What is a Cockroach?

The word cockroach is stemmed from the Spanish cucaracha. The cockroach is recognizable by a flattened oval body, long hairlike antennae, and a shiny black or brown leathery integument. The head is directed downward, and the mouthparts are pointed rearward instead of forward or downward as is the case with many other insects. The male frequently has two pairs of wings, but the female, who in some species, is wingless or appears with vestigial wings. The female generates eggs in egg cases (known as oothecae). These are on occasion held away from her body or could be stuck in protected locations. After the female generates an egg case, the soft, white nymphs emerge. As their exoskeleton toughens, it turns brown in hue. The form and big size (certain species possess a wing spread of more than 12 cm [4.7 inches]) of cockroaches have turned them into a significant study in the biological laboratory.

The cockroach takes a warm, humid, dark habitat and is frequently found thriving in tropical or other mild areas. Only a couple of species have become pests. The insect inflicts damage on more material than it eats and emits a disgusting odour. The nutrition of the roach, which can be both plant and animal product, can be from food, paper, clothing, and books to dead insects, including bedbugs. Insecticides are utilized in roach control.

The American cockroach (species Periplaneta americana) is 30 to 50 mm long (up to about 2 inches), reddish brown, and lives outside or in dark, heated indoor spaces (e.g., basements and furnace rooms). In its adult life, generally about 1.5 years, the female deposits 50 or more oothecae, each possessing usually 16 eggs that hatch after 45 days. Nymphal life goes from 11 to 14 months. The American cockroach, originally from tropical and subtropical America, has well-developed wings. However, most species are unlikely to be good flyers.

The German cockroach (Blattella germanica), a common pest in the household and is on occasion erroneously referred to as a waterbug, is light brown with two dark stripes on the prothoracic area. The female deposits the ootheca three days post mating and carries it for generally around 20 days. Because it is tiny (about 12 mm [less than 0.5 inch] long), this cockroach generally is taken into homes in grocery bags and boxes; it has been spread throughout the world by boat. Three or more generations might occur yearly. This cockroach, abundant around the water pipes of the Croton Aqueduct in New York City, became called the Croton bug.

The brown-banded cockroach (Supella supellectilium) closely resembles the German cockroach but is even smaller. The male possesses fully developed wings and is paler in hue than the female, whose wings are undeveloped and nonfunctional. Both sexes have two light-coloured bands along the back. The adult life span is around 200 days, and there can be two generations a year. Eggs may be left in clothes, wood molding, or cracks in the floor. With the invention of heated buildings this cockroach became common in cooler locations.

The Oriental cockroach (Blatta orientalis) is thought to be one of the most disgusting 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 taken in vehicles of business from its Asiatic origins to all the temperate regions.

Wood roaches are feral pests. Parcoblatta pennsylvanica, the common wood cockroach, can be found under logs and stones in northern latitudes. The male and female are so varied in appearance that they were initially seen as unique 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 digests wood with the assistance of some protozoans in its digestive tract.

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