Cockroaches and their varieties. There are such different types of cockroaches: domestic, tropical, forest and even flying. Photos and descriptions of all varieties. What is a fat body

How many species of cockroaches are known to scientists? This question can be answered in just two words: a lot. The order of cockroaches (Blattoptera) is very extensive and numbers this moment not one or two thousand species, but as many as 7570.

In the territory former USSR, including Russia, there are about 55 species of these insects. Cockroaches are widespread and live in close proximity to humans, and often even in their homes. Although a significant decline in the number of cockroaches has been recorded, these insects are still a fairly serious household problem.

Types of these insects

Varieties of domestic cockroaches are represented in much smaller numbers than there are in the world. If we consider some of the most famous types of cockroaches in the apartment, we can highlight a couple of the most remarkable. Photos and descriptions of household pests are presented below:

1. Red cockroach (Blattella germanica)

Perhaps the most famous synanthropic species of arthropods. People call these pests “Prussians” or “stasics.” This red-haired, mustachioed creature feeds on waste, paper, fabrics, even soap. It adapts perfectly to any changing environmental conditions and reproduces with incredible speed. It is nocturnal, but can also be found in daytime. The color of these pests varies from mustard-red to brown; two dark stripes on the front chest are notable. The size of adult individuals reaches 16-18 mm.

2. Black cockroach (Blatta orientalis)

The black barbel is a direct competitor of its red counterpart in human homes. These arthropods are jet black in color with a metallic or glossy sheen on the abdomen. The sizes are larger compared to the red ones - the imago of such a pest reaches a length of up to 8 cm. They do not fly, but they crawl very quickly. In spring and summer they can live in wildlife, on outdoors, but very close to human habitation.

3. American cockroach (Periplaneta americana)

Despite its name, this insect is a cosmopolitan synanthrope, i.e. distributed anywhere in the world where people live. Similar to Prussians, but the body length can reach 5 cm. These are flying insects. Distinctive feature American longhorned beetles have shiny brown wings, as well as a white or light stripe on the prothorax.

4. Furniture cockroach (Supella longipalpa)

This species began to be found in Russian houses from the late 70s of the last century. Distinctive feature Furniture longhorned beetles are characterized by their amazing jumping ability and unusual coloring with light fuzzy spots on the back, although in appearance they are also similar to their red “relatives”. Based on the name, it is not difficult to guess where they prefer to make shelters.

What types of cockroaches are there in the world?

The colossal species diversity of this order of arthropods makes it impossible to describe all the species of cockroaches found in nature in at least two words, so it is much more advisable to focus on the most known species these insects, which are clearly presented in the photo.

Some popular exotic varieties cockroaches are bred at home by amateur entomologists or as “live food”:

All types of the above cockroaches, with the exception of the last one, do not live in natural environment on the territory of Russia and neighboring countries. Photos with descriptions of Russian endemics can be read a little higher.

Malicious species

If we consider these insects from the point of view of harm, then any domestic cockroaches that you do not breed yourself are potential pests and carry many dangers. For example, the most common varieties of these creatures in our latitudes are potentially dangerous because they are carriers of dangerous human diseases and pathogens of a bacterial or viral nature.

The photo below shows each species of potentially dangerous disease carriers from the cockroach order:

• red (Blattella germanica);
• black (Blatta orientalis);
• American (Periplaneta americana);
• furniture (Supella longipalpa);

The whole danger lies in the feeding behavior of these pests. A cockroach's food source can be anything - they are omnivores and absolutely unpretentious in food. They'll feast on it fresh vegetables and fruits, baked goods, rotten leftovers from the trash can or other, sometimes inedible, things.

The type of mouthparts of any representative is gnawing; the pest will be able to eat anything. That is why, when digging in food scraps, places with poor sanitary conditions or habitats with the presence of pathogenic pathogens, longhorned beetles unwittingly become reservoirs for infections, although they themselves do not suffer from it.

Useful varieties

If we talk about benefits, then for the average person there is no such thing. The decorative functions of some species can be considered as beneficial. For insect lovers, keeping such cockroaches in an apartment brings considerable pleasure.

The food species mentioned above are also useful:

• Madagascar hissing cockroach (Gromphadorhina portentosa);
• turtle cockroach (Therea petiveriana);
• Central Asian cockroach (Shelfordella tartara).

Pest Control

More recently, “stasiks” were the real scourge of most residents multi-storey buildings, and in private they met quite often. Current situation somewhat simpler, but still many still do not know how to get rid of this scourge. Indeed, thanks to the excellent adaptive qualities, as well as high speed It is very difficult to breed barbels to reproduce their own kind.

Insects can live in attics, basements, occasionally appearing in the apartment, or live directly in it. The important thing is that these insects simply love unsanitary conditions, so the first step to expelling them from your home is to get into the habit of “generalizing” as often as possible.

But there is universal means control of insects such as cockroaches. They are called insecticides. They come in the form of aerosols, powders, emulsion concentrates, traps, baits, etc. The latest developments in chemical composition Such substances make it possible to fight Prussians very effectively.

It’s good to know that you can combine several varieties for a special effect. insecticides or supplement the set of measures with some proven folk remedies, for example, baits with boric acid.

What you will need:

• aerosol;
• respirator;
• gloves.

How to use:

1. Take precautions: wear a respirator for protection respiratory tract and gloves on hands.
2. Spray around the perimeter of the room, as well as in all areas of the apartment or house, paying Special attention and several times applying the aerosol to those places where pests are most often found. If there are food products nearby, they should be removed to a safe place.
3. Run along baseboards, near trash cans, in floor cracks or walls; insects can hide behind furniture.
4. After the treatment is completed, close all windows and doors tightly, leave the room for several hours, and ventilate thoroughly upon arrival. If necessary (rarely), the treatment is repeated.

Where to buy funds

Cockroaches- one of the types of insects adjacent to people. But do you know how diverse they are? How many species are there of these tiny inhabitants of the planet? Which of them can settle next to people?

What kind of insects are cockroaches?

In most cases, cockroaches are unwanted guests in the house. Moreover, it is a huge problem. Cockroaches are tenacious pests that quickly adapt to various means fight them. They settle in hard to reach places, and they also spread infections. That is why it is necessary to know which types of cockroaches can get into houses in search of food. After all, in essence, their proximity is also an attempt to survive, albeit a completely unpleasant one for a person.

Cockroaches belong to the superorder Dictyoptera (Coleoptera). At the moment, there are more than 7 thousand species of Coleoptera, including 4500 species directly themselves cockroaches and almost 3 thousand species of other similar insects.

Representatives of the cockroach order predominantly settle in warm and damp places. These are very mobile insects that are active at night. Species of cockroaches that can fly are able to fly to a light source at night. They all feed mainly on organic remains.

Peculiarities life cycle cockroach:

• stages of incomplete transformation: egg, larva, imago;
• larvae and adult cockroaches are very similar visually, differing only in size;
• For cockroaches, in addition to reproduction, which involves two individuals of different sexes, parthenogenesis is also characteristic (the maturation of eggs in the body of a female individual without the participation of a male individual).

Cockroaches are very hardy. Some representatives of this order are able to go without food for many months. Also, these insects are much more resistant to the effects of radioactive radiation than mammals: a lethal dose of radiation for cockroaches 15 times higher.

Types of cockroaches in Russia

Our planet is inhabited by a wide variety of different types cockroaches However, only some representatives of this order live in houses. In the territory Russian Federation, due to the harsh climate, only 3 types of them are common: red, black and American.

1. Red cockroach

The red cockroach also has another name - “Prusak”. This representative can be classified as synanthropic organisms, in other words, living beings whose lifestyle inextricably linked with human life, his home and food. They do not live separately from humans! Prussians have no natural habitat.

The “cradle” of the red cockroach can be considered the area in southern Asia (India, Nepal, etc.). Only in the 18th century the habitat of the Prussians was expanded, and they fully conquered Europe and North America, thereby displacing the local black cockroaches.

The red cockroach is characterized by a tiny size - body length adult is about fifteen millimeters. The chitinous shell is red in color. The wings are developed, however, the Prussians are not capable of flight, but they can glide even from a great height.

Prusak is unstable to low temperatures(temperatures below 5 degrees Celsius are fatal for him). That is why, in cold climates, the Prussian is able to survive only in heated human housing.

Not picky about food. The Prusak can feast on the remains of human food, and will not disdain paper, fabrics and other organic materials. There have been cases of cockroaches eating leather shoes, carpets and paper money.

Like other representatives of cockroaches, the red cockroach has close contact with expired products, dust, garbage and all kinds of residues left by humans. Therefore, cockroaches become carriers of pathogens that cause gastrointestinal diseases, such as dysentery. They are also the cause of acute allergic reactions.

2. Black cockroach

The black cockroach has spread throughout Europe and some areas of Asia and Africa. However, already in the middle of the 20th century, black cockroaches began to be found much less frequently, unable to withstand the proximity to red cockroaches, and proving to be less adapted to the improving means of controlling household pests.

The size of the black cockroach varies from twenty to eighty millimeters. The chitinous cover is black, gray and dark brown individuals are found.

The black cockroach also chooses a heated house, greenhouses, coal mines and sewers as its habitat. In the south of Russia, in Ukraine and throughout Kazakhstan, it can also be found in the natural environment, near human habitation. It feeds on food scraps and organic debris.

Representatives of this species are completely incapable of flight, but run very quickly.

Most interesting fact is the life expectancy - for the black cockroach it reaches 2-3 years. Unlike redheads, who live up to 6 months.

3. American cockroach

The American cockroach looks very much like a Russian cockroach, but its size reaches up to 5 cm. Representatives of this species have fully developed wings, which gives them the ability to fly. This type It has a long life expectancy (up to 2 years) and resistance to extreme conditions.

It is extremely rare in Russia, but still sometimes inhabits human dwellings. He loves to live in ventilation, where he flies freely and organizes nests.

4. Madagascar cockroach

Madagascar cockroaches are also widespread in Russia, but only as pets. Representatives of this species have outstanding sizes, reaching up to nine centimeters. Active in dark time days and emit a crackling sound vaguely reminiscent of hissing.

If you see a cockroach that looks like the insect shown in the photo above, then most likely it has escaped from a terrarium or cage of exotic insect lovers.

A colony of arthropods burrowing in the substrate is a typical picture of modern tropical forests. Insects 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

The order Cockroaches (Blattopera) belongs to the class insects, phylum arthropods. Termites are included in a large group of 7,570 species. Cockroaches are members 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 regarding taxonomy. The authors divide cockroaches into different numbers 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 an abundance of food and shelter in warm and humid forests. There are 55 species of cockroaches living in the CIS. Some of them are synanthropic, living next to humans.

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

Structure of a cockroach

Despite the species diversity of the order, the body structure of its representatives is largely similar. The morphology of the imago (adult individuals) is typical. Differences appear in size and color.

External structure of a cockroach

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

Interesting fact. Most close-up view The Madagascar hissing cockroach is considered, its length is up to 100 mm. For comparison, the size of Prussians is 9-10 mm. They will tell you more popular information.

Body parts of a cockroach

Insects consist of three main sections: head, thorax, and abdomen. Dividing the body promotes mobility. Functional significance of each department:

The head is triangular or heart-shaped, movable, covered from above by a pronotal shield. The organs of vision and touch are located on it. Antennae are movable appendages consisting of segments. The type is bristle-like. The functions of the antennae of a cockroach are touch and smell. With the help of appendages, they determine the taste of food, find sexual partners, and communicate between individuals. The mouthparts are directed downwards.

Information. The number of segments in the antennae increases with changing ages 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 half rings form the chest. The largest segment is the pronotum; it can be flat or convex. Elytra and wings are attached to it. Each part of the chest belongs to one pair of limbs.

The abdomen is the largest section and consists of 10 segments. At its end there are paired segmented appendages of the cerci. The abdomen houses the respiratory and digestive systems, and in females the ovipositor. The anal plate is located on the 10th tergite.

Features of the structure of cockroaches

Each of the main parts of the body contains organs that provide vital functions for insects.

What kind of eyes does a cockroach have?

The main organ of vision in cockroaches is compound or compound eyes. They are located on the sides of the head. Have various sizes(large in winged forms) and kidney-shaped. The interocular space is well defined. Additional organs of vision, simple eyes, help assess the intensity of light. They are small and 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 individual species atrophied.

You will learn about the phenomenal endurance of insects in the article.

Type of cockroach mouthparts

Insects that eat solid food have developed gnawing type mouthparts. It consists of several parts:

• Upper lip - sensitive hairs on its surface help in studying food.
• The upper jaw (mandibles) consists of a durable chitinous plate with teeth. Used for biting and grinding food.
• The lower jaw (maxilla) is a movable organ consisting of several segments that supports food during grinding.
• The lower lip helps push food into the pharynx; its palp is an organ of touch.

The cockroach's mouthparts have remained unchanged throughout the entire period of its existence. It allows you to absorb plant residues and any organic matter.

Cockroach limbs

Running is the main method of movement for representatives of the cockroach order. The structure of their legs helps them with this. The limbs consist of 5 parts. They are attached to the body with the help of a coxa, which has developed muscles. The longest segments are the thigh and tibia. The flexible foot consists of 5 segments. There are spines 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 part of the chest.

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

Limbs are used for more than just running and jumping. With them, the imago cleans the antennae and body of food debris. The legs are flexible and mobile, they allow you to quickly change the trajectory of movement in case of danger. average speed Prusak 3-4 km/h.

The structure of the wings of a cockroach

The ancestors 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 the leathery elytra. They perform protective function and do not participate in the 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 are most often found in the tropics, but some species are found in Central Asia and Europe. Among domestic insects, the American cockroach demonstrates the ability to fly. Although Prussians have long wings, they rarely spread them and can glide.

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, we 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. The pumping blood consists of 13 chambers, 2 of them are in the chest, the rest in the abdomen. The function of blood is to carry nutrients and removal of breakdown products. Distributes oxygen respiratory system. This is the main reason for the reduction of blood vessels. The blood movement is slow, the insect does not maintain a constant body temperature.

Information. If you deprive a cockroach of its head, the hemolymph quickly sinteres and the body does not bleed.

When depicted schematically, the respiratory system resembles a tree. It consists of a tracheal system that encircles all important organs. Branches extend from the main trachea, gradually decreasing in diameter. WITH external environment The system is connected by 10 stigmas, which are called spiracles in cockroaches. Two pairs of stigmas are located on the sides of the chest, the main part is located on the abdomen. Breathing occurs when the department contracts.

The digestive system is an intestine divided into several sections. In the mouth, food is ground and moistened with saliva. Next, it is pushed into the pharynx, then into the crop, where digestion and absorption begin. Food is fed into the stomach in small portions. It is prepared and sent to the midgut. In this section, the digestive secretion is secreted and the main absorption occurs. Excrement comes out through the anus.

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

What is the body of a cockroach covered with?

The typical cover of arthropods is a chitinous shell. For cockroaches it is a shell that protects internal organs. It allows the body to maintain its shape and 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 mobility to the legs. The hard shell limits the growth of insects. During development, the larvae have to shed it. The tight shell cracks and the insect crawls 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. An encounter with molted arthropods gave rise to myths about white cockroaches.

Features of reproduction

The duration of carrying 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 increase the survival rate of the offspring. This is the first food of the larvae. The young are born white, with a soft coat. The larvae stay near the mother or burrow into the ground. They go through 3-12 instars before turning into adults. Each is accompanied by molting - shedding a tight shell.

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

• small size;
• absence of genitals;
• a small number of antennal segments;
• lacking wings.

Larvae make up the bulk of the colony. They show more caution than adults and burrow into the ground more often. Development takes from several months to 1-2 years. When the temperature drops, the larvae grow poorly.

Nutrition

IN natural conditions Most cockroaches are vegetarians; they eat fallen leaves, fruits, and dead plants. Some species are omnivores, their diet expanded to include 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.

The harmfulness of insects

Synanthropic species living in human homes are a potential health threat. In search of food, they examine sewers, garbage chutes, and rodent holes. Pathogenic bacteria, fungi, and helminth eggs remain on the legs of insects. Dangerous microorganisms are transferred to food, bedding, and furniture. If you do not wash your hands regularly, there is a high risk of contracting dysentery, tuberculosis, diphtheria, and hepatitis.

Chitin particles scattered by the larvae after molting cause severe allergic reactions. People develop chronic rhinitis and asthma. All information about the threat to human health is in the article.

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

Just a few synanthropic species cockroaches received the status of pests of stocks and carriers of infectious diseases. The main part of insects plays a significant role in the world ecosystem. Arthropods are destroyers of plant and animal debris and food for animals, birds and reptiles.

Nature of cockroaches

Cockroaches are one of the most ancient insects; they inhabited our planet back in the Paleozoic era and reached a length of 50 cm. Modern cockroaches are much “shorter” than their ancestors - from 4 to 10 centimeters. More than 4,500 species of cockroaches are known. Their population is especially numerous in the tropics and subtropics, among them there are real long-livers (the Australian rhinoceros cockroach lives for more than ten years, it holds the record for life expectancy), and only 55 species “live” in the territory of post-Soviet countries. Flying cockroaches are rare; science knows only one species that lives in the Central and South America. But almost all species can swim.

Flying cockroach. Source: http://nakipre.blogspot.com

Cockroaches are true sleepyheads: they spend 75% of their lives sleeping. They are heat-loving insects and die at temperatures below -5°, so they cannot be found in northern latitudes.

Cockroaches are not primitive insects, they have a brain, it is located not in the head, but evenly throughout the body. And the blood white circulates freely without blood vessels.

Cockroaches do not breathe through their nose, they simply don’t have one, but through the cells of their entire body, which distinguishes them from other insects. Their hearing organs, or more simply put, their ears, are located on two processes - circuses, which grow at the end of the abdomen.

The stomach of a cockroach has strong muscles and... no less strong teeth. They have powerful, developed jaws, they are studded with chitinous teeth, which is why insects can eat very hard food, even wood and leather. The diet of cockroaches is very varied. They will gratefully eat anything that grows or moves, but at the same time, they can spend a whole month on a strict diet or starve.

The cockroach's eye consists of 4,000 segments, so the insect can see in all directions at the same time. Most cockroaches have two eyes, but species that live in poor lighting or its absence (for example, cave cockroaches), the eyes are atrophied or absent at all.

Survival gear

The female cockroach knows how to retain and store the male's seed, so after the first conception she can conceive several more times on her own, without his help. Most cockroaches lay eggs, but some are viviparous. It takes a cockroach larva from two months to five years to develop into an adult.

Larva of the cockroach Eublaberus distanti. Source: http://eublepharis.ru

Rhinoceros cockroach. Source: http://www.zoopicture.ru

The lethal dose of radiation for cockroaches is fifteen times higher than the lethal dose for humans, and cockroaches also sense microwave radiation. They can survive even inside a switched-on microwave, because they will accurately determine the place where harmful rays do not reach and take refuge there, but if a cockroach falls on its back out of the blue, it will die because it will not be able to roll over.

A cockroach can live without a head for nine days and die of starvation on the tenth. It is difficult to drown him and he is also unlikely to be able to drown himself, since he can hold his breath for 45 minutes. Research has shown that insects owe their endurance and amazing “survivability” to clear social behavior and the natural mechanisms that they use to help each other, “mutual assistance” for cockroaches is not just a word. For example, it has been proven that each cockroach leaves behind a special chemical trail that helps its comrades find their way to shelter, water and food.

Cockroaches are very mobile; they can change direction of movement 25 times per second. Small hairs on the sides of the insect catch the slightest vibrations in the air, so the cockroach “anticipates” your every movement.

The average cockroach can cover a distance of 22 centimeters in a second. The American cockroach runs 75 centimeters per second; if the American cockroach were the size of a cheetah, its speed would be 50 km/h. In 1991, an American sprinting cockroach set a record; it ran 5.4 km/h in 1 second. Giant cockroaches from the island of Madagascar, thanks to their athletic abilities, take part in cockroach races.

Cockroach race. Source: http://gavrosh.net

Cockroaches are considered carriers of dirt and infections, but they tirelessly monitor personal hygiene. They clean their whiskers with their hind paws, and if the hind paws are missing for some reason, then in a short period of time they adapt the front paws for washing.

Cockroach Doctor. Source: http://darkoman.net

Cockroach and man

Cockroaches have lived next to humans for a very long time. They are as integral a part of our reality as mice, cats and dogs. Perhaps that is why people did not feel the desire to explore them, arrogantly believing that everyone knew about them. Research on cockroaches began relatively recently.

The cockroach rules the kitchen. Source: http://www.colady.ru

There is an opinion that cockroaches owe their name to the Chuvash people. Translated from Chuvash, “cockroach” means “running away.” In Germany and the Czech Republic, red cockroaches are called “Russian”, and black ones are called “Swabians”, that is, “German”. Serbs also call the red ones “bubarus” (Russian beetle), and the black ones “bubashvaba” (German beetle).

Giant blabberus. Source: http://paramoribo.livejournal.com

In the Russian-language tradition, cockroaches have a lot of nicknames; they are called “tariks”, and “stasiks”, and “Prusaks”, and even “trams”.

Domino cockroach. Source: http://gallery.ecostudy.org

In many countries around the world, cockroaches, due to their unpretentiousness, are popular as pets. Archimandrite cockroaches, giant blaberus cockroaches, domino cockroaches, Cuban banana cockroaches and Madagascar hissing cockroaches are specially bred.

Madagascar hissing cockroach. Source: http://www.aquarion.ru

Cockroaches are also a valuable insect for lovers of terrarium animals. Ash cockroaches are an ideal food for lizards, frogs and snakes; not only amphibians are not averse to eating cockroaches.

A hedgehog chews a cockroach.