What types of cockroaches are. Photos of different types of cockroaches
Cockroaches are very unpleasant domestic insects. There is no particular harm from them, but who likes to find uninvited mustachioed guests in the apartment? Many are immediately taken to destruction, not even suspecting that there are many varieties of these insects. Of course, there is no difference what types of cockroaches settled in the room, but, as they say, you always need to know the enemy in person.Black (Blatta orientalis)
One of the most popular indoor human family is black cockroaches. They easily penetrate the home, especially if there is a sewer drain, garbage cans or cluttered basements nearby. In summer, members of the family can feel great on the street, but with the advent of a cold snap, they tend to find a warmer place.
An unpleasant smell, chitinous black shell, size (up to 3 cm) are the main characteristics of this variety of cockroaches. The color can vary from dark gray to dirty red. Adults reproduce slowly, but if you do not deal with them immediately, then such neglect threatens to grow the family to an incredible size.
The largest concentration of individuals can be found in such places:
- a bucket of garbage;
- under the stove;
- behind the refrigerator
- in the closet.
Black cockroaches are the most dangerous insects from this family for human health. Since their favorite place is garbage containers, the number of infections and bacteria on their paws is unimaginable. And together with insects, this accumulation of infection, dangerous for humans, can quickly move into an apartment.
Redheads (Blattella germanica)
If we consider the types of domestic cockroaches, then this is the most popular family. It is also known under the name of the Prussians. No dwelling is immune from the appearance of red cockroaches.
It is worth noting that it is very difficult to get rid of them - insects can hide well, multiply with incredible speed, and chemicals or folk methods for killing cockroaches are ineffective.
Varieties of cockroaches
You can meet red cockroaches almost everywhere:
- Living spaces;
- hospitals;
- public places;
- utility rooms;
- country houses.
The body of the cockroach is slightly elongated, the chitinous shell has a reddish tint, which can range from light to very dark. Representatives of such an interesting family live near a large amount of food. Incredibly, they easily manage to penetrate even into closed containers.
Interesting facts from the life of red cockroaches - they can find food almost everywhere. Even if you diligently hide all the remnants of food, insects can easily find a few grains of sugar spilled a long time ago or stale bread crumbs.
The presence of water for representatives of this family is vital. They can go without food for a long time, but if the taps in the apartment are out of order, then the cockroaches will calmly continue to visit, visiting the source that is constantly life-giving for them. They do not disdain indoor plants either - young sprouts may be completely eaten.
White
You can often see a white cockroach in the apartment. No need to think that this is some new strange species. In most cases, the cockroach has a white tint after molting. In their entire life, insects of this family shed their chitinous shell almost 10 times.
A light, almost transparent color makes it difficult to detect an insect. After some time, it will be covered with a new shell and acquire a permanent color. How long will it take him to do this? In two weeks, a mustachioed white cockroach will turn into an ordinary red or black pest.
Appearance of a white cockroach
The shade of the mustachioed inhabitants of the apartment can be affected by chemicals. This happens especially often if low-quality means for the destruction of domestic insects were purchased. After a while, the natural color will return.
American (Periplaneta americana)
Judging by the name of the origin of the insect is not worth it. The homeland of this family is hot Africa. With cargo ships, cockroaches made their way to America, and then easily spread to all continents.
Plentiful food, a large amount of garbage near the houses and unsanitary conditions in public institutions have become an excellent incentive to appear in our country. Despite how many species are found in total, it is easy to distinguish this insect - large sizes, an oval body with a brown shell similar to folded wings, differ sharply from the appearance of the familiar Prussians.
Another feature that distinguishes American cockroaches from red or black ones is that they do not tolerate cold weather. Even at a temperature of 0 degrees, the insect inevitably dies. Another unpleasant characteristic is that the American cockroach is very aggressive, it can even attack a pet or a person.
Furniture (Supella longipalpa)
The central regions of Russia are especially replete with such species of insects. They were first discovered in the apartment more than 50 years ago, and since then the owners of the premises have been unsuccessfully trying to get rid of such a scourge.
The peculiarity of this family is the presence of transparent wings with dark stripes and a bright red hue. The kitchen is the most unsuitable place for these insects. Why? Their favorite food is wallpaper paste and old books. This is what brings these types of cockroaches to archives and libraries.
Central Asian (Shelfordella tartara)
The south of Russia is a part of the country where you can meet another family of unpleasant insects. It is very easy to recognize it - only Central Asian cockroaches have a yellow head and a black belly.
Another distinctive feature of them is that insects are able to perfectly jump from object to object, and where it is not possible to overcome an obstacle in one jump, cockroaches simply fly over.
Egyptian (Polyphaga aegyptiaca)
One of the brightest representatives among insect pests of the south of Russia. They don’t go overboard with housing conditions - they can happily live both in an apartment and in a room for livestock. They do not pose a threat, they are absolutely harmless, although the size of the family can cause many problems.
The appearance is very unusual. Large, up to several centimeters adults are black. The shell is smooth and shiny. Often this species is used as food on farms that breed lizards.
A bit of exotic
Despite the fact that a person always thinks of cockroaches with disgust, some apartment dwellers cannot resist acquiring the most interesting specimens of the cockroach family.
One of the most beloved pets is the chess cockroach. It is called so because of the original coloring, reminiscent of a chessboard. The insect is nocturnal - during the day it prefers to hide, and with the advent of darkness it goes for a walk around the apartment.
Another wonderful representative of a large family is the Dead Head. Why is it so unusually called? He has an interesting pattern on his back in the form of a scary grinning mask. The peculiarity of this insect is the ability to make long flights.
The huge Madagascar cockroach is a unique insect. Not only can it reach 10 cm in size, but the ability to make sounds is inherent in the whole huge family only to them. It looks like a loud hiss, but scientists have proven that it's just noisy breathing.
Cockroaches - what are these insects?
The rhinoceros cockroach is also unique in its kind. The huge weight of these insects is to blame for this. How much exactly? An adult can reach a weight of about 40 grams. Also, such beautiful representatives of exotic insects can live a long life - up to 10 years.
A striking representative of a number of Latin American insects is Megaloblatta longipennis. It has not only huge dimensions, it is the only species that flies without difficulty. The wingspan is impressive - up to 25 cm! The shade of this insect is especially beautiful - black, with a purple tint. Because of the size in apartments, they are afraid to keep it, so you can meet such beauty only in wildlife.
Mutation, crossing several varieties, living conditions - all this favorably affects the increase in the family. There are more and more new types of cockroaches. Some of them are completely harmless to humans, but most can become the main cause of serious illnesses.
Scientists are sure that modern cockroaches can easily spread cholera or an ulcer. That is why humanity has been fighting these unpleasant insects for many years. But so far, all to no avail - the family continues to successfully grow and multiply.
Video: A variety of cockroaches
Appearance
The body is flat, oval, from 4 mm to 9.5 cm (or more) long. The head is triangular or heart-shaped, flat. Mouth organs are gnawing. Cockroaches have strong jaws studded with chitinous teeth. The eyes are big. Sometimes absent (often in cave forms). Antennae elongated. Elytra dense; Wings membranous, fold under elytra at rest. Often the elytra and wings are shortened or completely absent.
Behavior
Cockroaches are thermophilic and moisture-loving, very mobile insects, leading a predominantly nocturnal lifestyle; during the day they hide under stones or fallen leaves, in cracks on the surface of the soil, in rodent burrows, under the bark of stumps and dying trees. Winged birds can fly at night into the light. They feed on plant and animal remains.
Cockroaches are one of the hardiest insects. Some cockroaches can live up to a month without food, as well as hold their breath for 45 minutes and slow their heart rate.
Cockroaches reproduce sexually and parthenogenetically, but in order to start breeding, the female must mate with the male at least once. Modern cockroaches lay eggs protected by a special capsule - ootheca, which is sometimes carried by the female and sticks out at the end of the abdomen. Some species are viviparous; in cockroaches Cryptocercus and some other complex parenting behavior. Metamorphosis is incomplete, larvae of wingless species are hardly distinguishable from adults; develop from several months (red cockroach) to 4 years (black cockroach), shedding 5-8 times during this period. Many types of cockroaches can fly.
Most cockroaches are warm and moisture-loving insects. Optimal conditions for them: temperature 28-32oC and relative humidity 70-90%. Tropical species die at temperatures below 20 and above 35. Several hundred cockroaches can live in a dark terrarium measuring 50X50X30 cm with enough shelters. Which can be made from flower pots, bark, or egg cartons. A 50-mm layer of moistened peat, fallen leaves or soil mixed with sand is used as the soil. The lid can be made from metal or plastic fine mesh. You can leave the aquarium without covering it at all. If cockroaches can climb a vertical smooth surface, it is better to lubricate the walls of the terrarium along the edges with petroleum jelly. In this case, cockroaches will not be able to get out even from an open terrarium.
Cockroaches can feed on almost any organic material (e.g. cat and dog food, bread), but also need a significant amount of fruits and vegetables (not too much, so that the leftovers do not mold in the terrarium). No water container needed. It is necessary to clean the terrarium with cockroaches before an unpleasant smell appears. A good solution for supplying cockroaches with moisture can be orange slices, which, too. help eliminate bad odors. It is better to use dry food, for example, fish flakes.
Cockroaches can eat their smaller counterparts, which helps control the population when overcrowded. Cockroaches can be hosts to microscopic mites that do no harm to them.
Males are smaller, thinner, and have eight abdominal segments, the last of which is provided with two additional palps. Females have six abdominal segments. The wings of males are longer than those of females.
Mating occurs after mutual examination with palps and raising the wings. During the entire process, the cockroaches remain entangled with each other. One species of cockroach reproduces by parthenogenesis.
Adult females make from one to fifteen clutches of 16-45 eggs each. Inside the body, the shell of the egg is soft white in color, turns brown and hardens in the air. Nymphs emerge from eggs within 2-12 weeks after laying. Immediately after hatching, the nymphs shed their embryonic skin.
Most species store their eggs in an ootheca where nymphs hatch, which also remain inside the mother's body until their chitinous cover hardens, and in some cases longer.
Other species also keep their eggs in the ootheca but lay them several hours before hatching.
Cockroach species that lay their eggs weeks before hatching hide their clutches in deep crevices.
Nymphs that reach 6-12 mm in length can live with their parents. Depending on the species, they reach sexual maturity within 5-11 stages. The whole process may take 50-275 days.
The roots come from warm African latitudes and have been taken by man to all continents. Almost all types of cockroaches feel great in our homes, despite numerous attempts to get rid of pests. Cockroaches are very tenacious creatures, they withstand radioactive exposure ten times the lethal dose for humans.
The insect organism is designed in such a way that it can digest leather products, paper and even wood, thanks to the plates located in the stomach and helping to process food.
An insect can survive most low-toxic poisons if there is access to water. Even in the absence of food, insects can live up to two months, thanks to the ability to slow down metabolism. The only thing all kinds of cockroaches is frost, they are cold-blooded, therefore, at sub-zero temperatures, they freeze to death.
Cockroaches not only disgust the owners of the apartment, but can bring serious trouble, cockroaches can carry diseases such as typhus, tuberculosis, dysentery, hepatitis and many other diseases, pests can also carry worm larvae and other unpleasant things on their paws.
furniture cockroach
Furniture cockroaches were discovered in Russia about 100 years ago. From the name it is clear that these insects like to hide in furniture. The species of these cockroaches can often be found in city libraries, furniture factories and bedrooms.
A characteristic difference between these cockroaches is the light color, as seen in the photo below.
american cockroach
His homeland is Africa, but he was brought to America and he remarkably took root in human homes, where the optimum air temperature is constantly maintained and food is in abundance.
The size of the insect does not exceed 3 cm and the reproduction rate is inferior to the Prussians familiar to us. The American cockroach was able to move to Europe and even took root in many countries with a relatively warm climate.
Vietnamese cockroach (Shelfordella tartara)
This species lives in the southern regions of Russia and is known under the names "Turkestan cockroach" and "Central Asian cockroach". This cockroach is quite rare and lives mainly on the street. Adults reach 2.5 cm, are able to jump far, helping with wings. The cockroach has a dark abdomen and a yellow cephalothorax, which is clearly visible in the photo.
exotic cockroaches
Such cockroaches are specially bred by lovers of exotic animals. Some exotic species of cockroaches reach 10 cm in length. Some keep cockroaches in the house as a pet, but many breed large cockroaches to feed various pets (snakes, frogs, lizards, fish), and do not require special care, so many prefer not to buy dubious food, but to grow them on their own and be sure of its freshness.
Dead head cockroach (Blaberus craniifer)
This species lives in the tropics of South and Central America. It got its name from the pattern resembling an ugly mask located on the head of an insect. It is also called the Cuban cockroach. Cockroaches grow up to 8 cm, the chitinous shell is matte black, the cephalothorax is light with a black pattern in the middle, as seen in the photo.
The Cuban cockroach can fly well, and its wingspan reaches 10 cm. When threatened, the cockroach releases a pungent odor that does not disappear for a long time. Life expectancy is about a year and a half.
Rhino cockroach (Macropanesthia rhinoceros)
The Australian cockroach spends most of its time underground and is often referred to as the giant burrowing rhinoceros cockroach for its ability to dig deep burrows. At night, the cockroach crawls to the surface in search of food, they feed on fruits, leaves and do not disdain carrion.
An adult grows up to 9 cm in length and weighs up to 40 grams, in the photo is a female and male rhinoceros cockroach. The Australian cockroach is often found in lovers of exotic cockroach species.
Chess cockroach (Therea bernhardti)
This species lives in India, during the day insects hide in fallen leaves, and at night they come out in search of food, like most representatives of the species. Cockroaches are black in color but have staggered white spots on their backs. Chess cockroaches are long-lived and able to live in good conditions for up to 5 years.
These cockroaches love high humidity in the region of 70-80% and warm air of 25-30°c.
Madagascar hissing cockroach
The most common representative of cockroaches found in insectariums. It is this species that came to the liking of lovers of exotic animals. Unpretentious, quiet and does not require skills for maintenance. The dimensions of this giant reach 10 cm, and their main trump card is hissing in case of danger, which is created when the insect abruptly releases air from special spiracles.
Optimal conditions for keeping 23-30 ° degrees, and humidity should be around 60%.
Egyptian turtle cockroach (Polyphaga aegyptiaca)
The cockroach has a rounded body shape, resembling a turtle shell, the maximum size is 4.5 cm. The shell is shiny black, covered with transverse plates.
Habitat Central Asia, the Caucasus, feeds on leaves, animal remains, feces. The lifespan of an Egyptian cockroach is 4 years.
Green banana cockroach (Panchlora nivea)
Bright species of cockroaches that fly well. They have taken root in banana plantations and feed on leaves. This species was discovered quite recently and did not have time to gain popularity among cockroach lovers.
The homeland of the cockroach is the Florida forests and Cuba. The optimum temperature for this species is 27 degrees Celsius. The size of the cockroach is small and reaches 2.5 cm.
Forest cockroach (Ectobius lapponicus)
It lives in wooded areas, feeds on tree leaves, carrion, and plants. Hiding in tree roots and under leaves.
There are a huge number of species of cockroaches, there is even a Japanese pest. Almost all types of cockroaches are harmless to humans and cannot bite through the skin.
Black (Blatta orientalis)
One of the most popular indoor human family is black cockroaches. They easily penetrate the home, especially if there is a sewer drain, garbage cans or cluttered basements nearby. In summer, members of the family can feel great on the street, but with the advent of a cold snap, they tend to find a warmer place.
An unpleasant smell, chitinous black shell, size (up to 3 cm) are the main characteristics of this variety of cockroaches. The color can vary from dark gray to dirty red. Adults reproduce slowly, but if you do not deal with them immediately, then such neglect threatens to grow the family to an incredible size.
The largest concentration of individuals can be found in such places:
- a bucket of garbage;
- under the stove;
- behind the refrigerator
- in the closet.
Black cockroaches are the most dangerous insects from this family for human health. Since their favorite place is garbage containers, the number of infections and bacteria on their paws is unimaginable. And together with insects, this accumulation of infection, dangerous for humans, can quickly move into an apartment.
Redheads (Blattella germanica)
If we consider the types of domestic cockroaches, then this is the most popular family. It is also known under the name of the Prussians. No dwelling is immune from the appearance of red cockroaches.
It is worth noting that it is very difficult to get rid of them - insects can hide well, multiply with incredible speed, and chemicals or folk methods for killing cockroaches are ineffective.
Varieties of cockroaches
You can meet red cockroaches almost everywhere:
- Living spaces;
- hospitals;
- public places;
- utility rooms;
- country houses.
The body of the cockroach is slightly elongated, the chitinous shell has a reddish tint, which can range from light to very dark. Representatives of such an interesting family live near a large amount of food. Incredibly, they easily manage to penetrate even into closed containers.
Interesting facts from the life of red cockroaches - they can find food almost everywhere. Even if you diligently hide all the remnants of food, insects can easily find a few grains of sugar spilled a long time ago or stale bread crumbs.
The presence of water for representatives of this family is vital. They can go without food for a long time, but if the taps in the apartment are out of order, then the cockroaches will calmly continue to visit, visiting the source that is constantly life-giving for them. They do not disdain indoor plants either - young sprouts may be completely eaten.
White
You can often see a white cockroach in the apartment. No need to think that this is some new strange species. In most cases, the cockroach has a white tint after molting. In their entire life, insects of this family shed their chitinous shell almost 10 times.
A light, almost transparent color makes it difficult to detect an insect. After some time, it will be covered with a new shell and acquire a permanent color. How long will it take him to do this? In two weeks, a mustachioed white cockroach will turn into an ordinary red or black pest.
Appearance of a white cockroach
The shade of the mustachioed inhabitants of the apartment can be affected by chemicals. This happens especially often if low-quality means for the destruction of domestic insects were purchased. After a while, the natural color will return.
American (Periplaneta americana)
Judging by the name of the origin of the insect is not worth it. The homeland of this family is hot Africa. With cargo ships, cockroaches made their way to America, and then easily spread to all continents.
Plentiful food, a large amount of garbage near the houses and unsanitary conditions in public institutions have become an excellent incentive to appear in our country. Despite how many species are found in total, it is easy to distinguish this insect - large sizes, an oval body with a brown shell similar to folded wings, differ sharply from the appearance of the familiar Prussians.
Another feature that distinguishes American cockroaches from red or black ones is that they do not tolerate cold weather. Even at a temperature of 0 degrees, the insect inevitably dies. Another unpleasant characteristic is that the American cockroach is very aggressive, it can even attack a pet or a person.
Furniture (Supella longipalpa)
The central regions of Russia are especially replete with such species of insects. They were first discovered in the apartment more than 50 years ago, and since then the owners of the premises have been unsuccessfully trying to get rid of such a scourge.
The peculiarity of this family is the presence of transparent wings with dark stripes and a bright red hue. The kitchen is the most unsuitable place for these insects. Why? Their favorite food is wallpaper paste and old books. This is what brings these types of cockroaches to archives and libraries.
Central Asian (Shelfordella tartara)
The south of Russia is a part of the country where you can meet another family of unpleasant insects. It is very easy to recognize it - only Central Asian cockroaches have a yellow head and a black belly.
Another distinctive feature of them is that insects are able to perfectly jump from object to object, and where it is not possible to overcome an obstacle in one jump, cockroaches simply fly over.
Egyptian (Polyphaga aegyptiaca)
One of the brightest representatives among insect pests of the south of Russia. They don’t go overboard with housing conditions - they can happily live both in an apartment and in a room for livestock. They do not pose a threat, they are absolutely harmless, although the size of the family can cause many problems.
The appearance is very unusual. Large, up to several centimeters adults are black. The shell is smooth and shiny. Often this species is used as food on farms that breed lizards.
A bit of exotic
Despite the fact that a person always thinks of cockroaches with disgust, some apartment dwellers cannot resist acquiring the most interesting specimens of the cockroach family.
One of the most beloved pets is the chess cockroach. It is called so because of the original coloring, reminiscent of a chessboard. The insect is nocturnal - during the day it prefers to hide, and with the advent of darkness it goes for a walk around the apartment.
Another wonderful representative of a large family is the Dead Head. Why is it so unusually called? He has an interesting pattern on his back in the form of a scary grinning mask. The peculiarity of this insect is the ability to make long flights.
The huge Madagascar cockroach is a unique insect. Not only can it reach 10 cm in size, but the ability to make sounds is inherent in the whole huge family only to them. It looks like a loud hiss, but scientists have proven that it's just noisy breathing.
Cockroaches - what are these insects?
The rhinoceros cockroach is also unique in its kind. The huge weight of these insects is to blame for this. How much exactly? An adult can reach a weight of about 40 grams. Also, such beautiful representatives of exotic insects can live a long life - up to 10 years.
A striking representative of a number of Latin American insects is Megaloblatta longipennis. It has not only huge dimensions, it is the only species that flies without difficulty. The wingspan is impressive - up to 25 cm! The shade of this insect is especially beautiful - black, with a purple tint. Because of the size in apartments, they are afraid to keep it, so you can meet such beauty only in wildlife.
Mutation, crossing several varieties, living conditions - all this favorably affects the increase in the family. There are more and more new types of cockroaches. Some of them are completely harmless to humans, but most can become the main cause of serious illnesses.
Scientists are sure that modern cockroaches can easily spread cholera or an ulcer. That is why humanity has been fighting these unpleasant insects for many years. But so far, all to no avail - the family continues to successfully grow and multiply.
Video: A variety of cockroaches
Many believe that the cockroach is a representative of one species - red, large in size, which inhabits the vast majority of our apartments. It seems that other types of cockroaches do not exist. In fact, everything is far from being the case - far from one species of redheads, or German cockroaches, to which several of our previous articles were devoted, can encroach on the territory of our living quarters.
In this material, we will talk about other types of cockroaches that can be found in the conditions of modern reality, although it is believed that this type of insect has disappeared from the post-Soviet space.
General information about the types of domestic cockroaches
Cockroaches are one of the most common insects of synanthropes, that is, those that have adapted to life next to humans. Based on fossil evidence, this genus of insects has been present on Earth for quite some time - for over 300 million years. The sizes of an individual species vary considerably, some can be quite large, reaching up to 5-6 cm in length, others are smaller - no more than 1 cm.
Entomologists consider these insects to be one of the most successful groups of living organisms ever to inhabit our planet, as they are among the most adaptable and successful. Cockroaches are able to survive many changing conditions over millions of years.
In total, there are about 3500 species of cockroaches around the world and about 60 species live next to humans. Their presence is noticeable in almost all parts of the world, and the wide range of habitats demonstrates that cockroaches do share an outstanding success in nature. Unfortunately, many of the outstanding biological characteristics that make them so successful also make them one of the most difficult pests to get rid of.
Biology and behavior of cockroaches
Most species of cockroaches come from tropical and subtropical zones, including the notorious red Prussian. Basically, insects are active at night, during which they feed and fertilize. They can be seen during the daytime, especially when there is a difficult time for the population, for example, as a lack of food or water.
Cockroaches generally prefer a humid environment, and many species also prefer a relatively high degree of heat. Domestic species are primarily scavengers and feed on the decaying remains of a wide variety of organic foods. They are particularly fond of starches, sweets, fat, and meat fibers, with cheese, beer, leather goods, bread, book-bound starch, glue, hair, particles of dry human skin, and vegetable materials second on their menu.
Cockroaches tend to prefer to live in sheltered cracks and crevices that provide a warm and humid indoor environment.
Some species, such as the American and Oriental cockroaches, congregate in large groups in open areas outside of the home. While they are often found in groups, cockroaches are not the social insects that ants and wasps are. These pests mostly feed individually and in general often behave in an unsocial manner, in the general understanding of this process.
The general body shape of a cockroach is familiar to everyone. They have an oval and flat shape, which allows them to penetrate the narrowest spaces. The pronotum, as entomologists call it, protrudes slightly forward above the head, forming some kind of collar. The mouthparts are of chewing type and oriented downward, slightly towards the back of the body. With their long, spiny legs, they quickly run over most surfaces. Specialized platforms on their paws make it easy to cruise on vertical glass surfaces and even on the ceiling.
In addition to their ability to move around, as well as the fact that some species are good jumpers, cockroaches are well known for their ability to quickly migrate with the help of "hitchhiking", mainly with the things of people. Careful inspection of furniture, clothes or other goods entering the apartment will help to identify cockroaches hiding in these objects in a timely manner. Therefore, before entering your house after spending the night in hotels that are obviously unfavorable for the presence of cockroaches, you should carefully shake up and review your personal belongings.
Development Features
All types of domestic cockroaches develop through gradual metamorphosis, which consists of three stages: egg, nymph and adult. The female produces what is called an ootheca, a capsule that contains two rows of eggs inside. The nymphs hatch right in the capsule and break the seam along the upper part of the body of the ootheca and emerge. When the seam cracks, tiny nymphs emerge to begin their lives.
Nymphs generally resemble adults in appearance and behavior, but are smaller, lack wings, and are often a different color. Each nymph, depending on the species, experiences from 5 to 8 molts in the process of maturation to an adult. After the next molt, the nymphs are often white, and then darken to the usual color of the species during the first day.
Due to this phenomenon, some people mistakenly believe that this is some kind of hotel species of albino cockroaches.
At the end of the last molt, the wings of the insect are already fully formed and clearly distinguishable sexual demorphism is observed. Adults may or may not fly, depending on the species and on environmental factors, however, if we talk only about synanthropes, then there are no flying among them. The length of time required for a nymph to mature, as well as the lifespan of adults, is also variable, even within each species. The duration of these periods is influenced by ambient temperature, humidity, quality of the diet and other conditions.
American cockroaches, also known as water beetles, are most often found in the southern latitudes of our country. The homeland of these insects is North America, from where they successfully migrated all over the planet.
It is the largest of the most common species, growing to 5 cm or more in length. The insect is red-brown in color with a pale brown or yellow border on the upper surface of the pronotum. Both male and female are fully winged. The wings of the male extend slightly beyond the tip of the abdomen, while in females this part of the body is about the same length as the abdomen.
The female sheds the ootheca within a day after it forms. Most often, this process takes place in the most suitable, protected place, for example, near a power source, or in a secluded area. In the southern latitudes, in the summer, the insect prefers to develop outdoors in damp and rotting wood.
The insect is quite fertile. One female produces ootheca at a rate of one per week, and in her entire life - from 15 to 90 capsules in total. Each capsule contains 14-16 eggs. At room temperature, nymphs hatch within 50-55 days and quickly scatter around the apartment.
Young nymphs are greyish brown in color and will each molt 9-13 times before reaching maturity. After the first few molts, the juveniles become increasingly reddish-brown in color. The time required to complete the nymphal stage varies from 160 to 971 days. Under ideal conditions, an adult female can live for about 14-15 months; males tend to be less. However, in natural populations, many factors reduce the lifespan of this species.
When cockroaches move indoors, nymphs and adults prefer to be in dark, damp areas of basements, as well as under bathtubs, rugs, pipes, and sewers. In basements, they are usually found in high corner areas on the walls. In the north, this roach is usually associated with the steam heat of the tunnels.
In urban areas, the American cockroach is common around sewer manholes, as well as on the underside of metal manhole covers, in boiler rooms.
As already noted, this type of insect, in the warm season, lives more outside residential buildings. Insects abound in alleyways, courtyards, tree holes, and rotting leaves. They particularly prefer moist, shady areas. Sometimes they can be found under tiles, in attics.
American cockroaches feed on a variety of organic foods they can find in an apartment, but they like decaying matter the most. They especially like book bindings, paper and cotton fabrics. Syrup and other sweets are also attractive to them.
Adult American cockroaches can survive two or three months without food, but only about a month without water. Insects have well-developed wings, but they rarely fly, although they do it very well. But cockroaches are able to move long distances and will cover them in a short time.
What little cockroaches look like, or the truth about furniture
Furniture house cockroaches are one of the smallest species, rarely reaching more than 1 cm in length. This is a light brown insect that is very easy to distinguish from the German cockroach by the presence of two transverse stripes running from one side of the body to the other through the base of the wings and abdomen. These stripes may be somewhat irregular or variable in outline, and are more prominent in juveniles and females.
Females have wider bodies than males, both genders are quite active, with adult males taking off easily when disturbed. Both adults and nymphs may jump when trying to escape.
The female furniture cockroach wears her ootheca for only a day or two and then attaches it to a protected surface. Over their lifetime, females will produce about 14 ootheca, each containing about 18 eggs. Eggs take about 50-75 days to boil, depending on the temperature. Under indoor conditions, nymphs mature in about 160 days. Adults can live up to 10 months.
Nymphs and adults tend to be found on ceilings, high on walls, behind picture frames and light fixtures, and near the engines of refrigerators and other household appliances. They can also be found in light switches, wardrobes and other furniture. They don't require as much fluid as their red counterparts, which helps explain why they are so common in living spaces other than the kitchen or bathroom. Like all nocturnal insects, furniture cockroaches do not like light and tend to hide during the daytime.
The furniture cockroach prefers to feed on starchy materials. Nevertheless, it happens that they can be found around the apartment in those places where, it would seem, there is nothing to feed on. They quite like such inorganic materials as nylon stockings. Such a culinary addiction can, perhaps, be explained by the remnants of sebum and skin on dirty clothes.
When conducting an inspection for the presence of furniture cockroaches, you should look under tables and chairs, in chests of drawers and chests. It is also worth paying attention to the space behind hanging photographs, wallpaper that has moved away from the walls and inside the clock. But still, most of all insects are inside the upper cabinets. If there is a suspicion of furniture cockroaches, and the insects themselves do not catch your eye, you need to look for tiny black excrement, attached ootheca and discarded exoskeletons.
These varieties of cockroaches are more common in homes, apartments, hotels, and hospital wards than in commercial establishments or kitchens. They are often transported with furniture and will quickly spread throughout the entire apartment. Outside of buildings, this type of cockroach, as a rule, does not inhabit.
In this article, we have listed the main types of cockroaches that can be found in our apartments. Of course, these are far from all representatives of domestic pests; there are also black and oriental cockroaches, information about which can be obtained in our previous articles. In conclusion, it is worth answering that all the same types of chemical and natural control that we wrote about in relation to red domestic cockroaches work against all types of domestic cockroaches.