How does a cockroach work? Types of cockroaches in Russia; decorative and exotic cockroaches. What animals eat cockroaches

One of the most unpleasant “pets” is the cockroach. Of course, some lovers of the animal world may specifically have an exotic pet, but most often insects settle in apartment buildings and terrify the residents. If pests appear in the house, without proper treatment they will eventually fill the entire room.

How do cockroaches get into the house, where do they hide and how long do they live?

How do cockroaches get into homes if people keep them clean? There are several ways of penetration:

1. You can bring them with you on your clothes or in your belongings. Pests can get into things and lay eggs there.
2. Receive with the parcel. About 70% of all cockroaches appear along with parcels delivered by the courier.
3. From the neighbors' apartment. This could be a natural group migration apartment cockroaches, when the concentration in the apartment behind the wall is so great that they look for new habitats.

In an apartment, cockroaches settle in dark damp places, most often in the kitchen, because there are food remains and moisture for reproduction. They make nests in ventilation shafts, corners behind cabinets, cracks between walls, and sewer pipes.

Lifespan depends on the type of insect. Cockroaches are unusually tenacious; red cockroaches, so familiar to our latitudes, live without food for about a month, and Madagascar cockroaches live for more than 2 months.

Types of domestic cockroaches, their appearance and description

The cockroach is one of the oldest insects on earth. Exists a large number of varieties, and not all of them live in apartments. Some exotic species cockroaches reach tens of centimeters in length and live in tropical forests. The most common ones are red, black, white and furniture cockroaches.

Red cockroach

The red cockroach, or in common parlance the Prussian, is the most common house pest, which lives on all continents. Prussians are small, nimble insects with long antennae. Thanks to their whiskers, they navigate in space. The larva of the red cockroach also has a mustache.

The maximum size that adults reach is 1-1.5 cm. The body is elongated, covered on top with chitin from light red to dark Brown. The cockroach larva is born white, but then it turns dark.

Prussians settle in dark, damp places. Cockroaches need water to reproduce, so they make a nest in the kitchen, bathroom or toilet, especially if the faucet is leaking in any of these rooms. Red cockroaches feed on leftover food.

It's difficult to get rid of Prussians. They adapt to very quickly unfavorable conditions life and adapt to poisons. In addition to disinfection with chemicals, it is necessary to constantly maintain cleanliness in the house.

Black beetle

Another variety is black pests. They enter residential buildings from garbage chutes and settle next to trash cans, sewers, and ventilation. They are very fond of places where food waste accumulates; their colonies can be seen behind gas stove, refrigerator, table, where leftover food falls and begins to rot.

The body of black cockroaches is covered with chitin, the color of which varies from dark gray to coal black. Like Prussians, they have wings, but only males use them to jump long distances. The reproduction rate is lower than that of Prussians. It takes about 2 weeks from the moment the pregnant queen lays her eggs for the larvae to hatch. During this time, the clutch may be discovered and eaten by other insects. Close-up eggs can only be seen under a microscope.

Black cockroaches prefer open spaces. IN southern regions they live on the streets, and only in temperate climates do they settle in residential buildings. Interesting feature- these insects do not rise above the 5th floor, so residents upper floors apartment buildings may not worry about their appearance.

Black cockroaches are carriers of many infections. They appear in rooms with very unfavorable sanitary conditions.

White cockroach

Sometimes apartment residents notice white insects indoors. What is this - new pest or an albino cockroach? Neither one nor the other. An ordinary domestic cockroach turns white:

1. In the process of molting. As the insect grows, it sheds its chitinous cover, under which a new one appears. During molting, they have a white, almost transparent body color. During their life span, cockroaches molt about 8 times.
2. Under the influence of poison. Some chemical substances, for example, chlorine-containing ones, destroy the chitin pigment, which is why it turns white.

Furniture cockroaches

If black and red pests are primarily interested in food waste, then furniture look cockroach is interested in books, wallpaper and wooden furniture. This variety appeared on the territory of our country quite recently - about 50 years ago.

In appearance, the furniture pest resembles a Prussian. He small size, has a bright red or light brown color. Bright stripes are visible on the chitin.

Pests feed on substances containing starch. They can rarely be found in residential buildings, but they frequent guests in libraries, archives, warehouses, where book spines and sheets soaked in book glue are devoured. If an insect gets into an apartment, then most likely it will settle in the bedroom, living room, office - where there are shelves with books. These pests nest under wallpaper and in dry wooden shelves.

Egyptian and Turkmen

In the south of the Russian Federation, in Central Asia and the Caucasus, you can find another representative of the southern species of cockroaches - the Egyptian. Sometimes it is also called a “turtle” because of the external resemblance of females to a reptile.

Males reach a small size - about 2.5 cm. They have a flat oval body of a dark brown color. Insects are flying - they have dense, well-developed wings. Females are larger than males and reach 4.5 cm in length. Their body is wingless and flat, similar to a turtle shell, and the color is almost black.

During her life, the female makes from 3 to 5 clutches. She lays about 20 eggs at a time, from which larvae hatch. Before becoming an adult insect, the larva needs to change its chitinous cover 2 times. The period of maturation is 2 years, life expectancy is 4 years.

Egyptian cockroaches feed on dry leaves and the remains of animal and human feces. They often settle in rodent burrows, livestock pens, and residential buildings. They are relatively harmless to humans because they do not spoil food.

Another type of insect living in Central Asia and the southern regions of Russia is Turkmen cockroach. He looks like an ordinary Prussian, only its belly is dark, not white. Central Asian pests have wings, thanks to which they can jump long distances.

Like the Egyptian species, they live in pet areas. They are carriers of dangerous diseases that especially threaten livestock. Animals often eat them and become infected with the transmitted infection. You can see what the Turkmen species looks like in the photo.

American cockroaches

Despite the name, the American cockroach comes from Africa and came to Europe and America during active trade transport. Fortunately, in Russia it is found much less frequently than its red and black counterparts.

The body of the insect is elongated and narrow. The American pest is 4 cm in length. The color of chitin is black. It has wings and can move freely through the air from one place to another. The American cockroach can be seen in the photo.

When the insect senses danger, for example when a person or animal approaches, it releases a liquid with a pungent odor. Many people develop an allergic reaction in response to the poison. This is not the only way to protect yourself. Pests bite painfully and can attack an animal or even a person.

Good news for residents of central Russia - American cockroaches do not tolerate cold weather. If the temperature drops below 0°C, the insects die.

Exotic species of insects and their characteristics

How many groups of cockroaches are known to scientists? About 400, among them African, Turkmen, Crimean, rhinoceros, marbled, albino and many others. Fortunately, only a minority of them are found in our climate, and not all are household pests. Some exotic species are kept as pets, such as the Madagascar cockroach, marbled cockroach, or six-spotted cockroach.

The table provides a description of some common types of insects that are most often kept as pets:

View	Appearance	Characteristic	Conditions of detention
Madagascar cockroach	Length - up to 10 cm, chitin color - from light red to dark brown.	The most common species kept by insect lovers. Feature- loud hissing sound when breathing.	Temperature - 23°C-30°C, humidity - about 60%.
Chess cockroach	Chitin is black in color with white spots arranged in a checkerboard pattern.	Lives up to 5 years. Lives in India. Nocturnal animal.	Temperature - 25°C-30°C, humidity - about 75%.
Death's head cockroach	On the head there is a characteristic pattern in the form of a mask. Length - up to 8 cm.	Lives up to 1.5 years. It can fly, its wingspan is up to 10 cm. When in danger, it releases a caustic liquid.	Temperature - 25°C-30°C, humidity - about 65%.
banana cockroach	The chitinous cover is green. Length - up to 2.5 cm.	Lives on banana plantations and flies well.	Temperature - 27°C, humidity - about 65%.
Rhinoceros cockroach	Reaches the size of a sparrow, weighing up to 37 g.	They live for about 10 years. Nests are made by digging holes in the ground.	Temperature - 25°C-30°C, humidity - about 70%.

Many species continue to be discovered and studied by entomologists. For example, the green banana cockroach was discovered not so long ago and has not yet gained much popularity among breeders. Rhinoceros cockroach, six-spotted, marble cockroach- rare guests as pets. The banana cockroach can be seen in the photo.

Harm from domestic cockroaches and ways to get rid of them

If there are cockroaches in the house, it is not easy to get rid of them. It is necessary to take comprehensive measures, and together with neighbors. You can’t let the situation take its course, even if the residents don’t feel disgusted by insects, because cockroaches cause great harm:

• are carriers of infections;
• spoil food;
• bite people and animals;
• worsen indoor sanitary conditions;
• unpleasant to look at.

There are several ways to deal with them. Some people prefer to buy chemicals in the store, while others use proven folk remedies. It is impossible to say which option will be more effective, because pests quickly adapt to unfavorable conditions.

There are different groups of pest control products:

One of the common folk remedies is the production of balls with boric acid. For this you will need:

• a bag of boric acid;
• boiled potatoes;
• boiled egg;
• flour;
• sunflower oil.

All ingredients are mixed with each other and balls are formed from the resulting mass. These baits are placed along the route of cockroaches and in places where they accumulate. As soon as the insect touches the ball, it dies.

Cockroaches, or cockroaches, (lat. Blattoptera, or Blattodea) are an order of insects from the superorder Cockroach.

Cockroaches reproduce quickly and adapt to any living conditions, which is why they managed to survive many cataclysms on the planet, and they appeared in ancient times. Going through changes appearance and way of life, they managed to survive to this day. Today they live everywhere, even in cold climates, where they have learned to coexist with humans in living quarters.

These guests are extremely undesirable in houses and apartments, as they carry dangerous diseases. Their appearance and the growing number of individuals in the population frighten a person and make them want to eat as soon as possible.

Everyone has encountered these creatures at least once in their lives, but people know very little about them. In fact, only a few species of cockroaches can cohabit with humans, and their habits, reproduction and way of life are very interesting, and even if the insects inevitably die, knowledge about their characteristics will allow you to choose the most effective methods struggle.

The main synanthropic species of cockroaches

The diversity of cockroaches includes several thousand species and varieties, but only a few of them are able to live in apartment conditions, and even fewer are resistant to methods of combating them.

Adapting or escaping to another place, they continue to live next to a person, use his home and eat leftover food.

Favorable factors for cockroaches living in residential premises:

• constant air temperature about +25 degrees;
• high humidity, dampness;
• darkened places in the home: behind furniture, baseboards, in cracks; it is especially comfortable for insects to live behind the refrigerator;
• availability of food and water.

If these pests have settled in such a room, it will be very difficult to remove them. Tropical conditions in the house they allow insects to actively reproduce, increasing their offspring tens and even hundreds of times annually.

Shape and body structure of a cockroach

Cockroaches are insects from the order Cockroaches. They all have a similar body structure: an oval-shaped and flat abdomen, a pair of antennae and three pairs of legs with spines and developed muscles. The eyes are located on the sides of the head and see in all directions. Vision in some species is atrophied. Individuals of synanthropic pests do not fly; in rare cases, males can make short flights or dive from a height, softening the fall by spreading their wings. Thin and mesh wings are hidden under dense elytra; in some individuals aircraft small in size or completely absent. Pests have powerful jaws - this feature allows them to eat any solid food.

The abdomen is segmented and can consist of 8-10 parts, each of which has its own nerve nodes, for this reason the insect is able to control the body even without a head. The outermost segment of the abdomen has outgrowths - cerci. They indicate ancient origin these living beings. The structural features of the legs allow you to move freely along vertical planes and quickly change the direction of movement.

The prehensile foot of a cockroach under a microscope

Prusak cockroach - an ordinary red cockroach

Most often, red cockroaches - Prussians - live next to humans. Their population in the wild is several times smaller than at home. The Prusak is the smallest of all synanthropic insects, the total length of the insect is no more than 10-15 mm. They move very quickly, making them difficult to catch. The wings are well developed, slightly longer than the body, however, Prussians do not fly. They can be identified by their characteristic red color and dark brown stripes along the body. Another one distinctive feature- long mustaches, due to which they navigate in space, find food and water. The body is covered with a chitinous shell, which protects it from light blows.

Red domestic cockroach - Prusak

In Russia, the red pest is called German - this is due to its supposed place of origin. However, in Germany it is called Russian for a similar reason. Currently, Prussians are widespread everywhere. They choose dark and warm places to live with a sufficient amount of food and water; most often they settle in the kitchen and bathroom, near sinks and in cabinets.

Black cockroaches

The second most common representative of cockroaches in apartments is black. The population grows more slowly than that of redheads - this is due to individuals eating their own clutches of eggs and a later period of sexual maturity. Their body size is from 20 to 50 mm. Females are larger than males. They are distinguished by black or dark gray color with a metallic tint. They have developed wings, in males they are equal to the length of the body, in females they are half as long. Males use the aircraft for its intended purpose and can make short flights; the function of these body parts in females is to demonstrate readiness for fertilization. Representatives of black pests have an unpleasant characteristic odor. The chitinous shell is strong and it is quite difficult to crush an insect.

In the photo - a black cockroach

Prefer rooms with moderate temperature conditions And high humidity. Favorite habitats are sewers and basements, sometimes they live in bathrooms. IN living rooms disperse only when the population reaches several hundred.

Comparison of black and red cockroaches - differences in the photo

American cockroach

In appearance it is similar to a Prussian. It has the same red or brown color on its belly and wings. You can distinguish them from other brothers by their size; they are large, up to 50 mm in length, and by dark brown spots on the body. The wings of males exceed the size of the abdomen, while those of females are slightly shortened. They can fly and jump. Long whiskers allow them to find food and detect air vibrations.

The American cockroach looks similar to the red Prusak

They settle mainly in sewers, heating mains and basements. Distributed to apartments via ventilation shafts. They move very quickly, up to 75 cm per second.

The homeland of the American cockroach is Africa, from there it moved to the territory of Northern and South America, and then came to Europe. They are not often found in Russia; the more tenacious and prolific Prussians displace them from their habitats.

Other types of cockroaches

There are several more representatives of the squad who, although rarely, appear in apartments. They come from other countries and settle in a limited area, as a rule, in the southern regions of Russia, where the climate is warmer:

• Turkmen or Central Asian cockroach - has a brown color, turning into black towards the back of the body, there are no wings, the body is elongated.
• Egyptian cockroach– painted in a rich black color, the body shape is close to round.

Separately, furniture cockroaches should be highlighted. They were discovered relatively recently, just a few decades ago. Distinctive feature These creatures have a light, uneven color - on their abdomen all shades of brown in the form of spots or stripes.

They feed on paper, fabrics, glue, and because of this they often settle in libraries, bedrooms or offices. Mostly live in middle lane Russia.

Reproduction of cockroaches

The reproduction speed of these creatures can be the envy of many other insects. A large number of eggs in the clutch and short term reaching puberty, when favorable conditions residence, ensure population growth tens and hundreds of times a year. Reproduction occurs sexually throughout the year. During their life, cockroaches go through several stages of development and repeatedly change their appearance beyond recognition.

Individuals of different sexes. Males are always smaller in size than females, but their wings are better developed and enable them to fly. The female body is denser. The outermost segment of the male's abdomen has a genital plate.

Fertilization and gestation in cockroaches

Sexual maturity occurs as soon as the insect reaches the species adult. Fertilization is preceded by peculiar mating games. The female produces pheromones, attracting males and informing them that she is ready to bear eggs. Males of some species stage fights for the right to fertilize a female, spread their wings and demonstrate the capabilities of flight. Females also use small wings to attract attention by shaking them.

During fertilization, the male transfers genetic information to the female, which can be stored in her body long time and used for subsequent fertilization. The development of the offspring begins in a special capsule called the ooteca. Depending on the type of insect, the ootheca may be located outside the mother’s body on her abdomen, or located inside her until the larvae form. Before hatching, the female sheds her ootheca in a protected area. The capsule must always be moist during the development of eggs and larvae; drying out leads to the death of the offspring. Some representatives of the order are viviparous, the eggs are inside the mother and fully viable larvae are born. Depending on the species, mothers can care for the offspring after hatching or, after relieving the swelling, break off contact with them forever. From the laying of the capsule to the appearance of the larvae, an average of 3–4 weeks passes.

Fertility of cockroaches

For the whole life cycle the female can lay larvae 4–6 times. Each German ootheca contains about 30 eggs, black up to 18. One female can bear from 20 to 200 larvae in her lifetime.

The total offspring of one female individual during the year can reach values ​​of several thousand. The greatest fertility is inherent in the Prussian - up to 300 thousand individuals per year. The black one lays about half as many eggs. The American one reproduces much more slowly - only 800 larvae per year.

Development of cockroaches - from egg to adult

Over the entire period of life, these living beings go through three phases of transformation. The process of these changes is called metamorphosis.

1. Egg– forms in edema, the period lasts 3-4 weeks, a larva develops in each egg.
2. Larva(nymph) – the period from birth to the acquisition of the form of an adult insect. Immediately after hatching the larva has White color, but very quickly acquires brown tint, and its shell hardens. At this stage, there are no wings, but the insect already looks like its parents. Nymphs molt up to 6 times, with each subsequent time they acquire more and more characteristics of an adult. The length of the period depends on the species and varies from several weeks to two years.
3. Adult(imago) – the stage of sexual maturity and readiness for reproduction. Then the pests do not change their appearance until the end of their life cycle.

How long do cockroaches live?

There is a lot of controversy about the lifespan of these creatures - this is due to the fact that it is different for each species. Red Prussians live about a year, black ones - a maximum of 2 years, American Prussians live a little over a year as adults.

The duration of the stages of metamorphosis can vary not only from species to species, but also depending on conditions. Lowering the temperature and limiting nutrition can delay the development of eggs and nymphs indefinitely.

The lack of food can significantly shorten the lifespan of adult creatures, but even under these conditions, Prussians exist for about another month, after which they begin to eat their relatives or bite people, pinching off pieces of skin. Blacks can go without food for up to two months, but they never attack their own kind, dooming the entire population to death. Long-term survival without food is due to a very slow metabolism. The lack of water is more destructive for cockroaches; without it, pests can live no more than a week. A drop in temperature below zero shortens the life of insects to several hours.

Lifestyle and behavior of cockroaches

All cockroaches are nocturnal, and only with the cover of darkness do they leave their shelters in search of food. If pests appear during the day, it means that there are a large number of them and the population is experiencing an acute lack of food or moisture. During daylight hours, these creatures hide in dark places.

Cockroaches live in large groups, but in their population there is no distribution of roles like termites. However, scientists empirically have proven that they make joint decisions, for example, about where to migrate. When the population’s place of residence becomes crowded, they divide into two groups and go in search of a new home. According to another study, the majority obeys the decisions of individuals.

In case of danger, which these creatures can notice with the help of vision and antennae, insects prefer to flee. During the day, pests are most vulnerable, so at this time of day they stay in cracks and corners.

Where do cockroaches live and hide?

Cockroaches love warmth, darkness And dampness identified their main places of residence. In addition to kitchens and bathrooms in residential apartments, they are attracted to warehouses, pantries, shops, public catering places, hospital wards, basements, ventilation shafts, through which they most often enter apartments and garbage chutes.

In an apartment, you can find hiding representatives of the population behind baseboards, in closets, under wallpaper, under parquet, linoleum, near trash cans, in cracks next to the water supply, under the sink - in these places they feel most comfortable. Only growing numbers and lack of food force them to explore new territories.

What do cockroaches eat?

Cockroaches are omnivores; anything can serve as food for them. They are especially attracted to:

• spoiled food;
• sweets;
• flour products;
• paper, including wallpaper, books;
• pieces of furniture;
• cloth;
• soap.

An indispensable condition for these creatures to live is water. If she is not there, they will quickly leave the room. In some cases, when there is an acute shortage of food, aggressive individuals can attack a person, feeding on particles of his skin and leaving harmful microbes for last. The Prussians are characterized by cannibalism.

Harm and benefits of cockroaches

Cockroaches can poison a person’s life, cause harm to health and property, have a terrifying appearance and bad smell make living with such neighbors impossible, but in living nature these creatures perform important functions, participate in nitrogen processing and support normal life ecosystems of the planet.

It is necessary to survive them from the apartment, but perhaps you should not treat them so dismissively and use them to fight as much as possible humane methods. Knowledge about the characteristics of the representatives of the order, the reproduction and life of cockroaches will make it possible to force pests to leave the home without harm to people and the insects themselves.

Cockroaches are different, but there are only two main types - black and red cockroaches. Despite the external differences, the structure of cockroaches is similar. The body length of the largest insects does not exceed 5 cm, and the smallest reach only 1 cm in length. Madagascar cockroaches can grow up to 10 cm in length.

All cockroaches have a flat body and a heart-shaped head, but some species have a triangular head. There are two rather large eyes on the surface, but in some species of insects the visual organs are atrophied or completely absent. Males are mostly winged, while females lack wings. Females are significantly larger than males in size.

Features of cockroaches

These insects belong to the class insects, order cockroaches. Phylum arthropods, subphylum tracheal-breathing. The peculiarity of the black cockroach, which has wings, is its inability to perform independent directed flight. They can glide on their even well-developed wings, which in males cover the entire abdomen. But large females either have no wings or are practically undeveloped. Because of this, their abdomen remains open.

They, like all polyphags, feed on a wide variety of foods, eating bread, vegetables, fruits, paper, and even soap. Black and red cockroaches can be attracted to foods that have a pleasant and rather strong odor. Cockroaches cannot survive without water and need warmth. Another feature is to search for the most secluded, dark, damp corners where they can feel quite comfortable.

External structure of cockroaches

Their heads are different types and have external differences. In most cases the head is large, oval or pear-shaped. The mouth has significant size, directed backwards and downwards. It can be difficult to examine the head of a black cockroach, since it is covered by the pronotum. Some species have so-called simple eyes, which are not always developed.

As for the specimens of full-winged animals, they have large compound eyes separated by an interocular space. Short-winged individuals have smaller eyes, often atrophied. Some individuals have no eyes at all. Cockroaches bite quite noticeably. Their mouth is classified as a gnawing mouth. The antennae of the cockroach deserve special attention. They are attached to the antennal fossae. The antennae are covered with bristles and are long.

Body parts

The chest of the black and red cockroach consists of three segments. The first one is much larger than the others - this is the pronotum. This segment has the shape of a convex hexagon. On the sides of it smooth surface there are depressions in which the elytra are placed. This segment is often lighter than the rest of the insect's body, and in some species it is even transparent. The pronotum has an external connection with a small triangular shield, and the thoracic sclerites are hidden under the coxae of the legs.

The legs of the black cockroach are five-jointed. The first four segments have pads, but the fifth has claws. There is a sucker between the claws.

They have two pairs of wings. Despite the fact that they are not developed in all individuals, most alates use membranous wings. The first pair of membranes does not have membranes, but it does have cilia. The first pair of wings are the elytra. They are dense, leathery, and have no hairs. The second pair are the wings themselves, which in some species are atrophied or completely absent. Only males are capable of flight.

Segmental external structure The abdomen of the red cockroach is clearly visible even at the first glance at the insect. The abdomen is thickened, standing out against the general background. It is especially noticeable in females. The number of segments reaches 10 or 11, the last of which is the anal plate, which covers the anus.

Ootheca

An ootheca is nothing more than an egg cocoon. It has an oval shape, the ends of which are rounded, and in the females of some species they are chopped off. The ootheca is always noticeable due to its size. You can recognize the female red cockroach by it. The size of the ootheca depends on the size of the insect, but in any case it may not be much smaller than the abdomen. The surface of the ootheca is ribbed, and in the place where the eggs are collected, it is noticeably convex. This is a light capsule, at the ends of which there is a so-called pink or beige colour. It may have noticeable thickenings or be completely smooth.

Internal structure

The greatest interest in the internal structure is caused by the respiratory, blood supply and digestive organs. The excretory system of the insect is no less important and interesting. The dorsal blood vessel stretches along the entire body, forming expansions in each abdominal segment. Extensions with valves are the heart of the insect. Respiratory system- three pairs of tracheal trunks, from which branches extend throughout the insect’s body.

The digestive system begins with the oral cavity, then the subpharyngeal gland and the salivary glands. The cockroach wets its food with saliva before swallowing it. From a small pharynx, food enters the esophagus, from there into the crop and then into the muscular stomach. All foods that a cockroach eats are partially digested, ending up in the crop, and final processing pass in the stomach.

Food ground in the muscular stomach enters the midgut, and from there into the hindgut and excretory system. Central nervous system consists of ganglia (suprapharyngeal and subpharyngeal) and the abdominal nerve cord.

Insects require warmth, darkness and humidity to thrive and live. They constantly eat and reproduce. These insects move in search of cozy places and the most suitable habitat, using a wide variety of passages and crevices. Most individuals feel great at temperatures of 20 - 30 ° C, which is why they are so comfortable in human homes.

From time immemorial, various types of cockroaches have lived in human homes; once the insect was considered a symbol of wealth, but now it is an unpleasant guest, causing a lot of trouble and spreading infection. What attracts them to our apartments? The answer is obvious. This is warmth and a lot of food, they cannot survive in winter natural conditions, and finding food is problematic.

Any cockroach living near a person has a whole set of features characteristic of any of the species:

• The cockroach goes through three stages of development; a larva emerges from the egg and turns into adult insect- imago;
• Externally, the imago and larvae are similar;
• Female cockroaches have edema to brood eggs;
• The cockroach's mustache helps it not to get lost in space;
• The insect is capable of chewing and digesting any food;
• For a long time you can simply not notice them, thanks to high speed movement, the ability to hide in cracks and crevices and high activity mainly at night.

How to recognize a cockroach

There are a great variety of insects in nature, and a person encountering a cockroach for the first time may not recognize the enemy by sight. How do you know that it is a cockroach? So, character traits insect:

• The length of the oblong or oval body is 4mm -10 cm;
• The head is not round, but flat, in the shape of a heart or triangle;
• The mouthparts of the gnawing type are covered with a shield.

The photo shows the types of cockroaches that may end up in an apartment.

Where do cockroaches come from?

Of the five thousand varieties of cockroaches, only a few of them live in houses and apartments in Russia. Why do they choose your apartment to live in? In each case the reason is individual:

• Dishes periodically left overnight in the sink;
• Migrating individuals from neighbors;
• Accumulated trash and food waste;
• A cockroach brought from the street or from guests and much more.

Once at least one cockroach has entered the room, there is a high probability that their numbers will soon increase significantly. Often pests are found in clean rooms, do not forget that cockroaches are omnivores and can even feed on paper.

How to find out if there are cockroaches in your house

It may not be possible to detect pests immediately if there are still a few of them. The neighborhood will become noticeable when they begin to manage your kitchen as if they were at home. There are signs by which you can determine the presence of cockroaches in a room:

• Black dots are visible on the tiles, in the corners of the walls, on the furniture - these are insect feces;
• Look in cracks, tiny crevices and all corners for cockroach eggs;
• Cockroaches are sometimes accompanied by a specific smell.

Find out which cockroach has settled in your apartment

Cockroaches are the most common synatropic insects. But among several thousand species, not all live at home. The most common cockroach in our homes is the red cockroach, less often the black and American cockroaches. In the south and in the tropics, other species wander into houses, but they cannot be called synatropic; rather, they are random guests. Since the domestic cockroach looks different, depending on the variety, here is short description and photos of each of the common types.

Types of cockroaches in the apartment (photo)

Prusak - red cockroach

We looked at common types of cockroaches living in apartments, but it is possible that you may come across a specimen that is not on this list.

Watch a video about the Madagascar hissing cockroach

On the territory of Russia and former countries The USSR is home to 55 species of cockroaches, in total there are more than 7.5 thousand species. Some are raised as decorative pets, participants in cockroach races, an ingredient in some traditional Chinese dishes, and other species are even listed in the Red Book. It is not difficult to understand what class cockroaches belong to: they are insects.

On planet Earth there are a huge number of representatives of the order cockroaches

Appearance of insects

The order of insects cockroaches belong to the animal kingdom, the phylum arthropods. Among them, there are 8 families of cockroaches and 9 families of termites.

Despite the huge number of species, structure and general characteristics cockroaches are similar in many ways:

This video shows how to determine the presence of cockroaches in the house:

Main types

To date More than 4.6 thousand species of cockroaches and almost 3 thousand species of termites are known. Most of them live in the tropics and subtropics. No more than 55 species are found on the territory of Russia, and the numbers of some of them are declining. Mostly we're talking about about cockroaches or red cockroaches: with beginning of the XXI century, there has been a decrease in their number in Russia, the CIS countries and other countries.

Scientists attribute this to the improvement of the sanitary condition of housing, the relocation of cockroaches to more suitable places(in garbage dumps, etc.) and improving insect control products.

Unscientific theories include chemical or radioactive contamination, the spread of GMO products that negatively affect cockroaches, deterioration of the ozone layer, and the use of non-ecological building materials.

Red cockroach, or Prusak

Their homeland is southern Asia, from where in the 18th century they moved to the countries of Europe and North America, displacing the black cockroach. The name "Prussian" is due to the fact that cockroaches supposedly came from Prussia.

The red cockroach is one of the most common species and has quite small sizes

Red cockroaches reach a length of 1−1.6 cm and are colored brown. On the upper half of their “back” there are 2 dark stripes. The male's body is narrower, with a wedge-shaped abdomen. Females are wider and their abdomen is more round. They can fly (more precisely, glide) thanks to their developed wings, but for a short time.

They can quickly form large colonies, as they reproduce actively and quickly. The species is one of the most common in Russia.

Black beetle

Distributed in Europe, Asia and Africa. Its population declined sharply at the beginning of the last century due to competition with red-haired relatives and the invention of new poisons.

The length of the black cockroach is 2−3 cm, the color is black or dark brown with a metallic sheen. Sometimes there is a red color. The elytra of the male are slightly shorter than the abdomen; in the female they do not reach the base of the abdomen at all. Insects don't fly, but they run fast. One of their features is an unpleasant odor, by which their presence is easily recognized.

Black cockroaches have an unpleasant odor and carry a number of diseases dangerous to human health.

Black cockroaches reproduce faster than red ones. In addition, they are carriers of many dangerous diseases, such as cholera and E. coli, and bring with them many harmful microbes from garbage dumps. The presence of these insects in a home indicates unsanitary conditions. It is imperative to get rid of them.

American representatives

It first appeared in the African tropics, but in the 20s of the 17th century it came to North America, and then to Europe.

In appearance, the American cockroach is similar to its red relative. The length of its body is 3.5−5 cm, the body itself is flat. Males outwardly look a little longer due to the wings: they protrude beyond the abdomen by 0.4-0.8 mm. The American cockroach can be red or brown in color, with a pale brown or yellow stripe along the edges of the chest shield.

The American cockroach bites in self-defense, which can cause allergic reaction

American species easily adapt to external conditions, they are very nimble and fast, they can bite.

They eat any food they find, and not only them: their diet may include paper, soap, hair, dead insects, animal entrails, etc.

Carriers of microbes and bacteria dangerous to humans can cause allergies: the latter is observed in 50-60% of asthmatic adults and in almost 80% of children with the same disease.

Other types

The following are less common species that may be found in Russia:

It is worth special mentioning albino cockroaches. They are not a separate species- these are cockroaches after molting, which have not yet acquired their usual color. Discoloration may be due to exposure to chemicals.

Features of reproduction

Representatives of cockroaches develop very quickly, this allows them to create solid colonies in just a matter of weeks. Below is an approximate diagram of the life of cockroaches:

Thanks to short period During pregnancy, the fertility of cockroaches is enormous. For example, a Prussian dog can produce up to 300 thousand offspring in a year. The offspring of the black cockroach are half as large, while the “American” lays less than a thousand larvae.

Lifestyle

It is worth knowing about representatives of the cockroach family:

Use of insects

Despite the fact that cockroaches are unpleasant and dangerous insects to humans, not all of them are destroyed. Cockroaches are used:

Cockroaches are representatives of an order that includes more than 7.5 thousand species, more than half of which are cockroaches themselves. They differ in their habitat appearance and behavior, but all representatives have much in common. For humans, these insects can be extremely dangerous, as they spread germs and dangerous diseases.