The common cockroach
Class insecta of phylum Arthropoda is the largest in the Animals Kingdom , as there are more species of insects (about 80,000) than all other species of animals combined. Insects are air breathing and usually flying Arthropods. They are distinguished from other arthropods. They are distinguished from ithot arthropods by the possession of 3 pair of legs and usually 2pairs of wings. They include familiar example such as cockroach, grasshopper, houses flies, honeybees, etc. Cockroaches belong to the order Orthoptera. They are common pests of food industries, hotels, kitchens warehouse, etc.
Periplaneta Americana
Wa Wa original named Boatyard Americana by Linnaeus (1758). It's original hone is supposed to be tropical Africa and not America , as the world . It has become well edtestablis almost thrithroug India.
Habit and Habitat
Cockroaches are found in place where there is warmth , dampness and plenty of organic food to devour. In warmer months , cockroachesarecommon outdoors, occurring in sewer, mabholma, dumps, outbuildings and woods pileshttps://littleebiologist.blogspot.com. Indoors, they are a common pest in kitchens, latrines, hotles, restaurants, godowns , storeroom, boardships, etc. They oriental cockroach prepers some what cooler places and hence it is conncomm found in toilets and behind baths and sinks.
Cockroaches are nocturnal creatures . During daytime , they remaur inxative and hinding. Their narrow and flattwnef body is adapted to slip into narrow and flattened body is adapted to slip into narrow creeks and crevices. During night, they show much activity and run here and there in search of food. They are curatorial insects i.e., fast runners, and rarely resort to flight. It has been reported that, at 25°c, periplaneta runs from 70-130cm per second . Being onnivoroom and scavengerous in diet, they devour any animal or vegetable substances and even non-living materials like leather, paper, cloth, etc., Causing great loss.
External Morphology
- Shape and size and colour. Body of cockroach is narrow elongated , bilaterally symmetrical and dorso-ventrally ventrally flattened. The adult measure from 28 to 44 mm in length and 8to 10 mm in width. Colour is shining reddish - brown with a paler yellow area around the edge of tergum of promoting of prothorax and two dark patches over it
- Exoskeleton or cuticle. The entire body is covered externally by a non- living brown-coloured, hard, jointed and chitinous exoskeleton composed of several layers or cuticle of body wall and is secreted by the underlying hypodermis.
- Division of body. Body of cockroach is distinctly divided into segments. These are group into well-known defined regions or tegmata.
