What does a cockroach look like: is it an insect or not, types of representatives of the order

Cockroaches are among the oldest living creatures. According to scientists, they appeared on our planet about 300 million years ago, developed and divided into different types. At the moment, scientists know about the existence of approximately 5000 species of cockroaches. And only about 30 of them are able to live next to people. We can say that they are directly dependent on us, because we unwittingly provide them with warm living conditions, food and other amenities. But have you ever thought about what kind of cockroaches live next to us and how they appeared in the first place? In addition, in some regions of our country they suddenly began to disappear. Scientists still don’t know exactly what this is connected with, but they have several interesting assumptions.

Fear of cockroaches is called insectophobia or entomophobia

general description

Cockroaches are representatives of insects.
There are more than 4640 species of the cockroach superorder. These animals are among the most ancient, found in deposits of the Late Carboniferous and Paleozoic. Animals are heat-loving and moisture-loving. They are nocturnal and rarely go out during the day. In nature, they prefer to live under stones, in cracks in the ground, near roots and stumps. They feed on organic matter, including plants and dead animals.

Are cockroaches scary?

Creepy creaturesMore like vile

Structure

The size of the animal depends on the species. The length of small individuals is 1 cm, and the largest ones reach 12 cm.

They have a flat-oval body, a durable chitinous shell and strong jaws.
The body is segmented, divided into several parts.
The structure of a cockroach.
The two eyes do not have strong vision, and in some species they may be completely atrophied.
The long antennae consist of a number of segments.
The legs are strong, most often running.
The wings are developed or partially shortened, in some species they are completely absent. But they are used more for planning; cockroaches do not fly very well.

Exotic representatives

Madagascar (hissing) is one of the largest representatives of the order; an adult can reach a size of up to 10 cm. We can bring them home from warm countries during a vacation or business trip. Despite its size, it is absolutely harmless, and the hissing it makes, which was considered a defensive reaction, is just loud breathing. Males differ from females by always having broken mustaches; they, as befits men, always fight for the female. In females, on the contrary, the mustache is intact and long.

The checkerboard cockroach got its name because of the checkerboard-shaped coloring on its shell. He prefers an active night life, if you notice him in your home, then know that he escaped from the neighbors who kept him like an exotic insect.

An anecdote on the topic: Forum for residents of new buildings. — Today, in the kitchen, I saw two white-haired cockroaches, one of the new residents brought with them. I had to kill them. - Tough! “Are you sure that you killed exactly those residents?”

The death's head cockroach got its name because of the pattern on its head in the form of a mask. Capable of flying long distances.

The rhinoceros cockroach is unique in its kind. Reaches a weight of up to 40g, and a lifespan of up to 10 years.

Megaloblatta longipennis is a representative of Latin America. Its beautiful color is black with a purple tint, and its wingspan of up to 25 cm makes it a small airplane that can only be observed in the wild.

Lucihormetica subcincta – cutely called the little car because of its color, it is native to South America. The arrangement of flowers on its chitinous shell on top resembles a small car with its headlights on. It is highly valued by lovers of exotic insects.

Reproduction of cockroaches

Almost all individuals are heterosexual. Females and males have differences in structure and appearance. When an insect reaches adulthood, it is considered sexually mature. Females develop pheromones, indicating readiness to mate.

During the mating process, the male transfers all genetic information to the female. There are species for which females only need one act during their entire life, and then they will constantly give birth to offspring.

The eggs are collected in a special protective capsule, the ootheca, which protects them and is a source of nutrition in the first minutes of life. The ootheca can be located inside or on the belly, and is shed when the offspring are formed.

There are species where cockroaches are viviparous. Some have no developed instinct at all, they shed their ootheca, while others take care of the young. There is a species of cockroaches that live with their offspring for more than 9 months, and if the female dies, then others take care of her children.

Life cycle

Cockroaches are insects with an incomplete life cycle. There are three of them in total and each one undergoes its own metamorphoses.

Egg

Usually located in the ooteca in one or several rows. The development period depends on the species, usually 3-4 weeks.

Larvae or nymphs

These are the stages during which a cockroach becomes an adult from birth. At first the animal is white, but goes through several moults and becomes full-fledged. The procedures can take several months or several years.

Imago

These are sexually mature adults. They remain unchanged throughout the entire life cycle. One female can lay 4-6 oothecae during her life, but some species can lay up to 12. The number of larvae varies - from 20 to 200.

How to get rid

People who first encounter insects in their homes always wonder: “ Where do black cockroaches come from? » There may be several options:

crawled from neighbors or from the basement, especially when chemical insect control is going on there;
brought a sexually mature fertilized female with things from friends, relatives or from a trip;
left over from past unscrupulous tenants;
they brought an ootheca with eggs from the entrance on shoes.

How to get rid of black cockroaches - five proven methods:

Call chemical pest control specialists to treat all areas where black cockroaches may be present. This method is the fastest and most effective, but requires the temporary relocation of all family members to other housing, including pets.
Strongly cool the room for several days (this method is permissible in winter at sub-zero temperatures and will only get rid of adult insects, but will not protect against subsequent hatching of young animals from deposited cocoons). Accordingly, the supply of cold air should be long-lasting, which will require a change of housing for all household members and house plants.
Purchase a suitable insecticide for black cockroaches (when purchasing, you should pay attention to the instructions, contraindications and study the admissibility of use in a home with pets and small children).

Types of industrial products:

Trap houses (for large insects) contain an intestinal poison bait that kills adult cockroaches and nymphs.
Gels are highly effective products with a semi-liquid consistency and are attractive to all types of cockroaches because they contain water and food at the same time (mixed with toxic ingredients).
Sprays are a convenient means for treating accumulations of insects in corners and narrow crevices; they instantly kill several dozen individuals.
Chalks and powders (dusts) of contact action (the poison is carried on the legs of cockroaches and destroys all stages of development. Efficiency depends on the concentration of active components, most often powders give a positive result when the number of cockroaches is small.
Take advantage of modern technologies:
The ultrasonic repeller works on the principle of influencing the senses of black cockroaches (light and high-frequency waves), stimulating the nervous system, which forces them to leave the given home.
An electronic trap destroys insects that come to the bait with a discharge of current. It is necessary to install several of them, and also limit the access of pets (especially small rodents).
Use traditional methods of struggle:
Balls with boric acid (the most effective method, requiring preparation). This bait is made from the favorite products of cockroaches with an admixture of pharmaceutical boric acid. A well-known recipe for balls: boil 1 chicken egg and potatoes, mix them with flour and vegetable oil, adding boric acid (all proportions are taken by eye). From the resulting mass, form small balls the size of a hazelnut kernel and place them in places where unwanted guests often appear. Cockroaches are great at eating treats without noticing the medicinal component in it, and in the end it kills them. This product is completely safe for pets.
Laying out fresh bay leaves, the aroma of which insects do not like.
Making traps from paper tape. Small houses stick the cockroaches and they cannot get out, dying of hunger.

Dietary preferences

Cockroaches are one of the most omnivorous animals. Living in nature, they feed on fruits, organic remains, carrion, and grass.

Insects living in the house are more unpretentious and eat everything that humans do:

crumbs;
flour;

fruits;
paper.

In conditions of lack of nutrition, they eat soap, clothing, book bindings and leather shoes. They attack people only in rare cases when there is no food at all.

Cockroaches: unpretentious and voracious.

Benefits and harms

People are more accustomed to perceive cockroaches as pests. They get into houses, annoying residents. But there are both sides of the coin.

Benefits of animals

In nature, they eat plant debris, which speeds up the decomposition process. They are also part of the food chain and are present in the diet of many amphibians. Experiments are carried out on cockroaches and used in medicine.

Harm from cockroaches

More people are familiar with the harm caused by insects. They:

carry diseases;
are a source of infection;
contaminate food;

live in garbage chutes;
damage valuables;
aesthetically harmful.

The harmfulness of insects

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

Chitin particles scattered by the larvae after molting cause severe allergic reactions. People develop chronic rhinitis and asthma. All information about the threat to human health is in the article “What are the dangers of cockroaches: can a small insect cause big problems?”

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

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

Cockroaches and people

The inhabitants of the human home are Sinatropes. These are the species that live near people and their activities are continuously connected.

But there are those that are grown by people on purpose. These are the so-called fodder varieties. They are food for spiders, amphibians and many animals.

Some cockroaches are raised as pets. The Madagascar cockroach is very decorative, unusual and looks attractive by the standards of its kind.

There are cultures that use cockroaches as a food resource. They have a high protein content, which is why they are used as food.

Have you encountered cockroaches in your home?

Not really

Albinos

Most people are of the opinion that the albino cockroach is a separate species, but this is wrong. Insects acquire this color after molting . They are rarely seen because during this period the parasites hide in dark places until their color becomes normal.

Some individuals may acquire a white color due to exposure to chemical reagents. Many people believe that these insects become light-colored because they live in pitch darkness, but this opinion is incorrect. Scientists have proven that there is no separate albino species .

Several common types

There are a number of species that are most often found near people.

Prusak

A small red cockroach with a yellow-brown color. They run along horizontal and vertical surfaces, spread quickly and are completely unpretentious. They carry a lot of diseases and cause allergies. They enter homes through ventilation shafts, doors and in bags.

Black beetle

Long, glossy brown-black, unpretentious in the choice of food and place of residence. They do not move vertically, do not jump or fly. They love places with high humidity, prefer heating systems and water pipes.

American cockroach

Residents of most drains and sewers enter a person’s home only in case of extreme hunger. They are brownish-yellow, with long whiskers and a thin, oblong body.

Useful materials

Read other articles about cockroaches:

Interesting facts: what nicknames did people come up with for these insects; some myths about where the mustachios disappeared and what it could mean?
Can cockroaches cause physical harm to humans, such as getting into the ear and nose?
A detailed article about how to get rid of them, the most effective methods of control and prevention.
There are now many treatments on the market against these parasites. Therefore, we wrote an article about how to choose a drug that is right for you, described the best products available today, and compiled a rating of insect repellent drug manufacturers.
And of course, we couldn’t ignore all sorts of folk methods, in particular the most popular is boric acid.
Well, if you yourself cannot cope with uninvited guests, then we recommend turning to professionals. They have modern fighting technologies and will save you from misfortune once and for all.

Below is a list of drugs that have proven themselves:

Powders and dusts: FAS, Clean House.
Crayons and pencils: Mashenka.
Traps: Foresight, Combat.
Very effective gels: Dohlox, Global.
Aerosols: Raid, Raptor.
Strong sprays: Executioner, Regent, Get, Cucaracha, Karbofos.
Find out if electronic repellers help?

In Russia, not only the above-mentioned species are found, but the number of other species is small. Cockroaches at home are very unpleasant neighbors, so it is necessary to get rid of them in every possible way.

Unusual facts

There are a number of unusual facts that may surprise ordinary people.

Cause of death	Cockroaches can easily live without a head for more than a week. Their respiratory organs are located on the body, and they die of thirst.
Cockroaches are afraid of people	And this is a normal intense response to a threat. But, also, a person leaves oils on the animal’s body, which disrupts their vital functions.
They still bite	The strength is comparable to a mosquito bite. But after that you need to undergo treatment, because they can cause an infection. But they bite not out of malice, but out of hunger; they may only be tempted by the remnants of food that are stuck to their hands.
They change their running style	In a normal state and under stress, they run differently. When they escape from danger, they begin to rearrange their paws differently, taking turns in pairs.
They are still very useful	Chemicals from the brains of cockroaches are being used to develop cures for two deadly diseases, E. coli and Staphylococcus aureus.