Types of cockroaches, lifestyle, habitat and behavior. Class insects, order cockroaches Black cockroaches and roaches order

Many people would be curious to know the types of cockroaches that operate in their kitchens. They study their habits and reproductive characteristics. And there is only one reason for such curiosity: the desire to find out everything about pests in order to find the most effective way getting rid of them.

But there are enthusiasts who specifically breed cockroaches in their homes. Some people are seriously into it, others feed these insects to their pets, and a third considers the cockroaches themselves to be their favorite pets.

In the huge diversity of the Cockroach Suborder, every terrariumist can find a species of individuals to his liking. Indeed, today scientists already know more than 4.5 thousand species of cockroaches. And this is not the limit, as entomologists continue to discover new species.

Cockroaches on the territory of the former USSR

In Russia and neighboring countries there are a little more than fifty species of cockroaches. In his home, a person is most likely to see only some representatives of this group of insects. Surely, someone will recognize the inhabitants of their own homes in the photos below.

Red cockroach, or Blattella germanica:

One angrily calls him a Prusak, and the other quite peacefully calls him “Stasik”. This look has taken root in apartments thoroughly. The apartments are created simply ideal conditions for his prosperity. Warm all year round, and there is always something to profit from. This is what attracts them.

They came up with an affectionate nickname for him - “car guy”. The creature looks original. A light stripe runs around the entire black body of the cockroach, short light elytra, and males also have bright yellow spots on the pronotum. The insect is very reminiscent of a tiny car with burning headlights.

Therea Bernhardti, or Chess cockroach:

This handsome guy is considered the cutest of the cockroach army. The contrasting black and white coloring is somewhat reminiscent of the appearance of a predatory ground beetle, shooting at its offenders with a liquid with a pungent odor. This similarity serves as a kind of protection for the cockroach. In its homeland, India, it has enemies, so during the day the insect hides under stones and tree roots, and at night it searches for food.

And another cockroach, Blaberus craniifer, has a rather strange appearance and has an intriguing name - “Death's Head”:

The image on the pronotum of the insect is somewhat reminiscent of a mask worn on Halloween.

Cockroaches are record holders

Cockroaches have their own record holders. The largest is the Madagascar hissing cockroach, or Gromphadorrhina portentosa. This type of cockroach is rightly called giant, as the photograph clearly demonstrates:

Yellow-brown individuals, capable of growing up to 10 cm, amaze not only with their impressive size, but also with their unexpected habits. Cockroaches of this species are capable of emitting a threatening hiss. In fact, there is nothing unusual about this sound. This is a kind of powerful exhalation.

At the moment of danger, the insect's abdomen contracts, sharply squeezing air through the breathing holes. Such expressions of masculinity are effective against potential enemies, as well as less fortunate rivals in mating games. Defending the right to a female and territory, cockroaches stage real fights, as a result of which someone may well end up without a paw or without an antennae.

The heaviest type of cockroaches is shown in the photo below:

This is the Australian burrowing rhinoceros cockroach, Macropanesthia rhinoceros. In size it may be inferior to its African relative, but in mass it has no equal. Some specimens weighed 37 grams. This value is comparable to the weight of an average sparrow. The insect, as the name suggests, is capable of digging tunnels up to a meter long in the ground. This species cockroaches hold another record. Rhinoceroses are the longest-lived insects, living up to 10 years.

Individuals of this species can rightfully be called the only flying cockroaches. When the insect unfolds its wings, it becomes truly huge, reaching 20 cm in width.

Evolution of the cockroach

It has been written and said hundreds of times that the ancestors of the Cockroach order are older than dinosaurs. The appearance of modern cockroaches has undergone minor changes since the Carboniferous period, and their lifestyle also remains the same.

Evolution has affected the reproductive system of insects. In the distant past, cockroaches had an ovipositor, which made it possible to lay eggs inside the substrate and leave them there almost to their fate. This entailed the death of most of the offspring.

Later, edema appeared, a protective capsule for the eggs. And some species of cockroaches that exist in the third millennium carry the ootheca with them, parting with it immediately before the larvae emerge, and some even experience viviparity. Caring for the younger generation has allowed cockroaches to more effectively preserve their species.

From time to time, new species of cockroaches are discovered that have not previously come to the attention of entomologists. Insects evolve and adapt to new conditions environment, to poisons. Who knows,

Cockroaches are very unpleasant household insects. There is no particular harm from them, but who would like to find uninvited mustachioed guests in the apartment? Many people immediately begin extermination, not even suspecting that there are many varieties of these insects. Of course, it makes no difference what types of cockroaches have settled in the room, but, as they say, you always need to know the enemy by sight.

Black (Blatta orientalis)

One of the most popular families indoors is black cockroaches. They easily enter your home, especially if there is sewer drain, trash cans or cluttered basements. In the summer, members of the family can feel great outside, but when the weather gets colder they tend to find a warmer place.

An unpleasant odor, a chitinous black shell, and size (up to 3 cm) are the main characteristics of this species of cockroaches. Color can vary from dark gray to dirty red. Adult individuals reproduce slowly, but if you do not deal with them immediately, then such neglect threatens to grow the family to incredible sizes.

The largest concentrations of individuals can be found in the following places:

• trash bin;
• under the stove;
• behind the refrigerator;
• in the pantry.

Black cockroaches are the most dangerous insects from this family to human health. Since their favorite place is garbage containers, the number of infections and bacteria on their paws is impossible to even imagine. And together with insects, this accumulation of infection, dangerous for humans, can quickly move into the apartment.

Redheads (Blattella germanica)

If we consider the types of domestic cockroaches, this is the most popular family. It is also known as Prussians. No living space is immune from the appearance of red cockroaches.

It is worth noting that it is very difficult to get rid of them - insects know how to hide well, reproduce with incredible speed, and chemicals or traditional methods killing cockroaches is ineffective.

Types of cockroaches

You can meet red cockroaches almost everywhere:

• Living spaces;
• hospitals;
• public places;
• utility rooms;
• country houses.

The body of the cockroach is slightly elongated, the chitinous shell has a reddish tint, which can range from light to very dark. Representatives of such an interesting family live near a large amount of food. Incredibly, they easily manage to penetrate even closed containers.

Interesting facts from the life of red cockroaches - they can find food almost everywhere. Even if you carefully hide all the leftover food, insects will easily find a few grains of sugar spilled a long time ago or stale bread crumbs.

The presence of water is vital for representatives of this family. They can for a long time do without food, but if the taps in the apartment are faulty, then the cockroaches will calmly continue to visit, constantly visiting the source of life-giving for them. They will not disdain indoor plants– young sprouts may be completely eaten.

White

You can often spot a white cockroach in an apartment. Don't think that this is some strange new species. In most cases white shade the cockroach has after molting. During their entire life, insects of this family shed their chitinous shell almost 10 times.

The light, almost transparent color makes the insect much more difficult to detect. After some time, it will be covered with a new shell and acquire a permanent color. How long will it take him to do this? After two weeks, mustachioed white cockroach will turn into an ordinary red or black pest.

The appearance of a white cockroach

Chemicals can affect the shade of mustachioed apartment dwellers. This happens especially often if low-quality products for killing domestic insects were purchased. After some time, the natural color will return.

American (Periplaneta americana)

It is not worth judging the origin of an insect by its name. The homeland of this family is hot Africa. Cockroaches made their way to America with cargo ships, and then easily spread across all continents.

Rich food a large number of garbage near houses and unsanitary conditions in public institutions became an excellent incentive to appear in our country. Despite how many species there are, this insect is easy to distinguish - its large size, oval body with a brown shell that looks like folded wings, differs sharply from the appearance of the familiar Prussians.

Another feature that distinguishes American cockroaches from red or black ones is that they cannot tolerate cold weather. Even at a temperature of 0 degrees, the insect inevitably dies. Another unpleasant characteristic is that the American cockroach is very aggressive and can even attack a pet or person.

Furniture (Supella longipalpa)

The central regions of Russia are especially abundant in such types of insects. They were first discovered in an apartment more than 50 years ago, and since then the owners of the premises have been unsuccessfully trying to get rid of such a scourge.

The peculiarity of this family is the presence of transparent wings with dark stripes and a bright red tint. The kitchen is the worst place for these insects. Why? Their favorite foods are wallpaper paste and old books. This is what brings these types of cockroaches to archives and libraries.

Central Asian (Shelfordella tartara)

The south of Russia is a part of the country where you can find another family of unpleasant insects. It is very easy to recognize - only Central Asian cockroaches have a yellow head and a black belly.

Another one of them distinctive feature– insects are able to jump perfectly from object to object, and where it is not possible to overcome an obstacle in one jump, cockroaches simply fly over.

Egyptian (Polyphaga aegyptiaca)

Some of the most prominent representatives among insect pests in the south of Russia. Housing conditions do not overdo it - they can happily live both in an apartment and in a room for livestock. They do not pose a threat, they are absolutely harmless, although the size of the family can cause many problems.

The appearance is quite unusual. Large, up to several centimeters adults are black in color. The shell is smooth and shiny. This species is often used as food on farms that breed lizards.

A little exotic

Despite the fact that people always think of cockroaches with disgust, some apartment residents cannot resist purchasing the most interesting specimens cockroach family.

One of the most beloved pets is the chess cockroach. It is called that because of its original coloring, reminiscent of a chessboard. The insect is nocturnal - it prefers to hide during the day, and when darkness comes, it goes for a walk around the apartment.

Another wonderful representative of a large family is the Death’s Head. Why is it called so unusually? On his back interesting drawing in the form of a terrible grinning mask. The peculiarity of this insect is the ability to make long flights.

The huge Madagascar cockroach is a unique insect. Not only can it reach 10 cm in size, but the ability to make sounds is unique to them out of the entire huge family. It sounds like a loud hissing sound, but scientists have proven that it's just noisy breathing.

Cockroaches - what kind of insects are they?

The rhinoceros cockroach is also unique in its kind. The huge weight of these insects is to blame for this. How much exactly? An adult can reach a weight of about 40 grams. Also such wonderful representatives exotic insects can live a long life - up to 10 years.

A striking representative of a number of insects Latin America– Megaloblatta longipennis. Not only is it huge in size, it is the only species that can fly without difficulty. The wingspan is impressive - up to 25 cm! The shade of this insect is especially beautiful - black, with purple tint. Because of its size, people are afraid to keep it in apartments, so you can only find such beauty in wild nature.

Mutation, crossing of several varieties, living conditions - all this has a beneficial effect on the growth of the family. More and more new species of cockroaches are appearing. Some of them are completely harmless to humans, but most can become the main cause of serious illnesses.

Scientists are confident that modern cockroaches can easily spread cholera or ulcers. That's why humanity long years fights these unpleasant insects. But so far everything is to no avail - the family continues to successfully grow and reproduce.

Video: Type of cockroaches

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 pollution, 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 European countries 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 is quite small in size.

Red cockroaches reach a length of 1−1.6 cm, are colored Brown color. 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 bad smell, by which it is easy to recognize their presence.

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 an 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 the size, 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 numbers more than 7.5 thousand species, more than half of which are cockroaches themselves. They differ in 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.

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, 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. There are 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. An interesting feature is that 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 small size- about 2.5 cm. They have a flat oval body of 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 his belly is dark, and 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. In response to poison, many people develop allergic reaction. 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 middle zone Russia - American cockroaches do not tolerate cold weather. If the temperature drops below 0°C, the insects die.

Exotic species of insects and their features

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 in the home, 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 cockroach, marbled cockroach are rare visitors 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.

These insects together make up the whole Squad of Tarakanovs. A common feature All representatives have an oval body, crowned with a triangular head with long antennae. So, what types of cockroaches are there?

Tropical

Green cockroach (banana).

Inhabitant tropical forests Florida, Ecuador and Cuba. It differs from domestic cockroaches in its bright light green coloring and large size. Many people raise them in terrariums as pets.

Banana varieties of cockroaches, photos of which are just below, fly beautifully with the help of transparent wings and can dig holes in the ground.

Brown cockroach or turtle.

Ground insects living secretly. In nature, they live in the warm forests of Burma, India and Thailand.

Quite large creatures reaching 2 cm in length. All body coverings are painted a rich chestnut color. All individuals have transparent wings. In males they are long, capable of briefly lifting the owner into the air. In addition, the wings are decorated with a transverse border of a pale yellow hue.

Females are not so elegant; their small wings are devoid of patterns and do not even allow them to rise above the ground.

Marzipan cockroach.

Exotic from North America. Frequent inhabitant of terrariums. It is not particularly large in size, reaching a length of no more than 4 cm. The integument has a noble cherry color. The wings are very poorly developed, the elytra are short and square.

Females have a wider body. They incubate the ootheca for a day, then hide it in the litter or attach it to the bark. It is cemented on top with chewed pieces of soil and bark.

Marble cockroach.

It is bred in terrariums as decoration or food for hedgehogs, lizards and spiders. Lives in nature South America. The male can grow 3 cm in length, the female - 2.5 cm. The body is colored chestnut. On the integumentary wings there are lighter specks that form marble patterns over the entire surface. There are dark brown lines on the cervical shield.

Other differences from relatives marble cockroach No. Like the others, this species lives in top layer land, is an omnivore.

Madagascar cockroach.

Popular decorative look, living in many terrariums. It has huge dimensions compared to other types. Body length of an adult male reaches 5–8 cm, females - 6–9 cm.

There are no wings even in mature individuals. The covers can be colored red or chestnut.

Despite their enormous size, these giants are distinguished by their peaceful nature and increased timidity. During the day they hide in a litter of leaves and grass, and at night they come out. At the slightest suspicion of danger, they begin to violently hiss. The sound is produced by spiracles located throughout the body.

Forest

This is a large genus of insects living in forest areas around the world.

Lapland cockroach.

Inhabits forests and steppes throughout Europe. His dimensions not very big, body length is about 1 cm. Colored gray or brown with a yellowish tint. There are blurry black spots on the pronotum. Adult females have long wings protected by large elytra.

ATTENTION! This species has interesting feature. Males are active during the day and live on plants. Females wake up at night and prefer to stay on the ground, hiding in the leaf litter.

Steppe cockroach.

Lives in forest-steppes and steppes of Eurasia. Is different small sizes And nondescript, inconspicuous coloring. The length of its body does not exceed 8 mm, the integument is beige in color with a gray tint. A clearly defined black arch runs along the pronotum.

This species has clearly marked sexual dimorphism. In females, the elytra are short, covering only half of the body. Longitudinal dark lines run along the back. In males, the elytra are long and end outside the body. There are no black stripes.

Steppe people live only one warm season. In winter, they lay oothecae and die. By summer, larvae emerge from the clutches and become adults by June.

Common forest cockroach.

Large individuals from Central America. In length can grow 6–8 cm. The body and elytra are pale brown with darker spots and a black spot on the pronotum.

An omnivorous species that lives inside the leaf litter. When attacked by enemies, it releases a strong-smelling secretion designed to scare away enemies.

And again about the mustaches

These insects are surrounded by a huge number of myths. For example, the tale of the notorious. This is not a monster! In fact, light integument may appear on young nymphs that have just finished molting.

Another popular misconception is that cockroaches are poisonous. These simply do not exist in nature! But many varieties secrete an unpleasant-smelling secretion that scares away enemies.

Therefore, upon detection uninvited guests at home, it should be either , or .

Below are high-quality and reliable cockroach repellents:

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Those who have never seen them can familiarize themselves with domestic cockroaches - photo below:

It turns out that cockroaches can not only cause damage to humans! There are types of cockroaches that are used as pet food, and decorative varieties, serving as decoration for the terrarium. We looked at both huge representatives and small cockroaches; photos of all types are above in the article.

Watch a short video of how the Madagascar cockroach hisses:

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