American cockroach - cosmopolitan insect world

An American cockroach is a native of tropical Africa (for this it is sometimes called an African cockroach). During the heyday of maritime trade, he was brought to the American continent, where he settled down for permanent residence. Similarly, insects spread throughout European countries, thereby showing excellent adaptability to changing living conditions.

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Insects of this species have all the hallmarks of a kind. The external and internal structure of the body of all cockroaches is approximately the same. They are similar in physiology and developmental biology. However, American cockroaches have their own distinctive features, which made it possible to distinguish them in a separate form.

Body structure and appearance

In appearance, these are rather large insects, growing up to 4-5 cm. The body of an adult is an adult, reddish, dark brown or light red, elongated in length and slightly flattened in the horizontal plane. Larvae or nymphs do not have an aircraft and are smaller. Abdominal segmentation is more noticeable in them, as in adults it is almost completely covered by wings.

Like all cockroaches, insects of this species have the following characteristic features of the structure:

1. A gnawing mouth apparatus equipped with hard chitinous teeth. With their jaws, insects are able to gnaw a hole in denim, in the absence of other, more attractive food.
2. The wings are mesh, large and well developed. In males, they even protrude 5-9 mm beyond the edge of the abdomen. With the help of such an aircraft, an American cockroach is able to stay in the air for some time, actively waving them when jumping from a hill.
3. Males and females have jointed processes at the end of the body, which are called cerci. The males are also equipped with a genital plate, which looks very similar to cerci, but having smaller sizes.
4. The long antennae consist of segments and play the role of a tactile organ, sensitive not only to the nature of the surface, but also to the slightest fluctuations in air, sound waves.
5. The eyes are large, faceted, located on the sides of the triangular head. The visual overview of these insects is impressive. They can see in all directions at once.

If you compare these insects with the Prusaks, which have a height of 1.5 mm, the species differences here are especially noticeable. The same red body color, long mustache, equipped with spikes, jointed legs, developed wings. There is only one distinguishing feature - the pattern on the upper back, the Prusaks have two dark longitudinal stripes. A native of America wears two brown spots on his body, often merging with each other and circled around the edge with a light border.

Interesting fact! An American cockroach is considered the champion among its relatives for overcoming long distances in a short time. In a second, he is able to run a distance of 75 cm!

Breeding

Insects are able to reproduce year round in the presence of food and optimal living conditions.Mating is accompanied by a whole ritual of courtship. A sexually mature female lifts its wings and releases pheromone attracting males. The boyfriend, who appeared nearby, immediately runs to the call and begins a marriage dance, circling around his lady's heart and fluttering with wings. Fertilization occurs when insects come in contact with the backs.

A week after copulation, the female lays her eggs in the ooteca formed from a specially secreted sticky secret sac. Outwardly, it resembles a tan leather wallet with a zipper instead of a lock. In one such capsule can be from 11 to 18 small cockroaches. In total, the female lays about 90 ootec during her life.

The female carries the capsule with eggs for about a day, then, under natural conditions, bury it in a loose substrate, fixing it at the bottom of the pit with a secret. In the conditions of the apartment, she simply leaves the ooteca in a secluded dark place.

Development

Small cockroaches are born in 3-5 weeks. In the process of their growth, they lose their skin 9 times, each time becoming more and more.

The developmental period of the nymph is 4-5 months, sometimes longer, depending on environmental conditions. The more favorable they are, the faster the larva will turn into an adult. Under adverse conditions, it will linger in the nymph stage for an indefinite time.

After the final molt, the insect gains wings and becomes capable of procreation. The entire life cycle takes from one year and a half years. The life expectancy of females is slightly larger than that of males.

Interesting fact! The American cockroach is adapted to the asexual type of reproduction - parthenogenesis. In the absence of a male, in the body, the females begin to mature eggs that can develop without fertilization. A similar feature played a large role in the distribution of insects of this species, because in order to establish a colony, only one female was enough.

Distribution area

American cockroach is widespread in its homeland - Africa and in the countries of North and South America. Recently, it has been increasingly seen in Europe, but in Russia it has been squeezed by a Prusak, more adapted to life in urban conditions. In this regard, the large size and the large number of offspring played a bad joke with the American immigrant.

In order to feed numerous gluttonous offspring, more reserves are required than are stored in an ordinary typical apartment, and the harsh climate of the middle latitudes does not allow settling in garbage bins, always full of food. And it’s much more difficult for a big American to hide than a midget Prusak.

As a rule, insects of this species inhabit large heated industrial buildings with a branched ventilation system, collectors, food plants. In their own homeland, they settle not far from the human home, feeding on the remnants of civilization waste.

Life features

American cockroaches settle in large colonies. The number of insects often exceeds tens of thousands. Therefore, it becomes obvious that they choose large buildings for living, where a temperature favorable for their development is maintained at 20-32 ⁰C and high humidity.

Availability of food is the second condition for the prosperity of the colony. As it is suitable for a wide variety of products:

• meat
• a fish
• cereals
• plants
• compound feed.

In the absence of this food, cockroaches will eat everything that contains organic matter of animal or vegetable origin:

• the skin
• soap
• tissue
• paper
• indoor flowers.

We can say that the American cockroach, like most insects of its genus, is omnivorous. For him, everything from which you can bite off a piece, food. He is much more afraid of lack of moisture. Without water, a cockroach will not last a week. Therefore, in the fight against them, the cold blockade technique is often used, isolating them from a source of life-giving moisture.

Breeding

American cockroaches are often bred by insect lovers. This is a pretty curious pet to watch.Interestingly, females look after their offspring some time after the larvae exit the egg, although this is a rather uncharacteristic behavior for cockroaches. The ritual of courtship of the male for the female also looks beautiful. And the spectacular appearance of the American himself advocates raising him to the category of pets.

Often cockroaches of this species are grown for food for amphibians and lizards. Fast-growing and prolific insects are able to fully provide the inhabitants of terrariums with high-quality protein foods.

And yet, despite all its positive qualities, one feature makes a native of America not very suitable for the role of a pet - this is the ability to emit pheromones. In nature, insects repel enemies or attract sexual partners. In urban environments, for people susceptible to allergies, this trait can cause a serious exacerbation of the disease.

The rest are pretty cute insects, ordinary inhabitants of the cages of avid cockroach lovers. If you consider yourself one of those, you will probably be interested in reading about others. types of cockroaches. The reaction of ordinary people to uninvited aliens is different. For example, like this girl in the video: