Africa and Asia, in Australia. In countries with a rather cool climate and frosty winters, synanthropic species mainly live in heated human dwellings.

In nature, cockroaches prefer to settle in shady places with constantly high humidity: they hide in the thickness of fallen leaves, under half-decayed wood, “feast” where there is a cluster of rotting fruits or vegetables, often live in rotten vegetation along shallow water bodies. Synanthropic cockroaches often equip their nests in ventilation shafts and sewer lines of multi-storey buildings, in basements, in wall cracks and behind baseboards, they take a fancy to city dumps and garbage chutes.

How to distinguish a female cockroach from a male?

Below are photos that will help determine the sex of the cockroach.

Argentine cockroach (Blaptika dubia) - male on the left and female on the right

Marble cockroach Nauphoeta cinerea - male from below, female from above

Is there a white cockroach?

Sometimes in an ordinary apartment among typical cockroaches you can see rather non-standard albino cockroaches. Many people ask: is the white cockroach a separate species? Not at all. An insect can have such a color during the molting period, when the old shell has already been shed, and the new chitinous shell has not yet acquired pigmentation. Another reason for the "whitening" of a cockroach may be pest control using toxic chlorine, which destroys the coloring pigment.

What animals eat cockroaches?

Although the cockroach is an insect almost indestructible due to its amazing fertility and adaptability to the most uncomfortable living conditions, they also have enemies. Some species are happy to eat cockroaches (for example, Centruroides gracilis, Euscorpius germanus And Hadrurus arizonensis), will not refuse to taste the centipede cockroach Scutigera coleoptrata, house spiders and. Cockroaches are hunted by the lizard comb anole, shepherd tree frog, northern leopard frog, coastal toad. The cockroach is a favorite delicacy for the home, and dead cockroaches are eaten. Eulophid insects lay their eggs in cockroach ootheca, and the hatched eulophid larvae eat everything inside the cockroach capsule.

Types of cockroaches, names and photos

The modern classification includes 500 genera, including more than 4640 species of cockroaches. Below is a description of some varieties:

  • (Prussian) ( Blattella germanica)

Got my name thanks to mistaken assumption that the insect was brought to Russia from Prussia. The Prussian cockroach is one of the most common synanthropic species, whose life takes place in close interaction with humans. The body length of an adult cockroach is from 1 to 1.6 cm. Individuals of both sexes have developed wings, thanks to which they can plan, but cockroaches cannot fly for a long time. Males are distinguished by a narrower body, females have a fairly wide body with a rounded abdomen, covered with wings. The color of the red cockroach suggests different shades of brown. There are 2 characteristic dark stripes on the dorsal part of the prothorax.

The red cockroach is omnivorous, and in addition to its traditional food - the remains of human food, the cockroach can eat paper, shoe leather, textiles, last resort even eats ordinary soap.

In fact, the Prussian came to Europe and North America from southern Asia, so the heat-loving insect in a harsh climate survives only in rooms that are heated all year round.

  • (Blatta orientalis)

In the past, a fairly common species, significantly displaced from its usual biotopes by the red cockroach. The length of an adult is from 2 to 8 cm. The color of the cockroach is black-brown or tar-brown with a metallic sheen. Males are distinguished by longer elytra than females, but neither of them can fly, but they run very fast.

Black cockroaches live throughout Europe, Asia and Africa. They prefer to settle in heated rooms, sewers, adits, greenhouses, as well as in the wild, not far from the main source of food - food waste.

  • (Periplaneta americana)

It looks like a red cockroach, but has big sizes body: 3.5 to 5 cm. Like the Prussians, American cockroaches can fly. The wings of males extend beyond the abdomen by 4-8 mm, due to which males appear longer than females. The shiny body of the American cockroach can be red or chocolate brown. A light brown or yellow stripe runs along the edge of the pronotum. In the wild, American cockroaches live in wooden piles, rotten wood, in the bark of palm trees, in sewers and ventilation tunnels. Due to the flattened shape of the body, they easily penetrate into people's homes through the smallest cracks and gaps, where they hide in attics and basements during daylight hours.

Cockroaches eat absolutely everything: any organic matter, garbage, hair and dead insects, fruits and vegetables, meat, fish, nuts, sweets, cereals, paper, pieces of shoes and clothes. In the 17th century, they were brought from Africa to North America, and later to Europe, where they successfully took root and spread everywhere.

  • Madagascar hissing cockroach(Gromphadorrina portentosa)

A very large tropical cockroach, growing in length up to 55 mm (males) - 60 mm (females). Some individuals can reach a length of 10 cm. The weight of a cockroach is about 60 g. Rear end the body is colored brown, the pronotum is brown-black. Madagascar cockroaches do not have wings. At the moment of danger and during mating games, they are able to make loud sounds, reminiscent of hissing. What is interesting: the female cockroach hisses only to scare off enemies, and the louder the male cockroach hisses, the more chances he has for the favor of the female. Some individuals, in addition to hissing, can whistle.

The Madagascar cockroach is an endemic species whose range is limited to the island of Madagascar. Hissing cockroaches live in the branches of trees and shrubs, feeding on fruits and other vegetation. They are actively used for breeding at home, as live food and in cockroach races.

  • Marble cockroach (ash cockroach, naufet, neofeta)(Nauphoeta cinerea)

It is of African origin, but due to its unpretentiousness and fertility, it is widely distributed throughout the globe. The insect also has the name naufet. Females are larger than males and grow up to 3 cm in length, males - up to 2.5 cm.

Marble cockroaches eat raw vegetables and fruits, oatmeal and germinated cereals, bread, protein foods, grass, paper, can easily gnaw through thin plastic. In the absence of protein feed, cases of cannibalism are observed. The ash cockroach is a versatile and most popular food insect for house hedgehogs, amphibians (and) and tarantulas.

  • Turtle cockroaches(Corydiidae)

This is a family of cockroaches with pronounced sexual dimorphism: females are wingless, large, massive, grow up to 3-4 cm in length. Males have wings and grow up to 2.5-3 cm in length. Due to the structural features, they are somewhat reminiscent of wood lice.

Cockroaches live in dry areas North America, Central Asia and Africa.

Chess cockroach (lat. Therea petiveriana). Photo credit: noexcuse4you

  • Sarawak cockroach ( Rhicnoda natatrix)

It lives on the island of Kalimantan.

An amazing feature of this species is the ability of cockroach larvae to swim well. Under normal conditions, the larvae prefer to hide in leaf litter near small streams, puddles, or shallow tropical forest lakes. However, at the first hint of danger, the larvae bravely rush into the reservoir, rushing to the bottom and waiting for a calm situation on land there.

The heaviest cockroach in the world is the Australian rhinoceros cockroach or giant burrowing cockroach Macropanesthia rhinoceros) , whose length is about 9 cm, and the weight reaches more than 30 g.

The same size reaches cockroach Blaberus giganteus . These 2 species are very popular among lovers of domestic cockroaches.

The longest cockroach in the world is found in countries Latin America cockroach Megaloblatta longipennis , whose length reaches 9.7 cm with a width of 4.5 cm.

And the cockroach has the largest wingspan of 18.5 cm Megaloblattablaberoides .

Flying cockroaches, names and photos

Despite having wings, not all cockroaches can fly. And even representatives of flying species do not know how to plan in the air, but only make small and short-term flights. Flying cockroaches:

  • (Prussian) ( Blattella germanica)

It has a brown-red color and a body length of 1-1.6 cm.

  • Lapland cockroach ( Ectobius lapponicus)

A species that lives in Europe and the United States. Males are 1.3-1.4 cm long, females - 9-10 mm. Individuals are painted in gray-yellow and brown-yellow colors.

  • Asian cockroach ( Blattella asahinai)

It lives in the tropics and subtropics of hot Asia, as well as in the southern states of the United States.

  • (Periplaneta americana)

It looks like a Prusak, but it is longer - from 35 to 50 mm.

  • Megaloblatta longipennis And Megaloblattablaberoides

They live in Central and South America. The length of the insects reaches 9 cm, the width is 4.5 cm. The wingspan is 18-20 cm.

  • Blaberus giganteus

A species found in the South and Central America. Males grow up to 6.5-7 cm, females - up to 7-8.5 cm.

How do cockroaches reproduce?

Cockroaches are characterized by an incomplete development cycle, consisting of 3 periods:

  • egg;
  • larva (nymph);
  • imago (adult).

Cockroaches are distinguished by sexual and parthenogenetic reproduction, but, in any case, for the reproduction of offspring, the female still needs to mate at least once. The male gametes are able to remain in the body of the female for a long time, and subsequent clutches occur without prior copulation.

There is no specific breeding period for cockroaches, but mating games for individual species are somewhat different. Female cockroaches invite males to mate by slightly flapping their wings and emit an odorous substance - a special secret produced by glands located in the back of the body. In some species, mating is preceded by a lengthy courtship process.

The male cockroach impregnates the female with the genital plate, and then the partners separate. After some time, the female lays 30-40 eggs and carries them in the ootheca, which is located at the end of the abdomen.

Female and cubs

Most species of cockroaches are ovoviviparous, some are distinguished by live birth.

The incubation period lasts from 2 to 5 weeks, at the end of which the female sheds the ootheca in a secluded corner, after which fully developed nymphs hatch from the eggs, which differ from mature individuals in their smaller size, lack of wings and darker color.

Nymph (larva) of the Australian cockroach

The development of nymphs can last from several months, like a Prusak, up to 4 years, like a black cockroach.

Cockroach larvae molt 5-9 times during growth, increasing in size after each molt.

After the last molt, the cockroach acquires a hard shell. Depending on the species, a female cockroach can produce from 20 to 90 ootheca during her life.

An arthropod colony burrowing through the substrate is a typical picture of modern rainforests. Insect cockroaches are the oldest representatives of neoptera with incomplete transformation. Over the years of evolution, they have not undergone major changes. Arthropods have become true cosmopolitans, spreading across all continents except Antarctica. Cockroaches are hardy and agile, shy and omnivorous. Some species have become synanthropic insects.

Classification

Order Cockroaches (Blattopera) belongs to the class of insects, type arthropods. Termites are included in an extensive group of 7570 species. Cockroaches are representatives of the superorder cockroaches (Dictyoptera). It includes new-winged insects with incomplete metamorphosis. 4640 species of cockroaches have been found and studied in the world. There is a constant debate among scientists about taxonomy. The authors divide cockroaches into a different number of families and subfamilies, classify them together and separately with termites.

According to the latest data, 8 families have been identified: Nocticolidae, Corydiidae, Blaberidae, Ectobiidae, Cryptocercidae, Tryonicidae, lamproblattidae, Blattidae. The greatest diversity of species is found in the tropics. Insects found in warm and moist forests abundance of food and shelter. There are 55 species of cockroaches on the territory of the CIS. Some of them are synanthropic, living next to a person.

Information. Is a cockroach an insect or an animal? In everyday reference, animals are four-legged vertebrates, but in the scientific classification they include many organisms. Insects are arthropod invertebrates.

The structure of a cockroach

Despite the species diversity of the detachment, the structure of the bodies of its representatives is largely similar. The morphology of adults (adults) is typical. Differences appear in size and color.

The external structure of a cockroach

The body of insects is flattened, oval. This structure allows you to crawl into narrow cracks and holes. The length of adults ranges from 9 to 95 mm. The color of the cover is often dark - brown, black, brown. Less common are reddish and coffee colors. Nocturnal lifestyle, stealth and the need for camouflage do not require the presence of bright colors.

Interesting fact. The Madagascar hissing cockroach is considered the largest species, its length is up to 100 mm. For comparison, the size of the Prussians is 9-10 mm. More popular information will be told.

Sections of the body of a cockroach

Insects are made up of three main sections: head, thorax, and abdomen. Separation of the body promotes its mobility. The functional significance of each department:

The head is triangular or heart-shaped, movable, covered from above by a pronotal shield. It contains the organs of sight and touch. Antennae are movable appendages consisting of segments. Bristle type. Functions of antennae in a cockroach: touch and smell. With the help of appendages, they determine the taste of food, find sexual partners, and contact between individuals. The mouth apparatus is directed downwards.

Information. The number of segments in the antennae increases with a change in the age of the larvae. They are added after molting.

Thorax - the middle section consists of three segments, divided into tergites and sternites. The upper half rings form the back, the lower ones form the chest. The largest segment is the pronotum, it is flat and convex. Sheaths and wings are attached to it. Each of the parts of the chest belongs to one pair of limbs.

Abdomen - the largest section consists of 10 segments. At its end there are paired segmented appendages of the cerci. In the abdomen are the respiratory and digestive systems, in females the ovipositor. The 10th tergite bears the anal plate.

Features of the structure of cockroaches

On each of the main parts of the body there are organs that ensure the vital activity of insects.

What are the eyes of a cockroach

The main organ of vision in cockroaches are compound or compound eyes. They are located on the sides of the head. They have different sizes (large in winged forms) and kidney-shaped. The interocular space is well expressed. Additional Organs vision, simple eyes help to assess the intensity of illumination. They are small, located at the top of the head. How many eyes does a cockroach have? Insects have 2 main eyes and 2 simple eyes, which have atrophied in some species.

Learn about the phenomenal endurance of insects in the article.

Type of cockroach mouthparts

Insects that eat solid food have developed oral apparatus chewing type. It consists of several parts:

  • Upper lip - sensitive hairs on its surface help in the study of food.
  • The upper jaw (mandibles) - consist of a strong chitinous plate with teeth. Serves for nibbling and grinding products.
  • Lower jaw (maxilla) - a mobile organ consists of several segments, supports food during grinding.
  • Lower lip - helps push food down the throat, its palp is the organ of touch.

The oral apparatus of the cockroach has remained unchanged over the entire period of its existence. It allows you to absorb plant residues and any organic matter.

cockroach limbs

Running is the main way of movement of representatives of the cockroach order. The structure of the legs helps them in this. The limbs are made up of 5 parts. They are attached to the body with the help of a basin with developed muscles. The longest segments are the thigh and lower leg. The flexible foot consists of 5 segments. There are spikes on the legs and thighs. How many legs does a cockroach have? Insects have 2 pairs of limbs, each of which is attached to a specific section of the chest.

Information. Some species have a suction cup on the foot, which allows insects to move along vertical surfaces.

Limbs are not only used for running and jumping. With them, adults clean the antennae and body from food debris. The legs are flexible and mobile, they allow you to quickly change the trajectory of movement in case of danger. The average speed of the Prusak is 3-4 km / h.

The structure of the wings of a cockroach

The progenitors of insects had developed wings and the ability to fly. Many modern views she was lost. Appendages appear only in adults. They consist of two pairs. The first is leathery elytra. They perform a protective function and do not participate in flight. The second pair are membranous wings. The length and development of the appendages depends on the species. In females, the wings are less developed. In a calm state, insects fold them on their backs.

Flying cockroaches most often live in the tropics, but some species are found in Central Asia and Europe. Of domestic insects, the American cockroach demonstrates the ability to fly. The Prussians, although they have long wings, rarely spread them, they can plan.

The internal structure of a cockroach

The vital activity of insects is provided by the main systems:

  • circulatory;
  • nervous;
  • digestive;
  • excretory.

To understand how insects can live for months without food and about a week without a head, you need to study them in more detail.

Circulatory system - blood (hemolymph) flows in the space between the internal organs of the insect. There is only one vessel in the body, connected to the heart. Main muscle. Pumping blood, consists of 13 chambers, 2 of them are in the chest, the rest in the abdomen. The function of the blood is to carry nutrients and remove waste products. The distribution of oxygen is carried out by the respiratory system. This is the main reason for the reduction of blood vessels. The movement of blood is slow, the insect does not maintain a constant body temperature.

Information. If you deprive the cockroach of the head, then the hemolymph quickly bakes, the body does not bleed.

The respiratory system in a schematic representation resembles a tree. It consists of a system of tracheae, entangling all the important organs. Branches depart from the main trachea, gradually decreasing in diameter. The system is connected to the external environment with the help of 10 stigmas, which are called spiracles in cockroaches. Two pairs of stigmas are located on the sides of the chest, the main part is placed on the abdomen. Breathing is carried out with the reduction of the department.

The digestive system is an intestine divided into several sections. In the mouth, food is ground and wetted by saliva. Further, it is pushed into the pharynx, then into the goiter, where digestion and absorption begin. Small portions of food are fed into the stomach. It is prepared and sent to the middle intestine. In this section, the digestive secretion is secreted and the main absorption occurs. Excrement exits through the anus.

The excretory system or Malpighian vessels remove decay products from the body through the hindgut.

What is the body of a cockroach covered with?

A typical cover of arthropods is a chitinous shell. For cockroaches, this is a shell that protects the internal organs. It allows the body to maintain its shape, serves as a skeleton. The outer cover prevents the rapid evaporation of moisture. At the base of the limbs, the layer of chitin is thinner to provide leg mobility. The hard shell limits the growth of insects. When developing, the larvae have to dump it. The tight shell cracks, the insect gets out of it. At first, his body is white and soft. This is a sign of the absence of chitin. After a few hours, the cover is restored.

Information. The encounter with molted arthropods gave rise to myths about white cockroaches.

Reproduction features

The duration of wearing depends on the species, some shed the ootheca after 7-14 days, others keep it in the abdomen until the larvae are born. The egg cocoon helps to increase the survival rate of the offspring. This is the first food of the larvae. Young growth is born white, with a soft cover. The larvae stay near the mother or burrow into the ground. Before turning into adults, they go through 3-12 instars. Each is accompanied by a molt - dropping a tight shell.

The offspring are called larvae or nymphs. Outwardly, they resemble adults. The differences are:

  • small size;
  • lack of genitals;
  • small number of antennal segments;
  • devoid of wings.

The larvae make up the bulk of the colony. They show more caution than adults, more often they burrow into the ground. Development takes from several months to 1-2 years. When the temperature drops, the larvae do not grow well.

Nutrition

IN natural conditions most cockroaches are vegetarians, they eat fallen leaves, fruits, dead plants. Some species are omnivores, their diet is expanded at the expense of the remains and excrement of animals. Domestic insects feed on any food found in the apartment. Preference is given to sweets, bread and pastries, as well as fruits. You will learn about the diet of domestic pests in the material.

Harmfulness of insects

Synanthropic species living in human dwellings are a potential threat to health. In search of food, they examine sewers, garbage chutes, rodent burrows. Pathogenic bacteria, fungi, helminth eggs remain on the paws of insects. Dangerous microorganisms are transferred to food, bedding, furniture. With irregular hand washing, there is a high probability of contracting dysentery, tuberculosis, diphtheria, and hepatitis.

Particles of the chitinous cover, scattered by the larvae after molting, cause severe allergic reactions. People develop chronic rhinitis, asthma. All information about the threat to human health in the article.

In addition, pests spoil food, books, wallpapers. They prefer secluded warm places, so they crawl into electrical appliances. Insects cause short circuits and equipment breakdowns. In the fight against synanthropes, any means are used: freezing the premises, glue traps, poisoned baits, insecticides. Treatment of apartments with special chemicals effective method get rid of insects.

Only a few synanthropic species of cockroaches have received the status of stock pests and vectors of infectious diseases. The main part of insects plays a significant role in the global ecosystem. Arthropods are destroyers of plant and animal remains, food for animals, birds and reptiles.

Cockroaches and many other insects have long been human companions. They happily coexist in houses and apartments with people, causing them trouble. For example, the bulk of cockroaches love to live in the wild, but some species prefer to settle in people's homes. The black cockroach is considered a pest, so it must be disposed of immediately. To make it easier to deal with such a pest, you need to know what a black cockroach is.

The black cockroach belongs to the cockroach order. Representatives of this species are quite common in European countries. It also lives in Africa and Asia and is the closest relative of the eastern cockroach. However, these cockroaches are less common than their red counterparts.

You can keep your house perfectly clean, but due to the carelessness of your neighbors, cockroaches still spread throughout the house. Since representatives of this type of pest reproduce very intensively, they are forced to constantly look for new food. Favorable factors for their development are:

  • garbage in the house;
  • unwashed dishes;
  • sewer drains;
  • garbage collectors;
  • dampness in the bathroom.

Black much larger than their red counterparts, their sizes reach 5 cm. The chitinous shell covering the body of a black cockroach has a black or dark brown color. The outer cover of the body is quite durable with a brilliant sheen, so in order to completely crush the insect, you need to make an effort. Its body is flat, and this allows the insect to easily penetrate into the smallest cracks and cracks in the wall and floor. The body is divided into three sections:

  • head;
  • breast;
  • abdomen.

The segments forming the head section are fused together. On the sides of the head are two large eyes. An interesting fact is that males have much better vision than females. Small jointed antennae, resembling antennae, continuously perform oscillatory movements. Mustache length is responsible for touch and vibration, and in the male their length is greater than in the female. His mustache is much longer than his body size.

In the thoracic region there are three pairs of legs that serve the insect for running and walking. The last two legs have wings. In the female, they are shortened, so she does not know how to fly.

The abdomen of a cockroach consists of 10 segments, they are attached to the chest without constriction. Powerful mouth organs consist of the upper and lower lips and jaw. With the exception of upper lip, all other parts of the oral cavity can be modified. The oral cavities of a cockroach are primitive, gnawing type. The insect easily gnaws and consumes solid food.

Digestive system and respiratory organs

consists of several departments:
  • oral opening and oral cavity;
  • pharynx, esophagus, goiter, chewing stomach;
  • midgut;
  • hindgut and anus.

Absorption and digestion of food occurs with the help of special blind outgrowths. They are located between the stomach and the midgut. Since cockroaches are omnivorous insects, they eat a variety of food and even their own brethren. They have a well-developed powerful mouth apparatus. The remains and waste of products, as well as indoor plants, book bindings, leather things are used as food.

The respiratory system looks like thin tubes called tracheae. They originate on the sides of the abdomen in the form of small holes. Small tracheas branch throughout the body of the cockroach and deliver oxygen to all internal organs and tissues of the insect. Carbon dioxide is removed outward through the trachea. To ventilate them, cockroaches periodically shrink their abdomen.

The nervous system of a cockroach is a large supraglottic ganglion, a subpharyngeal ganglion and an abdominal nerve chain. From the main nodes, nerves depart to the eyes and other well-developed sense organs.

Habitat and reproduction

Black cockroaches are in many ways similar to ordinary Prussians and love to settle next to a person. Prefer to dwell in wet and warm places , because they cannot do without water and constantly need warmth. In hot countries, pests live and breed outside the living quarters. Insects are nocturnal, they die at temperatures of 0 ° C and below.

In the conditions of an apartment, preference is given to;

  • bathroom;
  • kitchen;
  • shared bathrooms.

Pests feel great in nooks hidden by interior items, behind heating radiators, in cases of household appliances, under sinks.

Black cockroaches live from several months to 3-5 years. Whole life cycle insect consists of three forms of development:

  • egg;
  • nymph;
  • imago.

Mating takes place in warm time years, after which the females lay their eggs in a chitinous cocoon. There they mature desired state. There are approximately 16 eggs in this organ. While the female carries eggs, and her abdomen increases slightly in size, but after a while she leaves them in a secluded place. Whole incubation period is 44 days after which the larvae appear. In color, they bear little resemblance to black cockroaches, but as they grow older, individuals become much darker.

Why are cockroaches dangerous and where do they come from

Since cockroaches, including black ones, come to houses and apartments from unsanitary places, they carry a lot of pathogens with them. They are considered carriers of dangerous infections:

  • dysentery;
  • typhoid fever;
  • helminthiasis;
  • diphtheria.

These insects harm people's property spoil and contaminate food. Gnawing through the insulation, they disable household appliances, since their oral apparatus is well developed. They are able to bite a person in a dream, especially for children, when there are a lot of cockroaches in the house.

They can get into people's houses in several ways. Most often this happens when people bring things home. For example, coming from a business trip or coming from guests, you can easily bring things with cockroaches into the house. Most often, cockroaches penetrate the lower floors of multi-storey buildings. There are often cafes, shops or restaurants on the ground floor. When in such establishments they begin to fight insects, they, escaping, begin to run away through the ventilation system.

Cockroaches love to move around. garbage chutes and sewer pipes , so they often get into people's homes in such ways. If they appeared in the house, then this place is comfortable for them. They are attracted to unwashed dishes, a full trash can, a dirty sink, and high humidity.

Fighting methods

In ancient times in Rus', black cockroaches in the house were associated with prosperity and wealth. At that time they were protected and not destroyed, but now much has changed, and people began to fight them using various methods destruction.

Kitchen cockroaches are more difficult to deal with than Prussians, because they more agile and resilient. There are several types of pest control. Preventive measures are the simplest of them. This consists in the constant observance of the sanitary and hygienic rules for maintaining the dwelling.

The chemical method is more effective. You can use various chemicals that are now offered in a large assortment. The third proven method is to use folk remedies struggle. They are effective only when insects have recently appeared in the house, and there are still a few of them.