Types of cockroaches living in Russia, including apartment ones

Over the long period of their existence, cockroaches have perfectly adapted to life in a confined space with humans. There are species that live in the external, natural environment. There is a large army of cockroaches, representatives of which can be found everywhere. To distinguish one species from another, you need to “know them by sight.”

Blattella germanica

Red cockroach, or Prusak
An ordinary average cockroach, it is easy to recognize by its reddish color, long mustache and legs. The Prusak can be found almost throughout the country, mainly in human dwellings. A red cockroach does not just roam the streets - unless you need to run from one apartment to another. Eats both plant and animal foods. It prefers a nocturnal lifestyle, so when you go into a dark kitchen, there is a chance to stumble upon a whole gang of red cockroaches.

In defense of cockroaches

It's surprising that the supposed disappearance of cockroaches has caused such tension. It would seem that people should be happy that the witnesses to their nightly trips to the refrigerator have finally been eliminated! But instead, the population began to fear that something was wrong with the environmental situation or that the cockroaches sensed some future disasters and decided to get out quickly. Such touching care of Homo sapiens for the Prussians suggests that we still need cockroaches.

It’s good that they leave home - this is a sign that life has become better, drier and more comfortable. It is bad to try to destroy them all: the food chains and ecological connections between different species will be broken (you can remember how the extermination of sparrows in China ended). Cockroaches are already beneficial to us, providing information about how to move through space and inspiring researchers to create rescue robots. They will bring it even more if you leave them alone and do not try to forcefully influence the course of affairs in nature.

Blatta orientalis

Black beetle

A brown, almost black insect, whose abdomen and elytra shine as if covered with varnish. However, despite all their glossiness, these insects smell unpleasant. If there are a lot of them, there is a smell in the apartment.

They live exclusively with people and are not found in nature.

In food, like the Prussians, they are unpretentious - they eat everything. But they are demanding regarding climatic conditions; they need more heat and moisture. Therefore, they live mainly in the south of Russia.

Types of domestic cockroaches

All cockroaches prefer warmth, so they live in any country except regions with permafrost (the exceptions are Lapland and steppe). They migrated from the wild to human homes several hundred years ago. In Russia they appeared in the 17th century (second half).

The scientific name for this type of cockroach is synanthropic.

We owe its prevalence in our latitudes to Russian soldiers who returned from Germany after a 7-year war. Insects were localized in the warriors' backpacks and behind the cuffs of their sleeves. Since the battle took place in Prussia and Swabia, the Russian people called them Prussians, and the Serbian and Croatian people called them Buba Swaba.

No matter how strange it may seem, the Germans call red cockroaches hare. Our modern compatriots gave him a common name - Stasik.

Distinctive features of red longhorned beetles:

• the oval-shaped body reaches a length of 1.5 to 2 cm;
• color – from light red to dark brown;
• small head with large eyes, elongated mustache and strong jaw;
• number of paws – 3 pairs (front, middle, hind);
• wings – transparent inner and hard outer;
• life expectancy – from 5 to 6 months;
• number of moults – 6 times (once a month);
• type of movement – ​​horizontal and vertical;
• after one mating, the female is able to produce up to 300-400 eggs (this is about 8-10 times 30-40 eggs).

Red representatives of cockroaches develop in stages:

1. Gestation takes place in a special compartment called the uterus, which is located at the back end of the body and is called ooedema.
2. After birth, translucent individuals called nymphs appear.
3. Over time, shedding occurs and the color changes to red.

The growth period from hatching from the egg to sexual maturity is 60 days.

For a comfortable stay, red barbels need secluded places. The female lays eggs in them in order to completely hide them from prying eyes. The form of life is large families. Favorite places:

• in the trash can and garbage chute;
• under the sink, where humidity is always high;
• in the cracks of walls, floors;
• behind the baseboards;
• under and behind cabinets, wall shelves;
• inside kitchen furniture;
• in storage rooms;
• behind the refrigerator and inside household appliances;
• in the basement.

The red type of cockroaches is considered omnivorous, since individuals absorb all types of food products. But most of all they love sweets. If there is no food, they do not disdain paper, soap, plastic, and even dead relatives. They can live up to 1.5 months without food, and only 7 days without water.

Prussians are especially harmful to humans - they are distributors of numerous bacteria that are characteristic of diseases such as tuberculosis, helminthiasis, herpes, etc. Due to their small size, sauerkrauts easily penetrate the auricle and settle there.

Appearance of the red insect:

Black

It is assumed that this type of domestic cockroaches came to us from Asian countries (Turkey). Black individuals do not really like to live in apartments, preferring basements. This is due to the urgent need for moisture.

They are capable (unlike red ones) of staying in water for a long time, moving from floor to floor through sewer pipes, which is why they are called sewer pipes.

Only persecution or a sharp cold snap can force them to go up to the apartment. Most often they climb through the toilet, holes in the bathroom and sink, but they can also move by land.

Favorite places in private buildings are the cellar, wall voids, under the porch or floor.

Characteristics of black cockroaches:

• size in length from 2.5 to 3 cm;
• color - from dark brown to black;
• 2 pairs of wings – do not function;
• ability to run - only on a horizontal surface;
• number of lines – 8-10;
• due to the weight of its own oval-shaped body, it cannot develop fast speed;
• lays eggs randomly, without hiding or protecting future offspring.

The stages of development are identical to the previous species, life expectancy at sexual maturity is 6 months (females live 20 days longer). During this period, about 10 oothecae are laid, but only 15 eggs each.

Black cockroaches do not reproduce as quickly and prolifically as red cockroaches, making them easier to get rid of.

The peculiarity is that a long period of time passes from the appearance of eggs to sexual maturity - if it is warm, then it is 200 days, if it is cold - 700-800 days. Based on this, the species can live up to 2 years.

What to eat:

• organic waste;
• paper, even to the point of eating wallpaper from the walls;
• cardboard;
• rubber;
• plastic;
• indoor flowers;
• Leather Products;
• fabrics.

Black cockroaches have a strong, specific smell similar to mold.

Appearance of a black cockroach:

White

There is not a single species of white cockroach in nature, although people see them. In fact, these are ordinary red Prussians of a white or grayish hue, which are in the molting stage (the process lasts from 4 to 10 hours). As soon as the chitinous shell is shed, the color becomes the usual brown.

But there are other factors that influence the lightening of the coating of cockroaches:

• reaction to reagents containing chemical additives, most often insecticides;
• increased background radiation - radiation changes the cellular structure, disrupting all chemical processes in the pest’s body;
• consumption of chlorine-containing substances.

In these cases, the color is restored for a long time - until the harmful substances are completely eliminated from the body. The period depends on the amount of water consumed - the more water, the faster the purification from reagents occurs.

What does a “white” cockroach look like:

Furniture

Few people know about this species of cockroaches, as they are often confused with ordinary red cockroaches. The main difference is the presence of transverse stripes on the wings, which is why they are called brown stripes.

They were discovered for the first time in the middle of the last century. The main diet consists of paper, sawdust, paper glue, and book bindings. The place of residence is exclusively furniture. External and morphological characteristics are completely identical to the Prussian (size, structure, etc.).

Where are they most often found:

• bookstores;
• libraries;
• archives;
• offices;
• paper production workshops;
• waste paper collection points;
• apartments and private houses - especially if there are a lot of old book editions stored in the closets.

Features of reproduction and life:

• the number of oedemas in a female is 15-18;
• each clutch consists of 12-15 eggs;
• development period from larva to adult (full adulthood) - from 3 to 9 months;
• The lifespan of sexually mature individuals is from 3 to 10 months.

The main condition for normal life is the presence of water, so furniture bugs often migrate from the room to the kitchen and back during the day.

The peculiarity of the female is that the color has a reddish tint, the body is less elongated.

Appearance of the furniture pest:

Egyptian and Turkmen

At home, both of these species are found mainly in hot climates, therefore in Russia exclusively in the southern zone. Place of residence – house, apartment, cattle pen, barns.

Differences between them:

Diet for both types:

• plants – dry and fresh;
• plant residues;
• excrement.

Egyptian and Turkmen cockroaches are often bred to feed small rodents.

What does Egyptian look like:

Appearance of Turkmen:

American

It is not considered domestic because it loves to live in natural conditions, but if one day it gets into a house or apartment, it will settle there forever - it instantly adapts to new conditions. This is why the American cockroach is found in our homes and is perceived as a domestic species.

Its features:

• body length – 4-5 cm;
• color – reddish-red, but has a yellow outline along the front back;
• thanks to the well-developed muscles of the paws and wings, it can fly and jump high;
• on the territory of a private house (on the street) it feeds on flowers and other plants, fallen leaves, and trees;
• in the house/apartment eats paper, soap, leather goods, food, especially sweets.

In private houses and apartment high-rises, an American lives in a cellar, basement, storm drain, attic, mainly in the bathroom, toilet and kitchen, where there is always access to water.

Lifespan:

• in the stage from egg to adult – 6 months;
• from puberty to natural death – 11-12 months;
• total life expectancy is 17-18 months.

American cockroaches are capable of reproducing by parthenogenesis, that is, asexually (without the participation of a male). Only this species of domestic barbel takes care of the offspring in the first days.

Features of fertility:

• Americans spread very quickly, since only 25-30 hours pass from the moment of fertilization to the release of eggs (in other species it takes several weeks);
• reproduction occurs mainly in the summer (if it is a hot climate, then constantly);
• in 2-3 months, up to 13-17 oedemas can form, each of which contains up to 20 eggs.

This type of cockroach is very aggressive and mobile, therefore, upon contact with a person, it gives a painful bite, while simultaneously releasing enzymes that cause a severe allergic reaction.

American appearance:

Supella longipalpa

Furniture cockroach

The color resembles a red one, but, as a rule, it is slightly darker: it has a red-brown body and an almost black head. The wings are better developed than those of other species, but they still cannot fly fully. Only for short distances, just like chickens. They do not live in the wild; they prefer close proximity to humans, although they are capable of living for a long time in an abandoned house. They eat everything - even wood in moderate quantities, so they like to live not only in the kitchen, but also in hallways, dressing rooms, bedrooms, where there are wooden cabinets. Most often found in the central part of Russia.

How to identify domestic cockroaches?

Over hundreds of years, domestic cockroaches have adapted to certain living conditions - they die in cold and extreme heat, cannot live without water, and eat almost everything (in severe hunger they do not even refuse metal products). But exotic species of pests have a narrowly targeted diet.

Other indicators of domesticated cockroaches:

• have wings, but cannot fly;
• don't jump;
• develop incredible speed (except for black ones);
• usually settle in groups;
• hiding in secluded places;
• avoid human presence.

There is such a thing as a sea cockroach, but it has nothing in common with domestic and other cockroaches. The reason is that it belongs to the order of crustaceans.

Appearance of a sea insect:

Not only familiar-looking cockroaches may appear in our homes. Occasionally, no one is immune from this, exotic species of insects appear in houses that should not exist in our latitudes. Many of them bite humans and especially children, which is why it is so important to learn how to correctly recognize the type of arthropod.

Periplaneta americana

American cockroach

Slender, long-legged, chocolate-red insects that can fly perfectly. In size, they are several times larger than cockroaches familiar to the Russian public - the body length of an American is about 5 centimeters.

They can live both with humans and in the wild; they eat carrion, mold, wood, paper, hair, and plants. They almost never appear in kitchens; they are more comfortable in basements, attics, and collector systems, where it is warm and very damp.

Despite the name, the homeland of these cockroaches is not America, but South Africa. Later they were accidentally introduced to the USA, Europe and Russia. In our country, American cockroaches prefer to live in the center of Moscow, and in expensive hotels.

Unusual types of cockroaches

These are pests that are rarely found in our latitudes, but they are sometimes brought with them by tourists, sailors, or those who organize cockroach races for entertainment. You can meet exotic cockroaches in terrariums at exhibitions or from private breeders of unusual insects.

Madagascar

This type of cockroach is considered viviparous, since the female does not lay eggs, but gives birth to larvae, which she then carefully cares for. Features of Madagascans:

• produce hissing;
• live in the forest and in areas with high humidity;
• people keep reptiles as food;
• they do not fly, although they have wings;
• surface color – black-brown;
• segmented coating type;
• body length – 5-6 cm;
• Life expectancy in natural conditions is a maximum of 2 years, when grown at home - 3 years.

There is a species of Madagascar cockroach called the hissing cockroach. Its distinctive feature is its size - the body reaches up to 9 cm.

Appearance of the Madagascan:

Chess

This variety comes from India. In nature, it prefers to be localized in foliage, thickets, on the crown of trees, under stones, where it is located during the daytime.

Characteristics of the chess cockroach:

• length – from 2 to 2.5 cm;
• main color – dark brown and black;
• additional color – light spots of irregular geometric shape;
• shell - covered with microscopic hairs, due to which soil sticks to it, which helps the insect in camouflage;
• mustache – spindle-shaped with a narrowing towards the end;
• life expectancy – about 5 years;
• When danger approaches, the cockroach injects an enzyme that has a very unpleasant odor (to scare away the enemy).

The unique color of the pest attracts breeders of exotic insects, so they are actively grown at home. There are other names - domino, seven-point, desert. Feature: no aggression.

Appearance of a chess cockroach:

Banana

The cockroach received this name due to its bright green hue and preference for living on banana plantations. They live mainly in rotten wood, under moss and vegetation.

The length of the banana cockroach reaches a maximum of 2.2 cm. The pest flies and jumps, but does not show aggression.

Appearance of banana insect:

Forest cockroach

It is considered the smallest cockroach in the world, since its body length is 1-1.1 cm. It prefers to live in forests in a temperate climate, feeding only on plant leaves.

The color of the forest species is multifaceted. The base is light brown, the inclusions are gray, black, yellow. The body shape is cone-shaped.

Appearance of a forest cockroach:

Dead Head

The unusual name was given due to the pattern, which looks like a skull located on a large pronotum. These cockroaches are also called Cuban cockroaches and Blaberus cockroaches and are found in countries with humid, hot climates.

Distinctive features of the death's head:

• body size – up to 7 cm;
• wings – unnaturally large;
• the diet consists of organic vegetation;
• body shape – oblong, flattened;
• color – black with light straw cover;
• the wings are creamy and have brown stripes.

Intended for feeding lizards in captivity.

Appearance of the Cuban cockroach:

Rhinoceros

This is one of the large species of cockroaches, which has a body weight of up to 40 g, which is an excess of the norm even for its length of 9-10 cm. But it got its name largely because of the massiveness of its limbs, with which it digs tunnels of impressive size.

Short description:

• color – dark brown;
• type of coverage – segmented;
• life expectancy – up to 10 years;
• habitat is underground, which is why they dig tunnels of a meter or more;
• paws are equipped with spikes;
• feature - you can see the eyes having a triangular shape;
• the diet consists of plant leaves.

This is the only species of cockroaches whose larvae live with the female for 8-9 months, that is, until they independently master the technique of digging soil.

Appearance of a rhinoceros:

Megaloblata

A large species of arthropod, the body length of which in a calm state reaches up to 9.5-10 cm. At the same time, the wingspan is as much as 20 cm. This occurs during the flight of the insect. The color of the megaloblat is dark brown.

Megaloblat appearance:

Argentinian

A tropical cockroach, considered small among its relatives of the same type, since its body length is a maximum of 4.5 cm. The shade of the shell and wings is very dark, almost black. Other indicators:

• elongated mustache;
• paws with bristles;
• body type – segmented;
• shape – oval.

Males have massive wings with orange spots at the base, which is why they fly. In females, this part of the body is reduced, made in the form of triangular wide scales, and does not function.

Appearance of the Argentinean:

Little car

On the pronotum of the body of this cockroach there are bright yellow and pronounced spots that look like car headlights. That is why the individuals received such an unusual name.

Other features:

• body size – 3-4 cm;
• Brown color;
• wings – short, square-shaped;
• the best habitat is the tropics;
• there is a yellow edging along the edges of the elytra.

The female does not have clearly defined “headlights”. They are unique to males.

Appearance of the cars:

Laplandian

This variety differs from others in that it has the ability to survive even in harsh climatic conditions. Another feature of Lapland cockroaches is that females are smaller in size than males, which is unusual for cockroach-like insects.

Average lengths vary from 0.9 to 1.4 cm, the color of the pest is light brown, the surface is covered with small specks. The wings are well developed, so representatives of the species can fly.

Appearance of the Laplanders:

Marble individuals

The variety was first discovered in Africa, but quickly spread across all the hot continents of the planet. These are small individuals, which in different countries are called by other names - naufets, neofetes, ashy.

Character traits:

• body length – from 2 to 3 cm;
• the color is brown, but the surface is dotted with ash patterns like marble (hence the name).

Marbled cockroaches are often used as an exotic insect that is easy to keep and very prolific.

Appearance of marble cockroaches:

Cryptocercus relictus

Relic cockroach

The broad, dark brown, shiny, wingless cockroach is a favorite of scientists. It is interesting in its social behavior: at the head of the clan is a female nanny, looking after the offspring, and adult insects share intestinal microflora with the young so that they can digest wood. This family structure is nonsense for other species of cockroaches and resembles the social organization of termites. The relict cockroach lives exclusively in the wild, in the forests of the Russian Far East.

Where do cockroaches come from?

Of the five thousand varieties of cockroaches, only a few of them live in houses and apartments in Russia. Why do they choose your apartment to live in? In each case the reason is individual:

• Dishes periodically left overnight in the sink;
• Migrating individuals from neighbors;
• Accumulated trash and food waste;
• A cockroach brought from the street or from guests and much more.

Once at least one cockroach has entered the premises, there is a high probability that their numbers will soon increase significantly. Pests often appear in clean rooms; do not forget that cockroaches are omnivores and can even feed on paper.

Shape and body structure of a cockroach

Regardless of the variety, insects have a similar appearance. Cockroaches have three pairs of legs, which are completely covered with small spines. Their size and weight depend on the species.

The largest representatives of this group can reach more than ten centimeters in length. They have two large simple eyes, which in some species are completely absent or are atrophied, that is, they do not perform their main functions.

Features of the body structure between males and females are as follows: males have a longer body, often appearing so due to longer wings. Females have a more rounded body, in addition, their abdomen is devoid of cerci - small protruding chitinous processes.

What kind of insects are cockroaches?

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

Cockroaches belong to the superorder Dictyoptera (Coleoptera). At the moment, there are more than 7 thousand species of Coleoptera, including 4,500 species of cockroaches themselves and almost 3 thousand species of other similar insects.

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

Features of the life cycle of a cockroach:

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

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

Harm and benefits of cockroaches

A rather annoying and unpleasant insect, positioned by many as a domestic parasite, can cause a lot of problems. Cockroaches are carriers of various diseases, including infectious diseases and helminthiases.

When even a few cockroaches appear in a home, there is a high risk of rapid colony growth. Of course, this happens if adequate measures are not taken.

It is generally accepted that cockroaches do not bring any benefit. However, there are still some advantages to living in apartments. They often exterminate much more unpleasant insects, for example, bedbugs, larvae of various types of moths.

Several decades ago, when insecticides were not so common, cockroaches were used to protect warehouses and apartments from other parasitic insects.

Thus, cockroaches may well cause not only harm, but also benefit.

Appearance of an insect

Almost everyone probably knows what a cockroach looks like. Regardless of the variety, insects have a number of similar characteristics.

Body length can vary from one to ten centimeters; as a rule, the largest representatives of the family live mainly in southern countries with a mild and humid climate. The abdomen is divided into several main segments.

Males are distinguished by a longer and narrower body; at the end of the abdomen there are articulated processes called cerci.

Females have a more rounded body; when breeding offspring, they carry an ootheca on their abdomen - a capsule containing several dozen eggs. Most representatives carry edema until the larvae hatch.

Why are cockroaches dangerous?

On the chitinous cover, limbs and in the intestines, cockroaches carry pathogens of parasitic diseases and infections - more than 40 microorganisms have been isolated:

• abscess, intestinal infection;
• bacteria that cause urinary tract infection;
• dysentery, diarrhea;
• pneumonia;
• gastroenteritis;
• upper respiratory tract infection.

It was found that 98% of Prussians are infected with various bacteria and fungi. Pathogenic microorganisms get on food when insects crawl on it and contaminate it with feces.

Cockroaches are a source of allergens. In sensitive people, excrement, chitinous residues and ootheca of insects can cause rhinitis, dermatitis and asthma.

There are known cases where cockroaches entered the human ear canal at night. It is impossible to remove an insect from there without medical help.