Features of the structure of a cockroach The secret of survivability revealed

Biography

"Cockroaches!" is a famous rock band founded in 1991. The musicians’ popularity peaked in the 2000–2010s, when they performed at the most popular music festivals in Russia. Having lined up with teams like “The King and the Jester”, “My leg cramped!” and “Night Snipers”, they gained loyal listeners who still attend the group’s concerts today. The history of the development of the group is interesting in that the musicians were able to achieve demand among fans of punk music not only at home, but also abroad.

Furniture cockroach (Supella longipalpa)

Description of the species and biology

The furniture cockroach is a member of the family with a bright light brown color and compact size. The body length of the imago is 11-14 mm. The wings of furniture cockroaches are transparent, in males they protrude beyond the edge of the abdomen, in females they are shorter - they cover two-thirds of the abdomen. Furniture cockroaches are capable of jumping and flying.

Unlike red cockroaches, which prefer warm and humid environments, furniture cockroaches love dry and hot conditions. Therefore, this species is found mainly in warm climate zones. Furniture cockroaches also make their home in well-heated rooms, for example, in hospitals or kindergartens. Like other species, they are active mainly at night.

Furniture cockroaches are unpretentious eaters, but prefer to feed on materials with a high starch content: book binding, wallpaper glue or postage stamps.

Life cycle of a furniture cockroach

Adult furniture cockroaches live 130-315 days, the average life expectancy is 210 days. During this period, the female lays an average of 14 oothecae with eggs, 10-18 pieces in each. The female incubates the ootheca for 24-36 hours and then attaches it to the hidden lower surface until the larvae emerge. The development time of larvae after hatching from eggs varies depending on environmental conditions, ranging from 90-270 days.

Where do furniture cockroaches come from and why are they dangerous?

Just like red cockroaches, furniture cockroaches enter the room with things and furniture. Once inside, they find dry, warm locations (bookcases, sideboards, storage rooms, electrical appliances) and settle in there. Furniture cockroaches tend to avoid water sources and are more often found in the ceiling area.

Furniture cockroaches have been found to carry and spread harmful bacteria and protozoa that cause gastroenteritis and diarrhea. Indoors, these insects sometimes cause asthma and allergies.

Signs of furniture cockroach infestation

• Insects discovered . Although furniture cockroaches are nocturnal, they sometimes scurry around during the day in search of food. When you open a cabinet door or drawer, you can see them rushing for cover.
• Faecal stains that appear as brown or black dots. Furniture cockroaches use these points as a means of communication within the population, marking safe places to gather in groups. Such marks are usually observed along ceiling skirting boards, near lamps or under paintings and photographs on the walls.
• Ootheca with eggs 4-5 mm long are usually invisible, as they are hidden on the lower protected surfaces or in crevices. However, after the appearance of the larvae, the hiding places of furniture cockroaches immediately become obvious.

History of creation and composition

Creative biography of the group “Cockroaches!” starts in 1991. It was then that friends, students from school No. 56 in Moscow, decided to put together a musical group. Teenagers were interested in music and punk culture.

At first the team was called “Kutuzovsky Prospekt”, but later the participants decided to change the name to “Four Cockroaches”. At that time, the group consisted of guitarist Dmitry Vorobyov, vocalist Yuri Lenin, drummer Denis Rubanov and bassist Dmitry Spirin (Sid), who replaced the original lead singer Denis Petukhov.

The team's debut took place at the school prom, where their hopes for success were not justified. This was followed by a concert at the MK festival in Luzhniki. The third performance took place at the “Festival of Hopes” of the Moscow Laboratory, which was held at the Gorbunov House of Culture.

Gradually, the dreams of aspiring musicians began to come true. They began organizing solo concerts, for which their few fans bought tickets.

Posted by Denis Rubanov on Friday, May 24, 2013

"Four Cockroaches"

Throughout the existence of “Cockroaches!” did not change their approach, remaining faithful to the music they preferred at the beginning of their creative career. At the end of the 2010s, lyrical compositions began to appear in the team’s repertoire, indicating a new stage in the group’s development.

The musicians drew inspiration from foreign punk music, which allowed them to become a discovery for the Russian scene and hold the attention of the public for many years. During this time, the team managed to work in collaboration with the groups “7B”, “Elysium”, “Bravo”, “Lyapis Trubetskoy” and others.

Dmitry Spirin is now the frontman and soloist of the group. "Cockroaches!" travel on tour to different countries of the world, and their songs are in demand among a diverse audience. The musicians' performances are distinguished by drive, energy, sincerity and enthusiasm.

Cockroaches in the apartment: sources of the problem

To defeat the “enemy”, you need to collect as much information about him as possible. First of all, it is important to understand where cockroaches come from in an apartment and why they stay in it. The sources of the problem can be both internal and external.

Where do they come from?

The opinion that cockroaches are a sign of unsanitary conditions is only partly true. Even the cleanest housewife is not immune from such a misfortune. Typically, pests enter your home from four main sources.

1. From neighboring apartments. If the neighbors are not very clean, their “guests” may well come to you through the ventilation holes or through the entrance. Also, a mass migration of insects may begin if insects begin to be poisoned behind the wall. Covering the ventilation holes with mesh is the first thing to do if your neighbors have cockroaches.
2. From the shop. Even if the store’s sales area is clean, you cannot be sure of the sanitary condition of the warehouse premises. It is possible that a cockroach or its eggs may get into the bag along with fruits, vegetables or other products. In markets, the risk of “buying” insects is even higher.
3. From the parcel. While the parcel reaches its destination, it will visit several “transshipment points” where a cockroach can get into the package. Moreover, insects are attracted not only to food. Sometimes people receive equipment from online stores with unpleasant “bonuses”.
4. From a trip. From a trip or business trip you can bring back not only souvenirs, but also household pests. They can sneak into a suitcase in a hotel, train or plane.

With the development of international tourism, not only people, but also insects began to travel actively. This is how we can explain the increasing incidence of exotic pests appearing in domestic apartments.

Where are pests comfortable?

If cockroaches have settled in the neighborhood, this means that they are comfortable in the apartment. There are four factors that attract pests to human homes.

1. A lot of food. Cockroaches eat the same things in the house as people do. They do not require fresh and tasty products. Dried crumbs lying around in the corner are enough for them. An unclean table, unwashed dishes, a trash can, a dirty stove, an unkempt refrigerator - this is just an incomplete list of food sources for pests.
2. Free access to water. Cockroaches cannot live without water. If there is high humidity in your home, do not be surprised by the appearance of pests. Leaking pipes and taps, condensation, wet rags and sponges, flooded flower pots, wet surfaces (floor, tiles, tables) - these are the main sources of drink for cockroaches.
3. Comfortable temperature. If a person is satisfied with the microclimate of his home (not cold and not hot), then he will be satisfied with cockroaches.
4. Availability of secluded places. The more intricate the interior in terms of the amount of furniture, decor and all kinds of installation structures, the more potential places where cockroaches will live in the apartment. Pests also love to hide in cracks and crevices, which are typical of old buildings.

Interestingly, a cockroach can live for more than a month without food. Moreover, it can maintain life by feeding on paper, soap and even particles of human skin.

Music

The history of the creation and development of the group “Cockroaches!” looks like a dream come true for any boy who goes out into the yard with a guitar at the ready. In 1992, the band released their debut album entitled Duty Free Songs. The official release of the album took place in 1997. Until this point, team members sold it on their own, increasing their audience.

The group gained its first popularity in 1993, becoming a regular guest of the Belching club. Performing on its stage and becoming invited participants in various punk events, “Cockroaches!” loudly declared themselves. Thanks to the connections of the mother of one of the team members with the creators of the television program “50X50,” the musicians performed more than 20 times at the Luzhniki small sports arena. True, the punks were subsequently removed from the stage for obscene behavior, and cooperation with the television project ended.

Bad experience did not become an obstacle for the performers. They often gave concerts at the Bunker and Sexton clubs. In 1993, leader Denis Petukhov left the group, going to NAIV as a bass player, and a crisis began in the team.

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Lead singer of the group "Cockroaches!"
Denis Petukhov The record that made “Cockroaches!” to reach the next stage of development, became Best Before... The release, which took place in 1995, presented the public with 11 English-language original compositions. By this time, the musicians had shot a video for the song Don't come, which was included in the rotation of TV channels.

At the same moment, Radio Maximum began broadcasting the composition Farewell Majority. Loudly reminding himself, “Cockroaches!” became participants in the “Learn to Swim” music festival and performed at the second such event as an opening act for the Toy Dolls and Stranglers teams.

In 1997, the album “Stole? Did you drink?! To jail!!!". Critics especially about “Bad weather”, which immediately appeared on the air of radio “Maximum”. A great achievement for the punk band was participation in the Maxidrom festival, which brought together the Olympic Stadium. The musicians went on tour, giving more than 50 concerts in 4 months. "Cockroaches!" again performed at a major punk concert, and also participated in an anti-drug campaign, visiting Moscow schools.

A pandemic is a pandemic, but the anniversary is on schedule!
In 2021, the Moscow group “Cockroaches!” will celebrate 30 years of its… Posted by Dmitry Spirin on Thursday, December 31, 2020

Logo of the group "Cockroaches!"
The following year, the artists’ discography was expanded with the album “No Landing.” The video for the song “Train towards Arbatskaya” was regularly shown on the MTV channel. At the same time, the musicians worked on a video for a cover of Depeche Mode’s Personal Jesus as part of the “Despatch for Depeche Mode” project. During this period, “Cockroaches!” They performed a lot in solo concerts and as festival participants. They managed to achieve recognition from foreign experts: the music from the composition “Punk Rock Song” became the soundtrack for a Mars advertisement.

In 1999, the album “This is Life - an Official Bootleg” was released, and a year later the punks went on their first overseas tour, playing 15 concerts in 15 cities. These were solo performances and events where the team sang as an opening act for foreign musical groups.

The year 2000 was marked by the release of the album “POPKORM (We Taught the World to Suck).” Fans called the record the best of the group's entire existence. 15 songs in Russian and English were firmly lodged in the heads of fans; they were included on the airwaves of Nashe Radio. "Cockroaches!" became invited participants in the “Invasion” festival and filmed the “365 days” video.

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Group "Cockroaches!"
at the concert Celebrating its anniversary in 2001, the band re-released all of its compositions on digital media. A year later, the disc “Fear and Loathing” was released, and the release was followed by a tour of Russia in support of the disc. Then a trip to Japan began as part of a creative partnership with the groups Assfort, S.A., SOBUT. Local recording studio Old Blood Records released the album "Fear and Loathing" in Japan, and it was highly praised by critics from different countries.

Having released a collection of hits “The Best. The Enemy of the Good,” the artists attracted the attention of American music experts. Their songs were broadcast on local radio. In 2003, the team became the headliner of the international punk festival Rock'n'roll High school, performing in collaboration with Ramones member Marc Ramone.

By this time, the musicians were stars in their homeland. They regularly performed at the Wings and Invasion festivals, and in 2003 they presented the album Freedom Street. It was the debut release on the international stage for the punk rockers. The English version of the record was sold all over the world, and in support of it the band undertook a tour of Europe.

Group "Cockroaches!" in the series "Happy Together"

In 2004, the group became a co-organizer and headliner of the international festival "Higher School of Punk", which was held at Luzhniki. At the same time, the album “Rockets from Russia” was released, and a video was shot for the composition “Silence is Death”. During this period it became clear: “Cockroaches!” - international team. They were known not only in the nearby Baltic states, but also in the USA, Japan, Brazil, Canada and other countries.

After 2 years, fans of “Cockroaches!” We have already bought the “Masters of the Universe” record from store shelves. In the same year, the musicians received the “Punk Band of the Year” award from the Russian alternative music award RAMP.

Despite the fact that the composition of the team underwent changes many times, in 2008 it returned to the members who performed in the 1990s. Dmitry Spirin still remained the vocalist, Denis Khromykh and Alexander Golant played guitars, Andrey Shmorgun played bass, Sergei Prokofiev served as drummer.

"Cockroaches!" - “I look at them”

The group’s hits “I Look at Them” and “Bags of Bones” are remembered by fans of different generations. The team became a participant in the television project “Happy Together”, starring in one of the episodes of the series, and continues to delight fans with new records and videos.

In 2019, the composition of the band changed: instead of Vasily Lopatin, who spent 9 years in the group as a guitarist, to “Cockroaches!” Igor Rybin joined.

A year later, the team presented a new disc, “15 (...And Nothing But the Truth),” which included 9 compositions, and continued work on the 2nd part of the collection. Thus, on May 9, an acoustic version of Dmitry Spirin’s song “Yellow Star,” dedicated to the memory of all victims of Nazism, was published on the official website, where musicians post photos, videos and news.

Red cockroach (Blattella germanica)

Description of the species and biology

Red cockroaches (or cockroaches) are the most common species among synanthropic representatives of the family. Adults of red cockroaches measuring 10-17 mm are easily recognized by their characteristic yellow-brown color and two longitudinal dark stripes on the pronotum behind the head.

Developed wings enable red cockroaches to make gliding flights over short distances, but these insects are incapable of full flight. But Prussians quickly and easily run on horizontal and vertical surfaces, even glossy smooth ones, including the ceiling. Like other types of cockroaches, red cockroaches are active at night.

Houses are first inhabited by kitchens and bathrooms, where it is warm and water is available, and from there they gradually spread to other rooms. Among industrial premises, as a rule, catering establishments, food production, food warehouses and shops suffer from red cockroaches. Prussians are unpretentious in food - they feed on leftover human food, paper, soap, shoe leather and other materials.

Life cycle of a red cockroach

Red cockroaches reproduce all year round, going through three stages of development: egg, larva (or nymph) and adult. The life cycle lasts about one hundred days, but the duration depends on conditions: temperature, diet, injuries.

The female lays 250-300 eggs during her life, bearing 30-40 eggs in brown capsules protruding from under the abdomen, called oothecae. When 1-2 days remain before the appearance of the larvae, the female sheds the ootheca in a secluded place. To bear offspring throughout her life, the female red cockroach only needs one mating.

The larvae emerge from the ootheca as tiny wingless insects. Over time, the nymphs gradually darken, acquiring a brown color and dark stripes on the pronotum. Before turning into a sexually mature insect, the nymph goes through 6 molts. Adults live 5-6 months. In favorable conditions, 75% of the colony of red cockroaches are nymphs, 25% are adult insects.

Why are red cockroaches dangerous?

First of all, the Prussians spoil food, both in apartments and in food factories. Through contact with sewage and food, red cockroaches transmit infectious diseases: dysentery, diarrhea, salmonellosis, typhoid, gastroenteritis.

When an apartment is extensively infested, the accumulated chitinous skins and remains of cockroaches cause allergic reactions - asthma, rhinitis, conjunctivitis - primarily in children. In addition, at night they can run around a sleeping person, climb into the nose or ear. Surgery is sometimes required to remove the insect from the body.

Where do red cockroaches come from in the house?

Red cockroaches enter the apartment in suitcases and bags after trips, with purchases in cardboard boxes and containers, with used or even new furniture, appliances and other things.

In apartment buildings, Prussians easily move from apartment to apartment through pipes, ventilation shafts, through the door along the landing, and in the summer through a window or balcony.

Signs of infestation with red cockroaches

• Fecal traces are in the form of clusters of dark dots, resembling ground black pepper in appearance. These spots appear in kitchen cabinets, on door hinges and frames, in drawers, on the underside of countertops, along baseboards, and in other cracks or corners.
• Ootecae are capsules with eggs that females drop before the birth of larvae, inside kitchen furniture, on top of hanging cabinets, under the refrigerator and in other hidden corners.
• Specific smell . Red cockroaches secrete a number of odorous compounds. When the population grows, a slight musty smell appears in the air.

"Cockroaches!" Now

In 2021, guitarist Dmitry Kezhvatov left the group. Now part of “Cockroaches!” Vocalist Dmitry Spirin, drummer Sergei Prokofiev, guitarist Igor Rybin and bassist Alexander Pronin take the stage.

This year the group turned 30 years old, in honor of which a series of anniversary concerts was organized, where, together with “Cockroaches!” Guest artists from KAZUSKOM, Chase the Comet, etc. performed on stage. The musicians decided to recreate famous collaborations and covers in live performance.

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The composition of the group “Cockroaches!”
For those wishing to attend the concert for free, the terms of the competition were announced on the band’s Instagram page.

For the 30th anniversary of the group, the album BesТ was released! 30 is a collection of two CDs with three dozen tracks, some of them are presented in alternative or live versions. The musicians’ discography was also replenished with the disc “15, part 2: Thin and Evil.”

In honor of the anniversary, the book “Cockroaches! With an exclamation point at the end,” where the history of the group is told on 670 pages. The author of the biography was journalist and producer Vladimir Yerkovich; the band’s musicians did not participate in its creation.

Black cockroach (Blatta orientalis)

Description of the species and biology

This type of cockroach is distinguished by a glossy shine, the color varies from reddish-brown to pitch black. Male black cockroaches reach a length of 25 mm, three-quarters of the body is hidden under the wings, the last segments of the abdomen are open. Females are larger in size - up to 32 mm in length, but have no wings at all, and the elytra cover only the first pair of body segments. Both these and these do not fly or jump. Once in the house, black cockroaches run mainly only on the floor, since vertical and smooth surfaces are beyond their control.

Black cockroaches are adapted to survive in their natural environment and live primarily outdoors. Populations of these insects settle in compacted fallen leaves, under stones, debris or boards. Given access, black cockroaches inhabit voids in walls, under floors or porches, and in cities they also live in storm drains and sewers.

Black cockroaches feed on garbage, organic waste that begins to decompose. This species is more dependent on water than others. According to studies, they cannot survive more than two weeks without water, although they can survive without food for up to one month.

Life cycle of a black cockroach

The life cycle of black cockroaches, like that of red ones, consists of three stages: egg, larva, imago. Sexually mature male black cockroaches live 110-160 days, females - 35-180 days. During this period, the female lays an average of 8 capsules (ootheca) with eggs - 15-16 pieces in each. 30 hours after the capsule appears, the female discards it in a protected place, where it remains until the larvae emerge.

The development period of black cockroaches largely depends on the time of year and climate. In warm months, the period from egg to adult takes up to 200 days, but in cold weather this period extends to 800 days.

Where do black cockroaches come from and why are they dangerous?

Black cockroaches thrive in port cities and throughout the southern part of Russia, and are also found in temperate regions. These insects prefer cool, damp places, so they are often found in the basements of city houses, from where they travel along sanitary communications: toilets, sinks and heating pipes.

Although the natural habitat of black cockroaches is outdoors, they sometimes enter homes during the summer. Inside, as a rule, they remain on the lower floors. Like other cockroach species, black cockroaches are omnivores, feeding on food crumbs and decaying plants and animals. Concentrated near water sources.

Due to their feeding habits and lifestyle, black cockroaches carry dangerous foodborne pathogens such as salmonellosis and others on their legs and bodies.

Signs of black cockroach infestation

• Insects appear near the house on the street. During warmer months, black cockroaches congregate under damp gutters, scurrying out of storm drains and sewers at night. In damp, dark, unused rooms they sometimes catch your eye even during the day.
• Ootecae (or capsules with eggs) of black cockroaches are dark brown or reddish-brown in color, 8-10 mm in length - a sign of the presence of these insects.
• The characteristic smell indicates an overgrown colony. This smell is a consequence of the chemicals secreted by cockroaches, with the help of which insects communicate within the population.

Discography

• 1992 - Duty Free Songs
• 1995 - Best Before...
• 1997 - “Stole? Did you drink?! To jail!!!"
• 1998 — “No Landing”
• 2000 - “Popfeed - We taught the world to suck)
• 2002 — “Fear and Loathing”
• 2003 — “Freedom Street”
• 2004 — “Rockets from Russia”
• 2006 — “Masters of the Universe”
• 2008 - Unplugged Unlimited
• 2009 — “Fight to the Holes”
• 2013 — MaximumHappy I
• 2013 — MaximumHappy II
• 2016 — “The Power of One”
• 2017 — “Much ado about nothing”
• 2018 - The Power of One
• 2020 - 15 (...And nothing but the truth)
• 2021 - 15, part 2: Thin and evil
• 2021 — Best:30 years

Signs of insects

Timely detection of insects will help you deal with them faster. You need to carefully examine the rooms, especially the kitchen and bathroom, toilet:

Pieces of chitin after molting.

• black spots from feces remain on furniture and plumbing fixtures;
• in secluded places there may be dead individuals, or pieces of chitinous cover;
• capsules with eggs, they can be found under cabinets, stoves, under bathtubs, sinks;
• At night, turn on the light in the room; if there are cockroaches, they can be seen scattering in different directions.

Clips

• 1995 - Don't Come
• 1998 — “Train towards Arbatskaya”
• 1999 — “Punk rock song”
• 2000 - “365 days”
• 2003 — “Anthem of the democratic youth of the world”
• 2004 — “Silence is Death”
• 2006 — “Bring XTS back to the dance floor”
• 2006 — “One of the Two of Us”
• 2007 — “I look at them”
• 2009 — “News of this minute”
• 2013 — “Love at 101 sights”
• 2014 — “Bad Dancers”
• 2015 — “What can I change?”
• 2016 — “Between the first breath and the last breath”
• 2017 — “Communication Satellite”
• 2019 — “War Alert”
• 2020 — “My Voice”
• 2020 — “Bad Head”
• 2021 — “Louder than Thunder”
• 2021 ― “Three ampoules of morphine”

Reproductive system

The reproductive system of a cockroach has a rather complex structure for such a small creature. All the more surprising is the fact that it is extremely difficult to get rid of uninvited guests if they have already taken a fancy to your home. It would seem that with such a complex structure of the reproductive system, difficulties should arise with the reproduction of offspring. In fact, insects have high fertility and reproduce quickly, which makes them a truly indestructible species.

The male reproductive system consists of:

• testes, which are located in 4-6 abdominal segments;
• utricular (fungal) gland;
• seminal vesicles emptying into the fungal gland;
• genital organ.

Spermatozoa stick together and form a spermatophore, which is surrounded by a three-layer membrane. Each of the walls is responsible for its own task of accumulating the seed, storing it or releasing it.

The female reproductive system consists of:

• ovaries, each of which has 8 ovarioles;
• 2 oviducts that open into the vagina;
• the genital chamber where eggs accumulate;
• ovipositor.

After the seed has entered the chamber and fertilized the eggs, an ootheca is formed - a capsule into which the eggs fall. There they are stored until the time comes to put them aside. As you can see, the body of such a seemingly ordinary insect has a rather complex structure.

I hope that in my article you have found comprehensive answers to all your questions regarding the physiology of cockroaches. Tell your friends on social networks about this article, so that they can finally find out whether a cockroach is really able to live without a head and why it needs wings.

Subscribe to updates to learn unusual details about ordinary insects faster than others, and see you again.

Sincerely, blog author Mikhail Leshchenko