Cockroaches food type. Interesting thing about cockroaches - what they are like. Types of these insects

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 of 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 very quickly adapt to unfavorable living conditions 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 the southern regions they live on the streets, and only in temperate climates do they settle in residential buildings. Interesting feature- these insects do not rise above the 5th floor, so residents upper floors apartment buildings may not worry about their appearance.

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

White cockroach

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

1. In the process of molting. As the insect grows, it sheds its chitinous cover, under which a new one appears. During molting, they have a white, almost transparent body color. During their life span, cockroaches molt about 8 times.
2. Under the influence of poison. Some chemicals, such as chlorine, destroy the chitin pigment, causing it to turn 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. It is small in size and 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:

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

Harm from domestic cockroaches and ways to get rid of them

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

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

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

There are different groups of pest control products:

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

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

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

Cockroaches can become a nightmare for a home or other place where people live. When such “neighbors” appear, getting them out is not an easy task. As soon as the insects occupy a room with suitable conditions, their numbers increase and they can only be removed if the type of cockroaches is accurately determined.

Years of study

Science knows about the existence of approximately 5,000 species of cockroaches. About 55 of them can live in houses and apartments, but often we only encounter a few. Almost everyone is afraid of large cockroaches. And there is nothing strange about this: such insects can hardly be called pleasant neighbors.

Can cockroaches fly? They can, since they have wings that are reduced only in some species. A flying insect causes even greater horror in people who are terrified of cockroaches. In nature, there is only one species of these insects capable of spontaneous flight. However, it is not found in our country. By the way! It is believed that every ten years there is the new kind cockroaches

Insects prefer rooms that are warm and humid. The activity of these creatures occurs at night, which prevents their timely detection. The body length of insects is different and can vary from 0.4 to 10 cm. The head is in the shape of a triangle, flattened in the dorsoventral direction. The oral apparatus is of a gnawing type, and the opening of the mouth is located in the lower part.

Black beetle

Black cockroaches are the most common. Their food consists of fresh and spoiled products. In areas with warm climates they even live outdoors. In reality, home for black cockroaches is only a small part of their range. And the definition of a large black cockroach has a fairly broad meaning. Their color can vary from rich brown to black.

This type of cockroach also has different sizes. The term “large” is taken literally by a disinfection specialist (ten centimeters). However, in reality, the insect body does not exceed 3 cm in length in females. By the way, their presence in the room is a sign of poor sanitary conditions. They live in garbage cans, toilets and other similar places. It is not surprising that these creatures are carriers of many diseases. The mere appearance of cockroaches is terrifying. Photos of insects clearly demonstrate this.

Red cockroach

The red cockroach is one of the species with the widest range. Mostly we meet them. They accompany a person wherever he leaves food remains.

The structure of red and black cockroaches is identical. Only the former have an elongated body with a reddish-brown chitinous cover. Popular name- Prusak. Red species of domestic cockroaches surround humans everywhere.

American cockroach

The size of the American cockroach can reach four centimeters. They feed on almost everything and are highly fertile. The considerable growth rate and ability to survive make us talk about this representative of the cockroaches seriously.

American cockroaches can move everywhere, even on the ceiling. When in danger, this insect exudes a stinking liquid that causes an instant allergy in the enemy. It can be considered one of the longest-livers among the entire cockroach family. If you find this creature in your home, immediately contact the appropriate service to remove them. An American cockroach can even attack a pet in a fight for food! Agree, such creatures are very unpleasant neighbors.

We have listed the most known species cockroaches Next, let's talk about those that can cause surprise and even amazement when meeting.

Albino cockroaches

This is a fairly rare occurrence, but nevertheless causes discomfort. It looks like an insect that has shed its shell while molting. The procedure for changing the chitinous cover (molting) occurs up to 8 times during the life of a cockroach. Then it becomes quite light, but soon chitin is formed again.

Albinos are endowed with a colorless shell. This phenomenon also occurs among other species of animals and plants. It is worth remembering that albinos are pests just like other cockroaches. It is difficult to say exactly how many types of cockroaches there are. Their approximate number is five thousand, other sources put the figure at 4600. Any insects can be albinos.

What species end up in houses?

Not all types of cockroaches want to get into the house. But if red-haired Prussians made their way into the home, then a serious struggle awaits. Those residents who have already removed cockroaches remember their agility. It is difficult to find out where exactly these insects entered the house. But the main reasons for their appearance in the apartment are known:

• dirty dishes in the sink that haven’t been washed for a long time;
• garbage with food remains that is rarely taken out of the house;
• neighbors who already have cockroaches.

There is an increased risk of insect pests for those who live close to canteens and cafes. There are cases when cockroaches are simply brought home from work. Maintaining cleanliness in the house (primarily in the kitchen) is the main means of preventing the occurrence of disgusting insects Even one cockroach that gets into a house can quickly multiply. By the way, it also happens that insects appear in those who zealously monitor the cleanliness of their home.

Reproduction of different species

Knowing the basic life cycle of cockroaches will help prevent their appearance and make it easier to eliminate unwanted guests. One female is capable of giving birth to 40 young individuals. Their number depends on the number of larvae in the egg carried by the female. Outwardly, such an egg looks more like a bag. All types of cockroaches breed in the apartment all year round.

During her life, the female lays eggs up to 4 times. Detecting such masonry is problematic. Another feature of the life activity of these creatures is their ability to leave marks at sources of food and water for their relatives.

But getting rid of any type of cockroaches is difficult. Even expensive drugs are sometimes unable to cope with this task. Exterminators advise to take preventive measures to prevent the appearance of these creatures in your home, because destroying them will be quite problematic.

Lifespan

You may remember the joke that cockroaches existed before dinosaurs and outlived them by many thousands of years. This joke is only part of a joke, and the rest, alas, is true. The remains of cockroaches are, along with the remains of cockroach crickets, the most numerous traces of insects in Paleozoic deposits. Cockroaches adapt very well to changing conditions. They only need water and food to live.

Life expectancy is determined by the availability of food. Different types of cockroaches live their lives. Prussians can survive without food for up to a month, and blacks - up to 70 days. In conditions of food shortage, cannibalism is common among them. And sometimes cockroaches can bite people.

It might surprise you, but these creatures can live with their heads missing! The experiments carried out are stunning: an insect deprived of a head will live for several more weeks. This is explained by the structural features. They breathe over the entire surface of their body. The nervous system, scattered throughout the body, retains basic reflexes. However, a headless creature will practically lose orientation in the world around it and will not be able to remember and learn.

Insect bites

Cockroaches bite when they lack food or water. Obviously, bites are not a manifestation of wild aggression, but only a way to replenish missing nutrition and survive. The following areas of the body are most affected:

• elbow and knee bends, eyelids, lips (bite off particles of skin);
• skin near the eyes and lips (they bite women and children during sleep);
• skin in the nasolabial fold.

Cockroaches can feed on sweat, secretions of the sebaceous glands, saliva and feces. It's safe to say: cockroach bites are quite dangerous. Damaged areas almost always swell and become inflamed.

There is an opinion that there is a species of cockroaches that feed on eyelashes. In practice, almost all members of the family can eat the hair of the human body.

Allergy to cockroaches

People are often allergic to cockroaches. Allergens penetrate inside in different ways: with air, with food, directly through contact. According to doctors, the majority of patients with bronchial asthma are allergic to cockroaches. The consequences of such a pathology can be very different:

• Feeling stuffy in pest habitats.
• Feeling unwell when cleaning an apartment with cockroaches.

By the way, allergies can be caused by any type of cockroaches. Photos of insects even provoke an attack of severe disgust, let alone a “meeting face to face”! And if you also take into account that “close acquaintance” is fraught with serious consequences, then it is not surprising that people try to get rid of uninvited neighbors by hook or by crook.

You can avoid trouble if you do simple rules room hygiene:

• Monitor the serviceability of plumbing equipment.
• Wash dishes in a timely manner and keep them in a specially designated place.
• Always remove trash from your home and do not allow it to stagnate.
• The trash bin must be tightly closed so that insects are not interested in it.

Where do cockroaches hide?

Many people know the appearance of a cockroach, but finding it is not an easy task. Usually we learn about their presence at the moment when insects already feel at ease in the open spaces of our home and do a lot of dirty deeds. If the owner of a residential property wants to find out about an unpleasant neighborhood earlier, then he can follow simple recommendations that will help find habitats uninvited guests.

First, almost any type of cockroach loves dark, dirty places. As for everything else, the main signs of the presence of cockroaches are as follows:

• black dots are visible on the tiles and furniture - insect excrement;
• an unpleasant specific odor is felt;
• Cockroach eggs are visible in the cracks.

There are often cases when the owner sees all this, but does not focus his attention on it. This may continue for some time until the cockroaches begin to run around the house in groups. We must not forget that if even insignificant traces of the insects we are considering catch our eye, then we should definitely declare war on them.

If you find uninvited guests, you should not leave the solution to the problem “for later” or let things take their course. Every day is important. The sooner you begin to destroy pests, the less damage to your family and home you will emerge victorious from this brutal struggle.

Now you know how many types of cockroaches can become uninvited neighbors in your home. We hope you found the information useful. After all, forewarned means forearmed!

Every person wants to live in a beautiful and cozy home, because 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 little pests can cause large quantity 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 is the dining 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 houses could appear unexpected guests, may become their migration in a person's bag 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 easily get infested. 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 are a lot of dirty dishes and greasy deposits 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.

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. In the absence of food, cockroaches are content with paper, carpentry and shoe glue, book bindings, fabrics, various garbage and any organic matter.

Where do cockroaches live?

Cockroaches are distributed almost everywhere and inhabit almost all parts of the world, with the exception of icy Antarctica and other polar regions. The most numerous populations live in the tropics and subtropical latitudes, although these insects feel no less comfortable in the temperate zone. Cockroaches live in North and South America, 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 constantly 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 rotting 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

Marbled 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 ask: white cockroach– is this 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 the wild, not far from the main source of food - food waste.

• (Periplaneta americana)

It looks like a red cockroach, but has big sizes body: 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)

A very large tropical cockroach, growing in length up to 55 mm (males) - 60 mm (females). Some individuals can reach a length of 10 cm. The weight of 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 to 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, and 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 one that lives in countries 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. The male’s gametes are able to remain in the female’s body for a long time, and subsequent clutches occur without prior copulation.

There is no specific breeding season for cockroaches, but mating games individual species are somewhat different. 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.

People study these insects with different purposes. Someone wants to get to know them better in order to effectively deal with domestic cockroaches. There are people who breed cockroaches for racing, and some consider them just cute pets. How many species of cockroaches are known to scientists? Today there are more than 4 thousand, and new ones are constantly being opened.

There are approximately fifty species living in Russia. Fortunately, only a small part is found in residential areas. The most typical one is the red cockroach. Warm apartments and houses became a safe haven for Blattella germanica. The red insect even became a character in a children's fairy tale - its hero was negative.

Prussians live everywhere, so his appearance perfectly familiar to most people: yellow-brown back, sometimes with black stripes. The female often carries the larvae behind her abdomen. The offspring that are born are very similar to the parents, only small in size. Sometimes you can see a white individual - this is what a cockroach looks like immediately after molting. But soon it becomes a normal color.

You can also find black cockroaches: they have more unusual and repulsive appearance. Blatta orientalis lives more often on lower floors, in the basements. The body length is much larger than its red relative: females can reach 30 cm (males are slightly smaller). This type can publish bad smell with the help of skin glands located on the abdomen.

In southern latitudes you can find the Central Asian species - it looks like a regular red one, but the abdomen is dark, almost black. In addition, Shelfordella tartara can jump and even fly!

Decorative cockroaches

There are also varieties for amateur breeding. That's right, some people get cockroaches voluntarily, instead of traditional cats and dogs. One of the most famous decorative species is the Australian cockroach - it is distinguished by its very large (for an insect) size. Macropanesthia rhinoceros lives in Australia, grows up to 9 cm, and is one of the largest cockroaches in the world. Outwardly, it looks more like a beetle: dark color and transverse stripes on its back, and also menacing-looking paws covered with spines.

In the wild, Australian cockroaches dig in leaves and dig holes in the sand. There they sit all the time, free from searching for food. This may be why they got their nickname - the burrowing rhinoceros cockroach. By the way, they can dig holes up to a meter long.

They feed on fallen tree branches. Female carries the entire offspring in a special bag, can produce several dozen larvae per year. Cockroaches reach maturity only at 4 years, of which they spend almost a year with their mother. And they live in nature for up to 10 years - very long term for an insect!

How to get rid of cockroaches at home?

Such a pet costs several thousand. He will have to buy a small terrarium- the cockroach will not be able to escape, because it does not know how to climb on glass or fly. You can feed them fruits and oak leaves. The bottom of the home is covered with a substrate in which the insect can dig holes.

Gallery: types of cockroaches (25 photos)

Flying species

What types of cockroaches are there? Some species can fly, although most have wings simply folded along the back. But this is not the case, for example, with the giant forest cockroach native to South America. In addition to its record size, it is also distinguished by its atypical yellow color. The wings are so large that they are longer than the entire body, the length of which in females reaches 8 cm (males are smaller). They not only make it possible to rise above the ground, which most cockroaches still cannot, but also help to effectively court females. When flirting, cockroaches lift them up, the friction of their wings on the back creates a sound.

This species is also kept in captivity, but requires space and careful handling. If you unexpectedly grab an individual, it can scratch with the sharp spines that are on its paws, and even bite. These insects also emit an unpleasant odor.

• Black American (Periplaneta Americana) - eats everything it can find in the sewers, where it most often lives. Spread throughout the world thanks to merchant ships. Now you can find it not only in your homeland (oddly enough, this is Africa), but also in Russia.
• Megaloblata longipennis, originally from Latin America, is distinguished by its enormous size (the largest known specimen was about 10 cm).
• The Ecuadorian banana cockroach (Panchlora nivea) lives on the ground, but can easily fly when necessary.

Phenaxin for cockroaches: instructions for use, reviews

"Dead Head"

Each species of cockroach has a scientific name in Latin. But not only. The name of cockroaches happens due to their external features or place of origin. For example, ordinary red cockroaches that live in an apartment are also called “Prussians”. A unusual looking Mustachioed, originally from South America, he earned the nickname “death’s head.” It has a spot on its back: there are several light dots on a black background, general form resembles a skull or a frightening mask. That's where the creepy name comes from. Despite having large wings, this species cannot fly.

In captivity they keep it according to the same rules as other exotic cockroaches:

• Insects need a substrate.
• They should be fed not only with fruits, but also with protein foods.
• Most of these species are active at night, so there is no need to place their home near their sleeping area.
• The terrarium needs a lid to prevent the pets from running away.

Spectacular pets

Not everyone may like decorative cockroaches, but meeting them will definitely be unforgettable. Exotic cockroaches come in different varieties, one of the most popular types is six-pointed, also from the American continent. It is considered very impressive because the back of this representative of the cockroach fraternity is of an unusual orange hue. The name in this case is also dictated by the features appearance. The front back is decorated with two large and four small spots; they form a symmetrical pattern, which immediately allows the insect to be identified as Eublaberus distanti.