Black cockroaches

Blatta orientalis is the Latin name for the Black Cockroach. The genus to which this insect belongs does not have too many species. The closest relatives of the Eastern cockroach (this is another name for an insect) live on the Australian and African continents. He himself spread throughout the world and more than three centuries ago, firmly established himself in Europe.

Today, large black cockroaches, shown in the photo below, are much less common in apartments than their red counterparts:

But in the old days in Russia, it was black cockroaches who lived in cellars and closets, looking after the master's property. When moving to a new house, it was customary to take these insects with you for good luck. It was believed that when there are cockroaches in the house, then the people living in it do not need anything.

 

Black cockroach lifestyle

A long time ago, many insects "understood" that it is more comfortable for them to live next to people. Black cockroaches, capable of reaching large sizes, prefer damp basements, sewers, garbage collectors. They are not averse to running errands in grocery stores, catering establishments, hospitals and prisons.

In apartment buildings, residents of the lower floors suffer the most from them, since uninvited guests do not rise above the fifth floor.

Black cockroaches are synanthropic insects, which, of course, can quite safely exist outside a human dwelling, but still try to stay close to it, looking for secluded places under stones or in the cracks of old buildings. You can see them in nature in the southern regions, on the Black Sea coast.

While it is light, insects try not to leave their shelters, and at night they boldly go out in search of food. Representatives of this species are omnivorous, they do not disdain any food and the remains of invertebrates.

 

Appearance

The appearance of a black cockroach is of interest, first of all, to people who are passionate about entomology. Here is an example photo of these insects:

But the presence in the house of such a handsome man of rather impressive size will not inspire everyone. The length of the female is slightly longer than the male, and can reach 3 cm. They say that the size of individual individuals approaches 5 cm.

The insect has a black chitinous shell, according to its name, less often it is brown. The veils glisten like metal and are quite durable, so it will take some effort to crush the insect. The cockroach is flat, which allows it to easily penetrate the narrowest gaps.

 

Body parts of a black cockroach

The body of the Black cockroach, a typical representative of the Insect class, is segmented, divided into three sections - the head, chest and abdomen. The segments that form the head section are fused together.

On the sides of the head, two large eyes with a complex faceted structure are distinguishable. Moreover, males have sharper vision than females. Ahead is a pair of jointed antennae. When moving, the insect puts them forward and to the sides. The antennae, resembling small antennae, continuously oscillate. The length of the antennae responsible for smell and touch is longer in the male than in the female, and exceeds the size of his body.

And further: You think that there are no longer normal remedies for cockroaches on the market and nothing will take these insects - no matter how it is!

The chest of the black cockroach is represented by three segments - prothorax, mesothorax and metathorax. The dorsal section of the first segment is highly developed, hanging forward, hiding the head of the insect. A pair of running legs is attached to each segment on the sides.

The last segment of the cockroach's foot bears a pair of claws and a suction cup, thanks to which the insect can move along any surface, including vertical ones. On the chest of a male black cockroach - two pairs of wings (see photo):

The soft abdomen of black cockroaches is formed by ten segments, the first seven are larger, the rest are reduced, and this is more pronounced in the female.The anus is located on the last segment, and on the sides there are two small sensitive limbs - cerci. The ninth segment of the male bears styli that serve as protection for his external genitalia.

It is interesting

Although the middle part of the body has a pair of leathery elytra, and the back part has two true membranous wings, they are not used for their intended purpose. Female black cockroaches are completely devoid of flight adaptations, they have only elytra, and even those are in their infancy.

Eight abdominal segments and two thoracic segments are equipped with breathing holes, or stigmas. From them, a branching network of tubes goes inside the body of the insect - trachea, entangling all the internal organs and ensuring the delivery of oxygen to them.

The cockroach has a multi-chambered heart, which sets the directed movement of fluid from the rear end of the body forward, and an aorta. Hemolymph washes all internal organs.

The nervous system of a cockroach is interesting. It is represented by a chain of nerve nodes, the largest of which, supraglottic, performs the function of the brain, provides innervation to the main sense organs.

 

Digestive system of a black cockroach

The oral apparatus is located below, it is concentrated around the pharyngeal opening and is arranged quite intricately. It is represented by the upper lip - an outgrowth resembling a tongue, as well as a pair of upper and two pairs of lower jaws.

And further: Cockroaches in the apartment are not only disgusting, but also dangerous to health. And they are dangerous not only with transmitted infections ...

The structure of the lower jaw includes another sensory organ - the tentacles.The mouth parts of a cockroach are of a gnawing type, they are powerful, cope with a wide variety of food: both liquid and solid. The digestive system of the black cockroach is excellently formed.

Food is crushed by the jaws and moistened with saliva, processed throughout the intestine by digestive enzymes, subjected to additional mechanical stress in the so-called chewing stomach, which has folds in the form of chitinous plates, as well as the effects of special bacteria that inhabit the intestines of a cockroach. All this allows the insect to digest foods that seem inedible to us.

Nutrients and decay products move in the body of a black cockroach through the hemolymph.

 

Three lives of the black cockroach

Cockroaches are a detachment with incomplete transformation, which means that they have only three qualitatively different life forms - an egg, a nymph, an imago.

A sexually mature female and male mate, after which an ootheca, a kind of chitinous cocoon, is formed in the genital sinus of the female, which is located under the dorsal shields of the last segments of the abdomen, where the eggs will ripen. The ootheca of the black cockroach, which can be seen in the photo below, is large, up to 12 mm in length, dense, 16 eggs are usually packed in it.

At this time, the female's abdomen slightly increases in size, for several days, taking care of the offspring, the cockroach carries the ootheca with her, and then leaves it in a secret place. The incubation stage lasts up to 44 days, then larvae appear from the cocoon, small copies of black cockroaches, but their coloring is much lighter than that of adults, they are almost white.

The larvae undergo up to 10 molts before reaching sexual maturity.As she grows older, the nymph more and more resembles her parents.

The reproduction of cockroaches and the rate of maturation of offspring is affected by the ambient temperature. In the conditions of a human dwelling, nothing prevents the reproduction of cockroaches, which is why they breed all year round. It can take from one to four years until the young generation is ready to mate. Throughout her life, the female lays 2-3 cocoons with eggs.

 

Damage caused by cockroaches

Black huge cockroaches most often come to human apartments from the worst places - garbage cans, sewers, they drag pathogenic microorganisms and helminth eggs on their paws, clog the room with their metabolic products - excrement, chitinous covers left after molting.

They not only spoil the appearance of housing, but can also cause serious harm to human health, as they provoke the occurrence of allergic reactions in him, including pronounced ones.

 

What can be the use of the Black cockroach?

Talking about the benefits of a black cockroach, even a photo of which can cause a squeamish reaction in many people, may seem inappropriate. However, the powder and tincture made from large black cockroaches are considered by some to have amazing medicinal properties.

This tool is appreciated by representatives of oriental medicine, it was prepared by healers in previous centuries, and honored doctors also believed in its power. They say that Botkin himself prescribed it to patients.

This medicine is recommended for many troubles: some advise using it to get rid of worms, others use it as a diuretic, others, paradoxically as it sounds, try to stop asthma attacks with it.It is difficult to say how effective this remedy is, because modern official medicine is categorical in this matter and does not recommend self-medication.

However, the facts of the use of black cockroaches for a variety of potions and tinctures have a place to be. However, how serious should a person’s health problems be, and how unacceptable should medicines sold in pharmacies be for him, so that he, having overcome his disgust, would prefer such an extraordinary and not the cheapest method of treatment?

 

Black cockroach in the zoo