Cockroaches are associated with nimble, nosy, tenacious insects, which, at any opportunity, strive to share living space with humans. No wonder the Russian proverb says that if there was a hut, there would be Prussians. However, domestic barbels are by no means the only representatives of the cockroach order. Scientists know more than 4,600 species of cockroaches. Some of them are very attractive and harmless insects with graceful wings, bright colors, and luxurious antennae.
Description of domestic species
Domestic cockroaches in the CIS countries are represented mainly by 2 species: black and red. The latter is distinguished by a brown shell, the size of which does not exceed 16 mm, and the ability to fly for short periods.
The variety of black cockroaches has become less and less common in apartments in recent decades. The emergence of new insecticidal agents and competition against cockroaches in the apartment have reduced the population size. Insects can live in residential premises, greenhouses, sewers, and mines. Often their colonies can be found in wildlife close to human habitation. The size of adult individuals sometimes reaches 8 cm. The insect received its name because of its black color. The species is distinguished by its ability to run quickly and lack flying skills.
Most people are disgusted and disgusted by even photos of domestic cockroaches. And here ethnoscience treats them very loyally, and suggests using black longhorned beetles to treat pyelonephritis, relieve asthma attacks, and get rid of worms. Official medicine is categorically against extraordinary therapy. The domestic cockroach is a carrier of helminth eggs, pathogens of dangerous diseases, so its benefits are very doubtful.
Interesting!
In Rus', cockroaches were considered a sign of prosperity, so when moving to a new place of residence, several individuals always had a place in their luggage.
With the exception of external characteristics, the red and black cockroaches have much in common. They do not tolerate moisture deficiency well and live in colonies. You can identify an insect nest by the presence of a large number of empty ootheca, black small excrement, and a large number of larvae.
All types of domestic cockroaches are very prolific. After mating, a special capsule with eggs is formed in the female’s body - an ootheca, which the expectant mother carries on herself for 2 to 5 weeks. Female Prussians show greater care for their offspring than black longhorned beetles and leave the ooteca only at the moment of full maturation of the larvae. Black cockroaches get rid of the capsule almost immediately. Prussians often take advantage of this negligence and eat the eggs, thereby destroying competitors at the maturation stage. See below for what domestic cockroaches look like in the photo, as well as their offspring.
Nymphs emerge from ripe eggs - small copies of their parents, only without wings. In red species, the period of transformation of a nymph into a sexually mature individual lasts 60 days. During this period, the nymph undergoes several moults. After shedding their shells, the small larvae look like white transparent insects, for which they are often called white cockroaches. After several days, the chitinous cover acquires its characteristic shade. The lifespan of adult redheads does not exceed 30 weeks.
Each female domestic cockroach favorable conditions can increase the number of colonies by 200 individuals.
Furniture cockroach
This species of small cockroaches was recorded in the middle of the last century. The color and size of the body are very variable, which is why many descriptions have appeared under different names. Outwardly they look similar to their red “brothers”. They can be distinguished from Prussians by their more pronounced reddish color and the presence of two stripes running from the base of the abdomen. Furniture cockroaches also come in dark black shades. The length of an adult insect barely reaches 12 mm. Thanks to their developed legs, females and males move quickly and can jump.
The furniture type got its name due to gastronomic preferences and habitats. These insects are not so demanding on the availability of water, so furniture cockroaches do not have nests near bathrooms and food blocks. They prefer food containing starch, willingly eat books, wallpaper glue, any paper. Optimal conditions development – high humidity and temperature 28-30° C.
Heat-loving insects
Among the cockroaches that live in warm climates, there are many interesting species.
Vietnamese cockroaches
Representatives of the Central Asian species are often called Vietnamese or. They live in the southern regions in houses, trash cans, in landfills. They are found in the wild - they create their settlements between stones. The head is yellowish, red in color, the chitinous cover of the body is darker saturated brown tint. home distinctive feature Central Asian species - the ability to use wings and jump. They feed on waste and plants. Recently, they are often bred in terrariums to feed reptiles.
Egyptian cockroaches
This species lives in the Caucasus, Crimea, and Central Asia. Males are distinguished by their brown color and developed wings. Females are wingless, their body shape resembles a turtle shell. The sizes of adult individuals vary between 2.5 - 4.5 cm. Habitat habitats - rodent burrows, as well as livestock farms and human habitation. They feed on feces and organic waste. They can live up to 100 days without food; lack of moisture is detrimental to them.
One female lays eggs 3 to 5 times during her life. One capsule contains from 12 to 18 eggs. Cockroach larvae molt several times; the maturation period lasts 2 years. The total lifespan of an insect is 4 years.
The Egyptian cockroach species is a serious pest for livestock farming. These insects are eaten by animals and can cause paratyphoid fever. Scientists are seriously studying whether the Egyptian species of these insects are associated with outbreaks of meat poisoning that periodically occur in Central Asia.
Record-breaking cockroaches
These insects can surprise a lot when you get to know them more closely.
The American cockroach is recognized as the fastest among the family. This species is capable of running 75 cm in one second. The insect is very thermophilic and dies at temperatures below 0° C. The species is large in size – 5 cm in length. The color of the chitinous cover is from light red to brown. Powerful oral apparatus gnawing type allows you to bite through even the hardest materials. The species prefers to settle in huge colonies, the number of which can number in the tens of thousands, so the population is more often found in large buildings with optimal humidity and temperature.
A pregnant female cares little about her offspring; she carries the ootheca for no more than 2 days, after which she buries it in the substrate. Insects pay more attention to mating games. The female, ready to mate, releases special pheromones. The male, attracted by the smell, begins to circle around his “lady”, fluttering his wings.
Interesting!
The species of American cockroaches has one interesting feature. The eggs in the female's body can mature without fertilization.
Appearance The Madagascar hissing cockroach can touch not only a child, but also an adult. This variety has the largest dimensions - body length adult reaches 10 cm. Features of the respiratory system allow insects to make hissing sounds. "Madagascars" are viviparous species. The queen takes care of the babies after they appear. When other insects appear that pose a danger to the newborn larvae, the female begins to make loud hissing sounds.
The species of Madagascar cockroaches lives in forests and loves warmth and humidity. This is one of the few varieties that people specifically breed. Some people do this for aesthetic reasons or curiosity. Others raise “Madagascars” as food for lizards and snakes.
The most terrible and beautiful species of cockroaches
Exotic cockroaches are famous for their unusual colors. Such specimens are happily bred in terrariums.
Australian rhinoceros cockroach
It is distinguished by its large weight - 40 g and the ability to dig tunnels. It feeds on plant foods and, in its absence, is not averse to eating carrion.
Chess cockroach
In the photo of cockroaches, the checkerboard appearance immediately catches the eye. The color of his shell is identical chessboard. Lives in India, in daytime hides under fallen leaves and goes out at night in search of food. A species of green banana flying cockroaches was discovered relatively recently on banana plantations. The poisonous green color delights insect lovers.
Little car
The cockroach with the gentle nickname “little car” is the dream of any collector of unusual insects. Its appearance resembles a miniature car with its headlights on.
Dead Head
The most terrifying looking cockroach is the “death’s head”. Its body dimensions reach 5.5 cm, and on its back there is a pattern resembling a skull, which is why the insect got its formidable name. It feeds on small insects; in the absence of food, it willingly goes on to eat its “brothers”.
From time immemorial, various types of cockroaches have lived in human homes; once the insect was considered a symbol of wealth, but now it is an unpleasant guest, causing a lot of trouble and spreading infection. What attracts them to our apartments? The answer is obvious. This is warmth and a lot of food, they cannot survive in winter natural conditions, and finding food is problematic.
Any cockroach living near a person has a whole set of features characteristic of any of the species:
- The cockroach goes through three stages of development; a larva emerges from the egg and turns into adult insect- imago;
- Externally, the imago and larvae are similar;
- Female cockroaches have edema to brood eggs;
- The cockroach's mustache helps it not to get lost in space;
- The insect is capable of chewing and digesting any food;
- For a long time you can simply not notice them, thanks to high speed movement, the ability to hide in cracks and crevices and high activity mainly at night.
How to recognize a cockroach
There are a great variety of insects in nature, and a person encountering a cockroach for the first time may not recognize the enemy by sight. How do you know that it is a cockroach? So, character traits insect:
- The length of the oblong or oval body is 4mm -10 cm;
- The head is not round, but flat, in the shape of a heart or triangle;
- The mouthparts of the gnawing type are covered with a shield.
The photo shows the types of cockroaches that may end up in an apartment.
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 room, there is a high probability that their numbers will soon increase significantly. Often pests are found in clean rooms, do not forget that cockroaches are omnivores and can even eat paper.
How to find out that there are cockroaches in the house
It may not be possible to detect pests immediately if there are still a few of them. The neighborhood will become noticeable when they begin to manage your kitchen as if they were at home. There are signs by which you can determine the presence of cockroaches in a room:
- Black dots are visible on the tiles, in the corners of the walls, on the furniture - these are insect feces;
- Look in cracks, tiny crevices and all corners for cockroach eggs;
- Cockroaches are sometimes accompanied by a specific smell.
Find out which cockroach has settled in your apartment
Cockroaches are the most common synatropic insects. But among several thousand species, not all live at home. The most common cockroach in our homes is the red cockroach, less often the black and American cockroaches. In the south and in the tropics, other species wander into houses, but they cannot be called synatropic; rather, they are random guests. Since the domestic cockroach looks different, depending on the variety, here is short description and photos of each of the common types.
Types of cockroaches in the apartment (photo)
Prusak - red cockroach
We looked at the common types of cockroaches living in apartments, but it is possible that you may come across a specimen that is not on this list.
Watch a video about the Madagascar hissing cockroach
There are more than 4 thousand species of cockroaches in nature, but only a few have adapted to live near humans. In ancient times, insects were considered a symbol of wealth and meant an improvement in material condition, but today they are a sign of unsanitary conditions. Indeed, in addition to the fact that pests cause a lot of trouble with their presence, they also... You will learn which types of cockroaches are the most common in this article.
Red cockroach
This is one of the most common inhabitants of human habitation, which was brought to Europe and North America from South Asia. That is why the heat-loving pest prefers to live in residential areas.
The people gave this species of insects another name - Prussians. Adults grow up to 1-1.5 cm. They have developed wings, which allows them to glide when jumping. However, not for long.
On a note!
A distinctive feature of the female is a wide body with a rounded abdomen, which is covered with wings. Active males have a much narrower and slimmer body.
On a note!
The presence of black pests in the house indicates bad smell, which is caused by pheromones. Insects use them to attract their fellows.
This representative of the cockroach family lives in natural conditions. However, it easily adapts to life next to a person by changing its diet. Moreover, sweets are the pest’s favorite treat.
On a note!
In the territory Russian Federation The American cockroach is much less common than its red and black counterparts.
This is perhaps the largest variant of insects living near humans. Such cockroaches can be up to 10 cm. Many people keep them in the house instead of pets. Insects are also bred as food for reptiles, since they reproduce quickly enough and do not require special conditions care They are kept in a terrarium, so these cockroaches do not have nests. Wood sawdust and leftover food is all that is needed to breed insects.
On a note!
Despite their impressive size, insects are distinguished by a very peaceful character and even increased timidity. During the day, they prefer to hide in plant litter, coming out only in the dark. Giants react to emerging danger with a strong hiss. This sound is produced by the insect with spiracles located throughout the body.
Interesting!
- another type of viviparous insect. Small larvae emerge from the eggs directly in the female’s abdomen, after which they crawl out along with fragments of the ootheca. At one time, the female is able to “give birth” to 25 larvae.
Egyptian
This synanthropic insect causes no less harm to humans and animals with its presence. The Egyptian cockroach contaminates food and feed with waste products. In addition, insects carry various pathogenic bacteria and viruses.
Insects eat:
- organic residues;
- dry leaves;
- fecal matter.
Cockroaches can inhabit residential and livestock buildings, as well as rodent burrows.
This type of insect has a flat, oval-shaped body, the length of which does not exceed 2.5 cm. Males have dense, well-developed wings. Body color is dark or reddish-brown. Wingless black-brown females are very similar to small turtles. Their body length reaches up to 4-4.5 cm. A photo of cockroaches of this species is presented below.
Eggs white and up to 0.5 mm in size, the females of this insect species after fertilization are deposited in a special capsule - the ootheca. In total, there can be up to 18 of them in one capsule.
Small cockroaches that appear over time are distinguished from adult individuals only by their small size (up to 0.7 mm) and the absence of wings. The young insects become sexually mature after 4 molts.
Many people would be curious to know the types of cockroaches that operate in their kitchens. They study their habits and reproductive characteristics. And there is only one reason for such curiosity: the desire to find out everything about pests in order to find the most effective way getting rid of them.
But there are enthusiasts who specifically breed cockroaches in their homes. Some people are seriously into it, others feed these insects to their pets, and a third considers the cockroaches themselves to be their favorite pets.
In the huge diversity of the Cockroach Suborder, every terrariumist can find a species of individuals to his liking. Indeed, today scientists already know more than 4.5 thousand species of cockroaches. And this is not the limit, as entomologists continue to discover new species.
Cockroaches on the territory of the former USSR
In Russia and neighboring countries there are a little more than fifty species of cockroaches. In his home, a person is most likely to see only some representatives of this group of insects. Surely, someone will recognize the inhabitants of their own homes in the photos below.
Red cockroach, or Blattella germanica:
One angrily calls him a Prusak, and the other quite peacefully calls him “Stasik”. This look has taken root in apartments thoroughly. The apartments provide simply ideal conditions for his prosperity. Warm all year round, and there is always something to profit from. This is what attracts them.
They came up with an affectionate nickname for him - “car guy”. The creature looks original. A light stripe goes around the entire black body of the cockroach, short light elytra, and males also have bright yellow spots on the pronotum. The insect is very reminiscent of a tiny car with burning headlights.
Therea Bernhardti, or Chess cockroach:
This handsome guy is considered the cutest of the cockroach army. The contrasting black and white coloring is somewhat reminiscent of the appearance of a predatory ground beetle, shooting liquid with liquid at its offenders. pungent odor. This similarity serves as a kind of protection for the cockroach. In its homeland, India, it has enemies, so during the day the insect hides under stones and tree roots, and at night it searches for food.
And another cockroach, Blaberus craniifer, has a rather strange appearance and has an intriguing name - “Death's Head”:
The image on the pronotum of the insect is somewhat reminiscent of a mask worn on Halloween.
Cockroaches are record holders
Cockroaches have their own record holders. The largest is the Madagascar hissing cockroach, or Gromphadorrhina portentosa. This type of cockroach is rightly called giant, as the photograph clearly demonstrates:
Yellow-brown individuals, capable of growing up to 10 cm, amaze not only with their impressive size, but also with their unexpected habits. Cockroaches of this species are capable of emitting a threatening hiss. In fact, there is nothing unusual about this sound. This is a kind of powerful exhalation.
At the moment of danger, the insect's abdomen contracts, sharply squeezing air through the breathing holes. Such expressions of masculinity are effective against potential enemies, as well as less fortunate rivals in mating games. Defending the right to a female and territory, cockroaches stage real fights, as a result of which someone may well end up without a paw or without an antennae.
The heaviest type of cockroaches is shown in the photo below:
This is the Australian burrowing rhinoceros cockroach, Macropanesthia rhinoceros. In size it may be inferior to its African relative, but in mass it has no equal. Some specimens weighed 37 grams. This value is comparable to the weight of an average sparrow. The insect, as the name suggests, is capable of digging tunnels up to a meter long in the ground. This species cockroaches hold another record. Rhinoceroses are the longest-lived insects, living up to 10 years.
Individuals of this species can rightfully be called the only flying cockroaches. When the insect unfolds its wings, it becomes truly huge, reaching 20 cm in width.
Evolution of the cockroach
It has been written and said hundreds of times that the ancestors of the Cockroach order are older than dinosaurs. Appearance modern cockroaches has undergone minor changes since the Carboniferous period, the way of life also remained the same.
Evolution has touched reproductive system insects In the distant past, cockroaches had an ovipositor, which made it possible to lay eggs inside the substrate and leave them there almost to their fate. This entailed the death of most of the offspring.
Later, edema appeared, a protective capsule for the eggs. And some species of cockroaches that exist in the third millennium carry the ootheca with them, parting with it immediately before the larvae emerge, and some even experience viviparity. Caring for the younger generation has allowed cockroaches to more effectively preserve their species.
From time to time, new species of cockroaches are discovered that have not previously come to the attention of entomologists. Insects evolve and adapt to new conditions environment, to poisons. Who knows,
There are a huge number of representatives of arthropods in nature, but a select few live together with humans, capable of adapting to life in a confined space and eating food waste rather than larvae. Not everyone knows what types of cockroaches live in residential and warehouses, what is the distinctive feature.
Did you know that the sewer cockroach is similar to a beetle? The dark color and shell practically do not distinguish insects from each other.
Dark brown, light and black cockroaches are just some of the varieties that live in the same area as humans.
Below is a short overview: what a person should know about insects and distinguish one variety from another.
Often, red cockroaches live together with people. The high survival rate and adaptability of the arthropod allows it to settle next to humans and feed on the same food.
Red long-horned beetles live:
- At catering establishments;
- In apartments;
- Private houses;
- In medical institutions.
The Prusak differs from its relatives in its elongated body and unique color - from red to brown.
Insects do not disdain food left by humans after eating. Move in kitchen cabinets, prefer to live behind heating radiators and bread containers.
- Basement;
- Garbage chute;
- Sewer hatches.
Scientists were unable to explain the fact that arthropods do not live in apartments located above the 5th floor. The residents below are under massive attack.
Insects, in summer period They move freely along the street, but prefer to spend the winter next to humans.
Pests are not averse to feasting on human food. They need constant access to water. In the absence of food residues, food waste, or crumbs on the floor, the insect will not disdain and fill its belly from a garbage can.
The size of individuals depends on living conditions. If water and food are in abundance, the body length of an adult reaches 3 cm.
The color of barbels is not always black. Crawlers are dark red, brown, dark gray.
Sometimes it is impossible to determine the true species of cockroaches in an apartment. , but different in size.
Red females are superior to black females. Red ones reproduce faster and produce more offspring than dark ones.
A characteristic difference between black sliders and their relatives is the specific odor they emit, similar to mold.
The massive settlement and lightning-fast reproduction of black sliders indicates unsanitary conditions in the room.
Untimely disposal of garbage waste, crumbs on the table, unwashed dishes are a favorable environment for the development of pests. Individuals live where there is a lot of food, hence the name - kitchen.
Where to look for pests? While processing, look at:
- Bin;
- Kitchen Cabinet;
- Oven;
- Fridge;
- Under the table and baseboard in the kitchen.
Domestic black cockroaches can infect the inhabitants of the house with dangerous pathologies. Crawling through the trash can, moving through the bowls of four-legged pets and tasting food from the table, which subsequently enters the human digestive tract, the sewer reptile provokes the development of dysentery and helminthiasis.
Pests carry pathogenic bacteria and eggs by microorganisms on their paws. If you are not on time measures taken, a person automatically becomes a carrier of E. coli.
In warm regions, the black longhorned beetle is not domestic. Individuals grow and reproduce on outdoors, settling under stones and in wall cracks.
White Prussians
Among domestic cockroaches, there are also those that differ from their relatives in color and lack of chitinous cover. These are white cockroaches.
Opinion about mutation or appearance in the apartment special type pests are a myth. In fact, this is not a separate species, but ordinary Prussians experiencing a molting period.
Change of chitinous cover in arthropods during life cycle happens several times.
A characteristic feature is a transparent body and the absence of a shell.
Molting lasts several weeks. During this time, the larvae will change their status as a larva to a sexually mature individual, ready for fertilization.
The whitish color may be a consequence of exposure to insecticides that did not destroy the individual, but changed the genetic program. This is an example of pests getting used to a certain chemical.
An individual with two tails
Large cockroaches with two tails are settlers in private homes. Another name is two-tails. They crawl out of genital crevices in the spring, when the level of humidity in the underground increases.
A distinctive feature is the antennae bent inward and the forked tail. Color - from light to dark brown.
Two-tailed insects bite people, crawl into beds, shoes, and clothes. Crazy individuals crawl into the ear and nose of the sleeping person.
Having escaped from the underground to freedom, the tailed creatures settle in floor rags and wet linen. Residents of the private sector often bring tailed animals from the street, with clean laundry removed from the dryer.
They get rid of bivostok by sealing the genital cracks and drying the underground. In the summer, vents are opened in the house.
American arthropod
These are not all types of cockroaches in the apartment. The American pest arrived with food transported by water.
American arthropods are very mobile. When they see a sleeping victim, they become aggressive and attack.
They have a detrimental effect on American arthropods low temperatures. At 0 C, individuals die.
Furniture pest
Unlike its relatives, the furniture cockroach does not feed on food waste and food.
Furniture pests are characterized by:
- Bright red color;
- Transparent wings with brown stripes;
- Heightened olfactory receptors.
The main diet of individuals is starch, contained in wallpaper glue and the binding of Soviet books.
The usual habitat is archives, bedrooms, libraries, card files.
Central Asian arthropod
There are Central Asian individuals in Russia that live together with humans. If white cockroaches have a transparent body, then Central Asian cockroaches have a dark belly. The head of the Prussian is yellowish.
Lives in regions with warm climates. Exotics are destroyed with conventional insecticides.
It doesn’t matter whether sewer cockroaches live in the apartment or kitchen ones, you need to get rid of the pests immediately.
Stock up on a variety of insecticidal preparations and repellents.
The more measures are taken, the hurry up apartment will be freed from unexpected settlers.
Important rule! Before disinfestation, the apartment is cleaned, food and household waste is disposed of, and the house is cleared of trash deposits.
After a large-scale spring cleaning apply insecticide. Only with complex measures will bullying be effective.
One moment! ? Block access to the home.
Seal the cracks in the floor, seal entrance doors, change the grille to vent to fine mesh.
Proper preparation for pest control is a guarantee of successful bullying without the risk of relapse.
