The word cockroach is a corruption of the Spanish cucaracha. The cockroach is recognizable by a flattened oval body, long thin antennae, and a shining black or brown leathery integument. The head is held downward, and the mouthparts aim rearward instead of forward or downward as is the case of almost all other insects. The male often has two pairs of wings, whereas the female, who in some species, is wingless or appears with vestigial wings. The female produces eggs in egg cases (known as oothecae). These are occasionally held away from her body or may be glued in protected parts. After the female deposits an egg case, the soft, white nymphs emerge. As their exoskeleton toughens, it turns brown in hue. The shape and large size (certain species have a wingspread of upwards of 12 cm [4.7 inches]) of cockroaches have turned them into a singular study in the biological laboratory.
The cockroach enjoys a warm, humid, dark habitat and is usually found living in tropical and other mild climates. Only a small number species have become pests. The insect harms more material than it consumes and has a unpleasant odour. The food preference of the roach, which should be both plant and animal produce, ranges from food, paper, clothing, and books to dead insects, including bedbugs. Insecticides can be utilized in roach termination.
The American cockroach (species Periplaneta americana) is 30 to 50 mm long (up to about 2 inches), reddish brown, and inhabits outside or in dark, heated indoor locations (e.g., basements and furnace rooms). In its adult life, a period of about 1.5 years, the female deposits 50 or more oothecae, each holding about 16 eggs that hatch after 45 days. Nymphal life lasts from 11 to 14 months. The American cockroach, a native of tropical and subtropical America, possesses well-developed wings. However, most species are not usually great at flying.
The German cockroach (Blattella germanica), a common pest in the house and on occasion erroneously referred to as a waterbug, is light brown with two dark stripes on the prothoracic region. The female produces the ootheca three days from mating and carries it for about 20 days. Because it is miniature (about 12 mm [less than 0.5 inch] long), this cockroach frequently can be taken into residences in grocery bags and boxes; it has been taken from nation to nation by ship. Three or more generations could breed yearly. This cockroach, found abundantly in the water pipes of the Croton Aqueduct in New York City, became labeled the Croton bug.
The brown-banded cockroach (Supella supellectilium) resembles the German cockroach but is a bit smaller. The male possesses completely developed wings and is brighter in hue than the female, whose wings are short and nonfunctional. Both sexes have two light-coloured bands across the back. The adult life span is around 200 days, and there can be two generations annually. Eggs can be dropped in clothes, wood molding, or cracks in the floor. With the innovation of heated buildings this cockroach became common in cooler temperatures.
The Oriental cockroach (Blatta orientalis) is thought of as one of the filthiest of household pests. It is oval, shiny black or dark brown, 25 to 30 mm (1 to 1.2 inches) long, with a life cycle resembling that of the American cockroach. The male has short, fully developed wings, but the female possesses vestigial wings. This cockroach has been spread in vehicles of commerce from its Asiatic origins to every temperate regions.
Wood roaches are feral pests. Parcoblatta pennsylvanica, the common wood cockroach, is found beneath logs and stones in northern latitudes. The male and female are so different in appearance that they were once believed to be different species. The male, 15 to 25 mm (0.6 to 1 inch) long, has wings that go beyond the abdomen; the female is smaller and has much shorter wings. Cryptocercus punctulatus consumes wood with the assistance of some protozoans in its digestive tract.
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