Cockroaches description and structure of the insect. Cockroaches, insects: reproduction, causes of appearance and ways to combat them. External structure of cockroaches

Every person wants to live in a beautiful and cozy home, so cockroaches are not neighbors that people are willing to put up with. These insects are not only inconvenient, but also harmful. Therefore, you need to get rid of cockroaches as soon as they appear.

What do cockroaches look like?

Cockroaches are insects that sometimes reach 7-10 cm in length. The largest among the cockroaches that can be seen at home are the Prussians. But scientists studying them claim that Prussians are not the worst enemies of apartment owners. Some scientists are sure that we have become the last generation to see the Prussians in person. Very soon these insects will become extinct. And the reason for this will be their size. Prussians are very clumsy and cannot quickly escape when they realize that people have seen them. That's why it's so easy to kill him. In addition, due to their size, they cannot occupy a small safe crevice in which they can hide from people. They are constantly in sight.

Cockroaches that are found in apartments are most often red in color. But in some areas of the country you can also find

The most important thing for this insect was and remains the mustache. This is the organ that helps him survive and find food. Cockroaches carefully groom their whiskers. If he has lost his sense of smell, he will soon die.

To the horror of many impressionable people, some cockroaches can fly. For example, the same Prussians can boast of such a skill. But they fly very rarely.

Why are cockroaches dangerous?

Cockroaches are inhabitants of the dark. They leave their shelters and go in search of food as soon as people turn off the lights. Some especially emotional people cockroaches are terrifying. They start screaming and repeating that cockroaches are incredibly disgusting. But the danger of insects is not only that they frighten household members and guests. These small pests can cause a large number of diseases.

Very often, cockroaches find food for themselves among waste. They rummage through the trash and then leave the trash can to go searching elsewhere. And this place happens dinner table, where the whole family will have breakfast the next morning. Cockroaches can get into the bread bin and spoil the supplies. On their limbs they bring worm eggs, which are found in sufficient quantities in the trash can.

Cockroaches can spoil more than just food. They sometimes destroy the pages of books and damage the covers. They often damage clothes and leather goods. For example, gloves and belts are affected by pests.

Cockroaches bring illness to humans and spoil things. Therefore, you need to start fighting them when they appear in the apartment. This needs to be done as early as possible, because they multiply very quickly.

Why did cockroaches appear in the house?

Cockroaches often appear in homes. Insects cause a lot of inconvenience, and everyone who has these inhabitants wonders why this happened. There can be many reasons.

Cockroaches appear much more often in apartments than in private houses. The reason for this is the remoteness of one frequent home from another. Apartments are located closer, and therefore cockroaches can easily migrate from one to another. Insects, which are difficult to control, multiply very quickly.

One of the reasons why unexpected guests could appear at home could be their migration in the bag of a person from another building. Maybe the cockroaches got in at work and arrived in the apartment on a person’s clothes or in a bag. They can even be brought from another city or from a friends apartment.

IN big cities cockroaches can infest without difficulty. For example, they can appear due to sewerage. Water also cannot pass from neighboring high-rise buildings.

Maybe an order was placed for home delivery from a store or restaurant. Some establishments are not famous for their cleanliness, and therefore cockroaches enjoy complete permissiveness there.

Some tenants receive unpleasant guests from neighboring apartments. Perhaps unscrupulous citizens have settled in the neighborhood and are too lazy to clean the apartment or take out the trash. Or they also accidentally acquired cockroaches somewhere and now cannot overcome them.

Life of cockroaches

In order to get a huge “army” of domestic cockroaches, it is enough to purchase only one or two. Cockroaches will quickly show themselves. Insects, which reproduce very quickly, will come out for food as soon as the light is turned off.

The rate of reproduction of cockroaches depends on the conditions provided to them. If there is a lot of food, then the “army” will be larger. Cockroaches thrive in areas where it is easy to get to the trash can. It will be especially good for them if the trash can does not have a lid. Insects will happily live where there is a lot of dirty dishes, and there is a greasy residue in the sink. They love it when crumbs remain on the table after eating. In addition, cockroaches will happily settle in places where food is not stored in airtight conditions. But this does not mean that the owners have clean and cozy apartments cockroaches will not settle in. Black and red insects will also live with them, but they will not reproduce so quickly.

What do cockroaches eat?

Cockroaches are very tenacious. Insects easily find food for themselves. In order to provide yourself comfortable life, they most often settle in the kitchen. There they will be able to create a whole colony.

Cockroaches can eat both sugar and fruit. They won't even disdain meat. Insects are very fond of bread and rolls, so crumbs on the table or an uncovered bread bin will become paradise for them. But cockroaches do not feed on humans. Therefore, there is no need to be afraid that a large “army” will attack a person one night and eat him. But this does not mean that the pest cannot bite. He may want to try what smells so tempting, or just to protect himself.

How difficult is it to remove cockroaches?

Cockroaches show a huge thirst for life. Insects, the species of which are numerous, are very difficult to breed. To do this, you will even have to change your life in some way, because you will need to give up some habits.

In order to remove cockroaches, you will need to be patient. They are so tenacious that they can even do without a head. A cockroach that has lost a major part of its body can live 10 days and not even realize that anything is wrong. Additionally, cockroaches can survive a wide variety of chemicals. They can even survive a radiation blast.

Insects can live for a very long time without food. Some are able to survive for 40 days. Every day they will become hungrier. And if after this period of days he does not find food, he will become dangerous to humans. After all, then the cockroaches can bite. As mentioned above, they cannot eat anyone, but their bites are very painful.

Cockroaches can even tolerate poisons. They fall into a trance-like state. People who see a cockroach in this condition may think it has died. But don't delude yourself. Apartment owners throw cockroaches into trash cans, and then wonder why their number does not decrease, but, on the contrary, increases. After several days in the trash, the cockroaches come to their senses and continue their normal lives.

How to remove cockroaches

People are very tired of them, every apartment owner wants to know. But this is not easy to do, because over time insects develop immunity to various poisons.

In order to remove cockroaches, you need to use the most modern means. It is necessary to treat all those places where pests can live: these are all the cracks and corners where they find shelter during the day. It is worth paying maximum attention.

After all the cracks have been processed, you will need to seal them. We must take away the opportunity for cockroaches to find a new home.

Insect corpses should be burned or flushed down the toilet. Maybe they're not as dead as they seem, so they shouldn't be left in the trash.

Help from specialists

Getting rid of cockroaches is very difficult. This is especially difficult in cases where a person knows almost nothing about them and has no idea where they can live or how to remove them. Specialists come to help people and carry out disinfection. After this, you can not only get rid of the pests, but also protect yourself from them returning after some time. The services of a specialist are inexpensive, but bring great benefits.

Cockroaches cause a lot of inconvenience. The insects, photos of which can be seen in the article, are very tenacious, but they can be removed. You need to protect yourself from cockroaches starting to multiply at high speed. You need to carefully ensure that the apartment is clean, and then the insects will not be able to find food for themselves and their offspring. In this case, they will look for a more favorable place to live.

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 the home, especially if there is nearby 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? In just two weeks, the 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. They don’t go overboard with housing conditions - 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

Cockroach is arthropod insect from the superorder cockroach-like, order cockroaches (Blattoptera, Blattodea).

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

Cockroach: description, characteristics, structure

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

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

Some species have shortened front and rear wings, and there are also wingless species of cockroaches. Some species of cockroaches can fly, although their flight does not last long.

A cockroach has a total of 6 legs. The thighs and shins are equipped with spines. The legs of these insects with five-segmented tarsi are well developed and adapted for running.

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

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

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

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

The mouth is turned downwards.

The cockroach's eyes are large, simple eyes 2, in wingless cockroaches they are often atrophied, and in cave species they are completely absent.

The sensitive antennae of insects are quite long, sometimes exceeding the length of the body, bristle-like, multi-segmented, covered with many microscopic bristles.

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

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

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

The cockroach is one of the hardiest insects, capable of starving for a whole month without harm to health. But when favorable conditions and thanks to the peculiarities of the oral apparatus, cockroaches feed on everything that is poorly hidden. A female cockroach eats from 30 to 50 g of various foods per day; males are not so gluttonous and eat 2 times less.

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

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

Where do cockroaches live?

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

In nature, cockroaches prefer to settle in shady places with constant high humidity: they hide in the thickness of fallen leaves, under half-decomposed wood, “feast” where there is an accumulation of rotting fruits or vegetables, and often live in rotted vegetation along shallow water bodies. Sinanthropus cockroaches often make their nests in ventilation shafts and sewer lines multi-storey buildings, V basements, in cracks in walls and behind baseboards, they are popular in city landfills and garbage chutes.

How to distinguish a female cockroach from a male?

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

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

Marble cockroach Nauphoeta cinerea– male below, female above

Does the white cockroach exist?

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

What animals eat cockroaches?

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

Types of cockroaches, names and photos

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

• (Prussian) ( Blattella germanica)

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

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

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

• (Blatta orientalis)

In the past, it was a fairly common species, significantly displaced from its usual habitats by the red cockroach. Length adult ranges from 2 to 8 cm. The color of the cockroach is black-brown or tar-brown with a metallic tint. Males are distinguished by longer elytra than females, but neither one nor the other can fly, but they run very quickly.

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

• (Periplaneta americana)

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

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

• Madagascar hissing cockroach(Gromphadorrhina portentosa)

Very large tropical cockroach, growing in length up to 55 mm (males) - 60 mm (females). Some individuals can reach a length of 10 cm. The weight of the cockroach is about 60 g. The back of the body is brown, the pronotum is brown-black. Madagascar cockroaches do not have wings. In times of danger and during mating games, they are capable of making loud sounds reminiscent of hissing. What’s interesting: the female cockroach hisses only to scare away enemies, and the louder the male cockroach hisses, the more chances he has for the female’s favor. Some individuals, in addition to hissing, can whistle.

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

• Marbled cockroach (ash cockroach, naufete, neofeta)(Nauphoeta cinerea)

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

Marbled cockroaches eat raw vegetables and fruits, oatmeal and sprouted grains, bread, protein foods, grass, paper, can easily chew through thin plastic. In the absence of protein feed, cases of cannibalism are observed. The ash cockroach is a universal and most popular food insect for domestic hedgehogs, amphibians (and) and tarantulas.

• Turtle cockroaches(Corydiidae)

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

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

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

• Sarawak cockroach ( Rhicnoda natatrix)

Lives on the island of Kalimantan.

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

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

Reaches the same size cockroach Blaberus giganteus . These 2 species are very popular among lovers of pet cockroaches.

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

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

Flying cockroaches, names and photos

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

• (Prussian) ( Blattella germanica)

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

• Lapland cockroach ( Ectobius lapponicus)

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

• Asian cockroach ( Blattella asahinai)

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

• (Periplaneta americana)

It is similar to the Prussian, but differs in longer length - from 35 to 50 mm.

• Megaloblatta longipennis And Megaloblattablaberoides

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

• Blaberus giganteus

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

How do cockroaches reproduce?

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

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

Cockroaches are distinguished by sexual and parthenogenetic reproduction, but, in any case, in order to reproduce offspring, the female still needs to mate at least once. Male gametes are capable long time persist in the female's body, and subsequent clutches occur without prior copulation.

There is no specific breeding season for cockroaches, but mating displays vary somewhat among individual species. Female cockroaches invite males to mate by lightly flapping their wings and secreting an odorous substance - a special secretion produced by glands located in the back of the body. In some species, mating is preceded by a lengthy courtship process.

The male cockroach fertilizes the female using the genital plate, and then the partners separate. After some time, the female lays 30-40 eggs and bears them in the ooteca, which is located at the end of the abdomen.

Female and cubs

Most species of cockroaches are ovoviviparous; some are viviparous.

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

Nymph (larva) of the Australian cockroach

The development of nymphs can last from several months, like the Prussian, to 4 years, like the black cockroach.

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

After the last molt, the cockroach acquires a hard shell. Depending on the species, a female cockroach is capable of producing from 20 to 90 ootheca during her life.

In our article we will look at the structure of cockroaches. Traditionally, very unpleasant associations are associated with these insects. But in fact, these animals have a number of unique characteristics. Let's talk about this.

Classification

The structural features of cockroaches determine their systematic position. These animals are representatives of the Arthropoda phylum, the Tracheinobreathing subtype, the Insect class, and the Cockroach order.

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

Etymology

The name of this insect appears in several languages. At the moment, scientists have not been able to establish the exact origin of this word. Translated from Chuvash it is translated as “running away”. And this is no coincidence. Cockroaches hold the record for the fastest movement among all land insects.

And it is very difficult to catch him. The fact is that in a second, cockroaches can change the trajectory of their movement more than two dozen times. Perhaps that is why, translated from the Turkic language, its name means “to diverge.”

Habitat

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

Sinanthropus animals

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

External structure of a cockroach

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

A distinctive feature of the structure of cockroaches is the gnawing type of mouthparts. They consist of paired upper and lower jaws and two unpaired lips. This type of mouthparts is designed for grinding any type of food. This is possible due to the presence of numerous chitinous teeth on the jaws. There is also one pair of bristly antennae on the head.

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

On the chest there are wings - double lamellar folds of integument.

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

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

The abdomen ends in a special structure - the cerci. Visually, it resembles a bristly antennae. Its presence is proof ancient origin cockroaches The sex of these animals can be determined by the structure of the abdomen. In males, the genital plate is located here, but in females the ovipositor is located inside the body.

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

Features of the internal structure

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

The digestive system is through-type. In cockroaches, the structure of its organs has the same plan as in all arthropods. But all insects have developed salivary glands, but lack a liver. The organs of the digestive tract include the oral cavity, subpharynx, pharynx, esophagus, crop, gizzard, and intestines. From the last section, undigested products enter the excretory system, which is represented by the Malpighian vessels. The presence of a goiter and a complex process of splitting organic matter allows cockroaches to live for several weeks without food.

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

What is a fat body

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

The cells of the fat body are trophocytes. Their cytoplasm contains various inclusions. Thanks to this structure, this tissue participates in metabolic processes, the accumulation of fats, carbohydrates, and calcium compounds.

Uninvited guests

The structural features of cockroaches and physiology determine their favorite habitat - human habitation. Everything is here comfortable conditions: warmth, water and darkness.

Getting rid of cockroaches is often quite difficult. They get into the smallest crevices, cracks, cavities in wallpaper or ceramic tiles. Therefore process chemicals you will need all the hard-to-reach places.

Reproduction

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

The structure of cockroaches determines their ability to internal fertilization. After mating, the female lays eggs covered with a protective membrane - edema. This is typical for cockroaches. This means that the eggs hatch into larvae that look like adult insects. It is called imago. At first the larva is deprived of wings. She grows, sheds and develops in adult insect. This period lasts about four weeks. Individuals become sexually mature only after three months.

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

Species diversity

They are not fiction. This kind actually exists. They acquire this unusual color for these insects as a result of molting. Over time they darken.

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

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

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

When you try to swat someone running away, you get the feeling that he has a good hundred paws. But no. A cockroach has six legs. He just knows how to move them through them very quickly.

Why six

Because the cockroach belongs to the class of insects. Any living organism belonging to this category has 3 pairs of legs. Total limbs may vary.

On a note!

If the "insect" large quantity paws, this is an animal. These animals include, which in everyday life are often called insects.

Structure

The bristles on the lower part of the leg were previously called sensory, believing that they sense air vibrations and warn the owner of approaching danger. Later studies showed that the bristles help the insect move over difficult surfaces.

A cockroach has three types of legs:

• braking: front and shortest;
• maneuverable: medium, capable of moving in any direction and providing the pest with a quick change of direction;
• jogging: rear, longest, designed for moving forward and speed dial speed.

Interesting!

Prusak is able to change direction up to 28 times per minute. The speed record for a pest escaping from danger is 5.4 km/h. This means that in 1 second he can run a distance that is 50 times the length of his body. For a person, this speed would be 330 km/h.

Other paw functions

The paws are not only designed for moving on a plane. A strong and long rear pair is capable of pushing its owner vertically upward. Thereby