Cockroach

cockroach, (order Blattodea), also called roach, any of about 4,600 species of insects that are among the most primitive living winged insects, appearing today much like they do in fossils that are more than 320 million years old. The word cockroach is a corruption of the Spanish cucaracha. The cockroach is characterized by a flattened oval body, long threadlike antennae, and a shining black or brown leathery integument. The head is bent downward, and the mouthparts point backward instead of forward or downward as is the case in most other insects. Male cockroaches usually have two pairs of wings, whereas females, in some species, are wingless or have vestigial wings.

The female produces eggs in egg cases (called oothecae). These are sometimes held protruding from her body or may be glued in protected areas. After the female deposits an egg case, the soft white nymphs emerge. As their exoskeleton hardens, it turns brown in colour. The structure and large size (certain species have a wingspread of more than 12 cm [4.7 inches]) of cockroaches have made them objects of interest in the biological laboratory.

cockroach: life history

The cockroach prefers a warm, humid, dark environment and is usually found in tropical or other mild climates. Only a few species have become pests. The insect damages more material than it consumes and emits a disagreeable odour. The diet of the roach, which includes both plant and animal products, ranges from food, paper, clothing, and books to dead insects, especially bedbugs. Insecticides are used in roach control.

The American cockroach (species Periplaneta americana), a native of Africa and the Middle East, is 30 to 50 mm (up to about 2 inches) long, is reddish brown, and lives outdoors or in dark heated indoor areas (e.g., basements and furnace rooms). During adult life, a period of about 1.5 years, the female deposits 50 or more oothecae, each containing about 16 eggs that hatch after 45 days. Nymphal life lasts from 11 to 14 months. The American cockroach has well-developed wings. However, most species are not good fliers.

The German cockroach (Blattella germanica), a common household pest, is light brown with two dark stripes on the prothoracic region. The female produces the ootheca 3 days after mating and carries it for about 20 days. Three or more generations may occur yearly. Because it is small (about 12 mm [less than 0.5 inch] long), this cockroach often is carried into homes in grocery bags and boxes. It has spread throughout the world thanks to human transport, including long-distance transport by ship.

The brown-banded cockroach (Supella longipalpa) resembles the German cockroach but is slightly smaller. The male has fully developed wings and is lighter in colour than the female, whose wings are short and nonfunctional. Both sexes have two light-coloured bands across the back. The adult life span is about 200 days, and there may be two generations annually. Eggs may be deposited in clothes, wood molding, or cracks in the floor. With the advent of heated buildings, this cockroach became established in cooler climates.

The Oriental cockroach (Blatta orientalis) is considered one of the filthiest of household pests. It is oval, shiny black or dark brown, and 25 to 30 mm (1 to 1.2 inches) long, with a life cycle similar to that of the American cockroach. The male has short fully developed wings, and the female has vestigial wings. This cockroach has been distributed by vehicles of commerce from its Asiatic origins to all the temperate regions.

Wood roaches are not domestic pests in eastern and central North America, despite their name. The Pennsylvania wood cockroach (Parcoblatta pennsylvanica) is found under logs and stones in northern latitudes. The male and female are so different in appearance that they were once considered separate species. The male, 15 to 25 mm (0.6 to 1 inch) long, has wings that extend past the abdomen. The female is smaller and has much shorter wings. The brown-hooded cockroach (Cryptocercus punctulatus) digests wood with the aid of certain protozoans in its digestive tract.

Some authorities consider cockroaches to be a suborder of either the order Orthoptera (grasshoppers, crickets, and katydids) or the order Dictyoptera (mantids and cockroaches).