Interesting features of cockroaches - 12 facts

Cockroaches die on their backs

Since cockroaches are insects adapted to rough terrain, when they find themselves in rough areas, they are more likely to roll over on their backs. If there is no small debris nearby for them to grab onto with their feet, they are unlikely to be able to return to their original position. Pesticide disposal products contain substances that cause muscle paralysis in cockroaches. Due to uncontrollable spasms, cockroaches turn over and die on their backs.

Why don't we love them?

No one can force us to love them and consider them quite cute creatures. And yet it is worth understanding such an interesting question as the truth and myths about cockroaches.

Most people only know the indoor varieties of these insects, which can appear from anywhere - from the kitchen sink, from cracks, on the floor and in the cupboard. It is this circumstance that causes absolute disgust towards uninvited guests. Man fights them with all known means and suffers defeat after defeat. This is truly an enemy of the human race.

But this attitude is formed purely on an emotional level. What kind of creature is this really?

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Cockroaches without a head

Without the head, the body's systems continue to function. Based on this, we can conclude that cockroaches can live without a head for a sufficient amount of time. But although a cockroach can live without a head, without it it cannot drink or eat, so it still dies within 9 days. A cockroach's organs work even without a head. Therefore, we can say that the head is an accessory for the cockroach and a way of eating. Therefore, at this time, the quality of life of a cockroach without this part of the body will not change.

Interesting facts about cockroaches

Cockroaches are generally considered to be one of the most disgusting pests you can find in your home. They are capable of spreading diseases through feces and multiplying rapidly. Here are some more interesting facts about cockroaches that few people know:

1. They appeared on Earth for hundreds of millions of years and may even predate the birth of dinosaurs.
2. Cockroaches continue to be one of the most numerous creatures on the planet. There are over 4,600 different species worldwide, but only 30 of them are considered pests.

   Photo: www.cockroachfacts.com

3. Cockroaches are adaptable, able to find food and a way to survive even in the harshest conditions. These hardy insects have survived global catastrophes and managed to settle on almost all continents.
4. Each species of cockroach has its own life expectancy, but on average cockroaches live for about a year. Factors such as food availability, habitat and climate affect their lifespan. American cockroaches can live for about a year, while German cockroaches are estimated to live for about 100 days.
5. On average, cockroaches can live without food for a month, but without water - only a week. Cockroaches can feed on a variety of substances, so starving cockroaches is not effective as a means of pest control.
6. Cockroaches can accelerate to 5 km/h, which is very fast for a small insect. If they were the size of a person, they could run at speeds of over 160 km/h; and if a horse could run as fast as a cockroach, it would cover approximately 135 meters per second!
7. Cockroaches prefer darkness for searching for food and mating. That's why you usually see them when you turn on the lights at night.
8. Cockroaches reproduce quickly. Some females mate only once but then spend the rest of their lives pregnant. Cockroach eggs are small and vary in color, but most species hide their eggs very well.
9. The cockroach is omnivorous, but prefers sweets, meat products and starch. However, you may also see them eating leather or books on shelves. If their food supply is limited, they may bite people. The American cockroach, oddly enough, shows a noticeable attraction to alcoholic beverages, especially beer. He is probably attracted to hops and sugar, which are the main ingredients in beer.

   Photo: www.impactpest.com

10. Their bodies are designed to squeeze into tiny cracks and cracks. Even the smallest hole can allow cockroaches to enter your home.
11. Cases have been recorded of headless cockroaches living for a week! Due to their open circulatory system and the fact that they breathe through small openings in each of their body segments, their breathing does not depend on the mouth or head. The headless cockroach dies from dehydration because without a mouth it cannot drink water.
12. Cockroaches love to be in warm places, which is why your home or heated building is so attractive to them. At the same time, they hide closer to food and water.
13. All cockroaches go through three stages of development: egg, nymph and adult. The eggs are in shells called ootheca, which reliably protect the cockroach offspring from the environment. After hatching, cockroaches become nymphs and go through several stages of molting until they become adults. Some species even develop wings.
14. The cockroach's mouth is one of the most primitive in the animal kingdom. It consists of four parts:

• The upper lip is the outer part of the mouth that squeezes food and directs it to the part that does all the real hard work.
• Mandibles are real jaws. They chew and grind food for digestion.
• The maxillae are a secondary part of the jaws. They are usually covered with fine teeth and are also used for chopping and chewing food, but can also act as small handles to hold and move food.
• The hypopharynx is the tongue that guides food into the esophagus.

  Photo: REDMOND DURRELL/ALAMY STOCK PHOTO

1. The rhinoceros cockroach is the largest species, capable of growing up to 8 cm in length. They are found only in North Queensland, Australia. The heaviest recorded specimen weighed 33 grams.
2. Madagascar hissing cockroaches are popular pets. They release air from their spiracles, making a hissing sound.
3. The Chinese eat fried and candied cockroaches, believing that they provide significant health benefits.
4. A cockroach can live underwater for up to half an hour. Their ability to hold their breath helps regulate water loss. Cockroaches can hold their breath for up to seven minutes. Their respiratory system is very efficient, but they do not have lungs. Instead, insects draw in air through external valves called spiracles and transport air directly to their cells through tubes called tracheae. To stop breathing underwater, they simply close their spiracles.
5. The German cockroach is the most common of all the species, and this type has been implicated in outbreaks of many diseases and allergic reactions in many people. Newborn German cockroaches become adults in just 36 days.
6. Some types of cockroaches are specially raised for pharmaceutical purposes, for pet food, and for cleaning organic waste.

Cockroaches and allergies

Allergy to cockroaches is a common type of allergy. Its causes are associated with contact between insects and humans. Cockroaches live almost everywhere, so allergies can occur both to ordinary cockroaches and to cockroaches that are not common in our region. But they can be used as animal feed or kept as pets.

From the bites of exotic cockroaches (Madagascar t., Marbled t.), urticaria is possible, which manifests itself in the form of a rash of blisters. The lesions become red and itchy. If waste products of cockroaches enter the body through the upper respiratory tract, runny nose, sneezing, and eye inflammation are observed. In rare cases, there is a possibility of asthma.

In children suffering from an allergy to cockroaches, the symptoms are similar to those of acute respiratory viral infection, so it is difficult to determine it immediately. If the food contains waste products of the German, the body responds with the following reactions: pain in the stomach, itching, burning lips, nausea.

If the above allergy symptoms appear, you should immediately consult a doctor, as an allergic reaction can develop into Quincke's edema. In case of swelling, it is necessary to call an ambulance, calm the patient, restore breathing, and apply ice. If you are allergic to a cockroach repellent, you need to ventilate the room, completely get rid of the smell and do a damp cleaning.

There is also an allergy to cockroach poison. When poisons get on the mucous membranes, the human body can respond in various ways, from irritation to severe burns. It all depends on the concentration of the poison and the form of poisoning. Typically the symptoms are: dizziness, nausea, vomiting, weakness.

If it enters the body, you must immediately rinse the stomach, induce vomiting, drink sorbents, and then drink plenty of liquid. Be sure to consult a doctor.

Big and small

Such a difference in habitats and living conditions, of course, implies a diversity of species, shapes and sizes of these insects.

If we talk about contrasts, the Texas ant-eater (Attaphila fungicola) is considered the smallest. This tiny, just a few millimeters, blind and wingless cockroach lives in North America in the nests of leaf-cutter ants. On the body of its owners it can be transferred to another place of residence.

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In contrast to this baby, the giant cockroach Megaloblatta blaberoides boasts a colossal wingspan of more than 18 cm. But this is not yet the largest specimen. There is a giant burrowing cockroach native to Queensland, Australia. This wingless creature is about 8 cm long and weighs more than 30 grams. Imagine an insect that can easily take up most of your palm - if, of course, you dare to do such a feat! But this huge rhinoceros is absolutely harmless; it feeds only on bark and fallen leaves.

Lifespan, eggs and how they reproduce

Development of a cockroach from egg to adult
Where there is food and water, there will always be cockroaches. They don't need much to survive and reproduce. Cockroaches reproduce sexually and quickly. Starting with mating games, cockroaches mate.

The female lays cockroach eggs in special bags. Different types of cockroaches deal with eggs in different ways: some carry them with them, others hide them in secluded places. The embryos hatch after 2 weeks and the larvae develop. They molt several times. And then different individuals develop.

The lifespan of domestic cockroaches depends on the availability of water and food near them. In apartments, cockroaches live longer and breed more often.

The lifespan of cockroaches ranges from four months to four years.

So what about a nuclear explosion?

Radiation and cockroaches - this question interests many. Is it true that we will all die, and these godless creatures will live even after the apocalypse? Scientists believe that this theory is more like a myth. Although, with such vitality and resourcefulness, it would not be surprising that cockroaches would remain on the planet even after a nuclear explosion. However, judging by the results of the study, their talents will still not be enough for such a feat.

For a person, a radiation dose of 10 Gray/sec will be lethal. (10 Gy./sec.=1000 Rad./sec.). For a cockroach, the critical dose will be only 5 times the indicated dose. It may seem counterintuitive, but cockroaches are at the lower end of radiation resistance for insects. Other species can withstand doses of radiation ten times more intense, or even more. It turns out that the most important myth about the vitality of cockroaches has been debunked.

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What do cockroaches eat?

Pests are practically omnivorous, this is due to the structure of their mouthparts. Cockroaches living in apartments, namely black and red ones, will eat leftover food on tables, shelves, and cabinets. If they have a choice in food, they will give preference to those that are enriched with carbohydrates and proteins; it can be mentioned that in houses cockroaches are lovers of sugar. When there is no food left near the cockroaches, they can eat small insects, human feces, or the cockroaches will eat their relatives. Do cockroaches eat people? No.

About the benefits of cockroaches

What are you saying? What use are these vile creatures?

However, they play their positive role as ecologists by feeding on decaying organic matter and thereby making beneficial nutrients more available to other organisms.

And then, no matter how offensive it may sound to the ears of a civilized European, some types of cockroaches are a gourmet snack for many people around the world. This goes a long way toward explaining why certain groups of insects evolved. They chose a simple method to avoid the fate of being eaten.

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Anatomy of a cockroach, what does it have?

On the sides of the cockroach there are eyes, which provide it with compound vision. The oral system is primitive, but cockroaches have teeth sharp enough to grind food. The blood of a cockroach is unusually white in color, and the heart is a tubular organ. Because of this, blood circulates slowly. Although cockroaches have a brain, it is not responsible for regulating the respiratory and digestive systems and is poorly developed. Cockroaches do not have a uterus and reproduce sexually. And the sex of cockroaches can be determined by their size: males are smaller than females.