What types of cockroaches are there?

As a rule, a cockroach is an unwanted guest. He brings a lot of problems with himself, as he is a peddler of infections, and getting rid of numerous colonies is quite problematic. But if you know what types of cockroaches exist, then you will sooner find the most suitable means to combat the individuals who work in your kitchen. And, perhaps, you want to have an exotic pet from the same insect squad, which can become a winner on cockroach races, serve as food for your pet or will play the role of a favorite of the whole family.

Why do these insects live in apartments and houses? The answer is very simple - because in the conditions of the Russian winter in the open air they are simply not able to survive, and it is quite difficult to find a source of food in cold weather. That is why they rush to warm buildings, where food is abundant and the most comfortable conditions for their living are created.

The main signs of apartment cockroaches

All representatives of cockroaches living in premises have a number of characteristic features:

• their life consists of three stages of development: egg, larva, imago;
• the female carries the eggs in a special capsule - the ooteca;
  
• larvae and adults are very similar in appearance;
• oriented home cockroach with a tactile antennae;
• the insect is omnivorous and has a gnawing mouth apparatus that can grind any food.

In addition, absolutely everything home cockroaches able to go unnoticed for a long time, and often the owners are already faced with entire colonies of these parasites. And this happens because they have a flat body shape, which allows them to hide in narrow crevices. Another characteristic feature is the high speed with which these parasites are able to move on any surface. And the last - cockroaches are mostly nocturnal, so humans and insects are quite rare.

Types of Domestic Cockroaches

Despite the variety of cockroaches, in the apartment you can meet only a few representatives of this squad. Let's get to know them better, and, most likely, among the individuals described, you will learn exactly the one that is firmly established in your home.

Red cockroach

The most common inhabitants of residential buildings are red cockroaches or common people - the Prussians. It is very difficult to get rid of them, and you can meet these parasites in any living room:

• in country dachas and street buildings;
• in catering establishments and hospitals;
• in high-rise buildings and the private sector.

Representatives of this species eat both fresh and spoiled foods. Penetrate into kitchen furniture, a refrigerator, bread bins, and sometimes they can be found even in closed containers with food. These individuals reproduce very quickly and intensively, so the fight against them is very tiring and long-lasting.

Interesting fact! Red cockroaches very quickly adapt to various conditions. They live in large colonies, in which they independently regulate their numbers.

A favorable climate and a constant source of food attracts them into living quarters. But even if you remove all the products from the table and place them in a place inaccessible to parasites, you will still not be able to get rid of them in this way. The rams crawl behind the stove and find there once sprinkled sugar or a small handful of cereal, which will last them for a long time. In addition, they can eat ornamental plants located on your windowsill, and in severe hunger they will not even disdain soap over the sink. But the main condition for their existence is the presence of water. And if your plumbing is faulty, then the cockroaches will definitely not leave your home until you take serious steps to destroy them.

Black beetle

Another bright representative of the cockroach squad living in the human home is black beetle. It comes to apartments from garbage cans, cellars and sewage and is a real disaster for man.

Interesting fact! The black cockroach does not rise above the fifth floor, therefore, residents of the first floors suffer mainly from it.

They eat almost any kind of food, and in the absence of fresh food they will crawl into the bin and get enough of leftovers. Depending on the habitat, adults can reach three centimeters. The color of their chitinous cover is not limited only to black and may be dark gray, brown or dark red.

Black and red cockroaches are very similar in lifestyle, but they differ in their external characteristics and breeding rate, which is much higher in the latter. In addition, black cockroaches exude a characteristic unpleasant odor by which they can be calculated.
You can find them where there is any food nearby:

• in the trash can;
• behind the stove;
• under the refrigerator;
• under the kitchen;
• in the pantry.

Important! The presence of black cockroaches suggests that the room is in very poor sanitary conditions.

The main danger from individuals of this species lies in their lifestyle. Moving through dirty sewers and garbage containers, they on their feet pull a huge amount of pathogenic bacteria and infections into your house. The situation may be as follows: a cockroach had breakfast in a bin, then moved to a dog bowl, and after a few minutes he walks around your dining table, choosing which of the festive dishes to try. And everyone understands that the main thing here is not how much he will eat, but how much contagion he will leave on plates and products.

Attention! Scientists have proven that black cockroaches are among the most active distributors of hundreds of harmful microorganisms and can carry diseases such as E. coli, ulcers and cholera.

But they become domestic insects only in our regions. In countries with a warm climate, these parasites settle in the open air, climbing under stones and in the cracks of houses, and are street cockroaches.

White cockroaches

Many people think that white cockroaches - These are representatives of a separate group, but this is not so. Insects acquire a light shade and an almost transparent body structure after molting.

During this period, they are quite difficult to notice in open areas, as they always hide in secluded places. After some time, the parasites darken and acquire a characteristic color for the species.

Interesting fact! There is a theory that the color of the shell becomes white when the insect lives in constant darkness. But this is not true, since albino cockroaches do not exist in nature.

Sometimes pests can acquire a white color due to the action of reagents that a person uses to destroy them. And if the insect manages to stay alive, it can lose its original color.

American cockroach

His homeland is Africa, from which he came to America and the countries of Europe along with food products transported by sea. Insects climbed into boxes of goods and quickly spread around the world.

Despite the fact that in Africa they lived in the wild and settled in hot tropical forests, in other countries they quickly got accustomed and accustomed to a human dwelling with endless supplies of food and an acceptable climate.

The American cockroach was able to adapt even in our climatic zones and the apartments of Russian residents became quite acceptable for it.

Interesting fact! This type of insect is distinguished by great mobility and, to some extent, aggressiveness, from which domestic animals and sleeping people can suffer.

But american cockroach absolutely does not tolerate low temperatures and dies already at 0 ° C.

Turkmen and egyptian cockroach

These are more rare representatives of the cockroach squad, which are found mainly in the countries of Central Asia and the southern regions of Russia. They can live both in a person’s dwelling and in buildings intended for keeping livestock.

Furniture cockroach

The first furniture cockroaches were discovered about 50 years ago in the central regions of Russia. This species is characterized by a bright red color of the chitinous cover, has transparent wings with brown stripes.

Most of all individuals of this species are attracted to food containing starch. They are rich in wallpaper glue and the roots of old books. Therefore, most often the nests of these insects are found in libraries, bedrooms, archives and other places where they can find a source of saturation.

Central Asian cockroach

What other cockroaches can be found in living quarters? The last parasitic species can be attributed to the Central Asian cockroach, found in the southern regions of Russia. Its external features are a very dark, almost black abdomen and a yellow head.

Representatives of exotic fauna

But not all varieties of cockroaches are pests. Representatives of some species are very popular with originals who prefer to have an unusual exotic pet in their home. Today you will not surprise anyone with an iguana in an aquarium or a dangerous tarantula in a children's room. So the turn came to individuals of the cockroach squad.

We offer to consider the types of popular exotic cockroaches and their photos.

• A cockroach looks more than original. Its characteristic features are short elytra of a light shade and a light stripe along the perimeter of the body, and males are also distinguished by bright spots on the pronotum.
• A chess cockroach is the cutest, so to speak, representative of his squad. It has a bright black and white color, which resembles the color of a predatory ground beetle, which helps it not to become the prey of some predators. Like representatives of other species, a chess cockroach prefers to hide during the day and go out in search of provisions at night.
• The next look got the catchy name “Dead Head”, as it has a pattern on the back that resembles a scary mask.
• Madagascar hissing cockroach is the largest representative of its squad. Adults can reach 10 cm in length and amaze with their behavior - they hiss. It may seem that in this way they try to scare you, but this is not entirely true. Undoubtedly, they use this sound to scare away enemies, but often hissing is just a sharp exhalation. Read more about this view in the article: Madagascar cockroaches.
• The rhinoceros cockroach is distinguished by its impressive weight - some individuals can reach a mass of 37 g. Almost like an ordinary sparrow. These insects are long-livers - they are able to live for about 10 years.
• Megaloblatta longipennis is a cockroach native to Latin America that can fly. Its wingspan is 20 cm, and when it turns them around, it becomes really huge.

And this is not all representatives of the cockroach squad. After all, every year there are new individuals that have not been previously studied. Insects adapt to poisons, get used to new environmental conditions and again settle in our homes.Some as exotic pets, others as pests.