LEAF-go-VSO
Cockroach
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Cockroach |
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The cockroach is considered one of the most obnoxious of household pests. (I think we would agree with that!) This brown or black insect can be found in houses, apartment and office buildings, ships, trains, and airplanes in many parts of the world. Domestic cockroaches, which are also called roaches, have a disagreeable odor. They live in warm, dark areas (but not necessarily dirty, we hasten to add). Their broad, flat bodies permit them to crawl in narrow cracks and along pipes. They hide in the daytime, coming out at night to feed. The diet of the cockroach, which includes both plant and animal products, ranges from food, paper, clothing, and books to dead insects. Although cockroaches can be difficult to eliminate entirely, a variety of common poisons and traps are effective in controlling their numbers. Cockroaches are believed to be able to transmit several different human diseases. Cockroaches are among the oldest living insects. Fossil cockroaches that resemble today's species are commonly found in Coal Age deposits from more than 320 million years ago. About 3,500 species have been identified. Although the most notable varieties are those that infest households in the temperate regions, most species are tropical. Some reach lengths of several inches, and many are colourful. Several species of woodland cockroaches are found in temperate regions. These live amid decaying wood and other vegetation and do not enter houses. The cockroach has long, powerful legs and can run very fast (especially when pursued by Alastair with his dustpan and brush). Long antennae on the head are used for feeling in dark places (and are sometimes the only giveaway when they are hiding from us in small cracks!). Most species have two pairs of wings that are larger in the males. The female cockroach carries her eggs in a leathery capsule called an ootheca that protrudes from the rear of the abdomen. Females of some common species lay 16 to 45 eggs at a time. The eggs take from 4 to 12 weeks to hatch. After the female deposits an egg case, soft, white young called nymphs emerge. After exposure to air, the nymphs harden and turn brown. Cockroaches belong to the order Orthoptera and to the family Blattidae. They are closely related to the grasshoppers, katydids, and crickets. So, our creatures are past of one big, happy family, including ours!
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