The greatest diversity is found in Africa and relatively few species inhabit Europe and North America. They are also detrivores and many species eat wood, having specialised guts with symbiotic protozoa to digest the cellulose.
Appearance of Adults:
Antennae slender, filiform. Pronotum oval, shield-like, covering much of head and thorax. Legs adapted for running; tarsi 5-segmented. Front wings thickened; hind wings membranous, pleated.
Blattodea are cursorial insects, with the hind legs similar in shape and size to the middle legs; many species are extremely rapid runners. Some species lack wings; when wings are present, the forewings are modified into moderately sclerotized tegmina that protect the membranous hind wings.
Order Blattodea
Wings can be well developed, short or lacking. If winged, forewings are leathery while the hindwings are membranous. Metamorphosis is gradual, the life stages being the egg, nymph, and adult.
Is There a Queen? Is there a queen roach? Cockroaches are not truly social insects (like honey bees or termites). As such, they do not have a queen.
cockroach, (order Blattodea), also called roach, any of about 4,600 species of insects that are among the most primitive living winged insects, appearing today much like they do in fossils that are more than 320 million years old.
The difference between cockroaches and roaches is: nothing. 'Cockroach' and 'roach' are two names for the same thing, and though either may refer to any one of the over 4,000 species of roach, they're not distinct. 'Roach' is the shortened version of the word 'cockroach'.
Moisture. Roaches need moisture to survive and this search for water will bring them into even the cleanest of homes. Leaky pipes and faucets are one of the most common attractants for cockroaches and is one of the main reasons you often see them in bathrooms, kitchens, and laundry rooms.
Raid Ant & Roach Killer Insecticide Spray was found to be one of the most effective at killing cockroaches. A can is helpful for the times when you spot a roach in your home and you don't want to get too close. A roach spray should kill the bug almost instantly.
Roach Repellents
Peppermint oil, cedarwood oil, and cypress oil are essential oils that effectively keep cockroaches at bay. Additionally, these insects hate the smell of crushed bay leaves and steer clear of coffee grounds. If you want to try a natural way to kill them, combine powdered sugar and boric acid.
Cockroaches are social insects and often live in family groups. They have unusual reproduction: females lay eggs in groups of 4-30 bundled together.
The average cockroach lifespan is about twenty to thirty weeks given that the roach has ready access to food and water. The first stage in the life of cockroach females and males alike is the egg stage. Eggs are produced in what are called egg capsules.
The name cockroach comes from the Spanish term cucaracha, which derives from the Latin blatta, “an insect that shines the light.” It comes from the insect order Blattodea, which also includes termites. Cockroaches are an ancient bug, with fossils indicating they've been around for more than 200 million years.
They Are Dirty
You'll find them in dumpsters, around feces, and in spoiled food. Bacteria, dirt, and other contaminants cling to their legs and body. As they crawl around, they carry these things with them, leaving a trail of unsanitary conditions.
The most common places for a roach nest in the house are in kitchens or bathrooms, particularly behind refrigerators, in cracks and crevices, and under furniture. Roaches prefer a warm, humid environment, so these places should be considered first, especially if they are close to a food source and water supply.
Roach droppings look like specks of pepper, coffee grounds, or dark grains of rice. The size of the feces is directly related to the size of the cockroach. Bigger insects produce larger droppings.
Cockroach Droppings Appearance
Cockroach feces are easy to identify. Droppings from small cockroaches resemble ground coffee or black pepper. Larger roaches leave behind dark, cylindrical droppings with blunt ends and ridges down the side.
Praying mantises, certain types of beetles, and centipedes also prey upon cockroaches. Certain types of spiders, like the huntsman and brown recluse spiders, eat cockroaches, too.
Cockroach Bites
Cockroaches are omnivores that eat plants and meat. They have been recorded to eat human flesh of both the living and the dead, although they are more likely to take a bite of fingernails, eyelashes, feet and hands. The bites may cause irritation, lesions and swelling.
Invasion of body parts: Cockroaches can not only invade your home but also your body parts. There are several cases of cockroaches entering the ear and nose while sleeping. Small cockroaches can readily enter body orifices if you're in deep sleep.