For many people, it would be curious to know the types of cockroaches that are operating in their kitchens. They study their habits, features of reproduction. And there is only one reason for such curiosity: the desire to find out everything about pests in order to find the most effective way to get rid of them.
But there are enthusiasts who specially breed cockroaches in their homes. Someone is seriously interested in cockroach races, another feeds pets with these insects, and the third considers cockroaches themselves to be their favorite pets.
In the huge variety of the Suborder of Cockroaches, every terrariumist can find a species of individuals to his liking. Indeed, today scientists already know more than 4.5 thousand species of cockroaches. And this is not the limit, as entomologists continue to discover new species.
Cockroaches on the territory of the former USSR
In Russia and neighboring countries, there are a little more than fifty species of cockroaches. In his home, a person is most likely to see only some representatives of this group of insects. Surely, someone will recognize the inhabitants of their own houses in the photos below.
Red cockroach, or Blattella germanica:
One angrily calls him a Prusak, and the other quite peacefully calls him "stasik". This type of domestic cockroaches has taken root in apartments thoroughly. The apartments are just perfect conditions for its prosperity. Warm all year round, and there is always something to profit from. That is what attracts them.
Black cockroach, according to science - Blatta orientalis:
This type of cockroach lives in basements, garbage cans, sewers. They are a real disaster for apartment dwellers. As a rule, the inhabitants of the lower floors suffer the most from them. Large insects are terrifying. But there was a time when people believed that these not very pleasant creatures bring prosperity to the house.
Shelfordella tartara is the Central Asian cockroach:
This type of cockroach lives in the south of Russia. It has a yellow head and a darker, brown or almost black belly. A distinctive feature of this species is the jumping ability of cockroaches and the ability to make small flights..
Cockroaches are great travelers. The habit of living next to a person forces them to travel the world with him. Therefore, it is not surprising when species of cockroaches, more familiar, for example, to America or Turkey, suddenly find shelter and successfully breed in Ukrainian or Russian buildings.
Exotic domestic cockroaches
People are accustomed to consider cockroaches as pests. But what unusual types of cockroaches are! There are experts who are ready to appreciate the beauty and grace of individuals from this order.
In the modern world, it is fashionable to have exotic pets. Who will be surprised by the appearance of snakes, iguanas or poisonous spiders in comfortable apartments now? In home terrariums, some types of cockroaches look elegant, arouse genuine interest in a certain group of the population and have long been no surprise.
Lucihormetica subcincta, the photo of which is shown below, is a native of South America, the dream of a true insect lover:
They came up with a gentle nickname for him - "car". The creature looks original. A light stripe goes around the entire black body of the cockroach, short light elytra, and the males also have bright yellow spots on the pronotum. The insect is very reminiscent of a tiny car with burning headlights.
Therea Bernhardti, or Chess cockroach:
This handsome man is considered the cutest of the representatives of the cockroach army. The contrasting black and white coloring is somewhat reminiscent of the appearance of a predatory ground beetle, shooting at its offenders with a liquid with a pungent odor. This similarity serves as a kind of protection for the cockroach. In his homeland, in India, he has enemies, so during the day the insect hides under stones, tree roots, and at night it searches for food.
And another cockroach, Blaberus craniifer, has a rather strange appearance and has an intriguing name - "Dead Head":
The image on the pronotum of the insect is somewhat reminiscent of a mask that is worn on Halloween.
Cockroaches - champions
There are champions among the Cockroaches. The largest is the Madagascar hissing cockroach, or Gromphadorrina portentosa. This type of cockroach is rightly called giant, which is clearly demonstrated by the photo:
Yellow-brown individuals, capable of growing up to 10 cm, amaze not only with their impressive size, but also with their unexpected habits. Cockroaches of this species are capable of emitting a menacing hiss. In fact, there is nothing unusual in this sound. This is a kind of powerful exhalation.
At the moment of danger, the insect's abdomen contracts, sharply squeezing air through the respiratory openings. On potential enemies, as well as on less fortunate rivals in mating games, such an expression of masculinity works effectively. Defending the right to a female and territory, cockroaches arrange real fights, as a result of which someone may well end up without a paw or without a mustache.
The heaviest type of cockroaches is shown in the photo below:
This is the Australian burrowing rhinoceros cockroach, Macropanesthia rhinoceros. In size, he may be inferior to his African relative, but in mass he has no equal. Some copies weighed 37 grams. This value is comparable to the weight of an average sparrow. The insect, as the name implies, is able to break through tunnels up to a meter long in the ground. This type of cockroach holds another record. Rhinos are long-lived among insects, they live up to 10 years.
And the American cockroach (Periplaneta americana) has no equal in speed:
Scientists have calculated that in just one second this sprinter can cover a distance 50 times the length of his body.Of course, this achievement was made not for the sake of sporting success, but from the greatest cowardice of an insect, only its legs can save it from enemies.
Representatives of different types of cockroaches have wings, however, almost no one knows how to use them. Weak attempts to fly or, rather, to glide, are extremely rare, in exceptional cases.
But in Latin America, the cockroach Megaloblatta longipennis is found, which has full-fledged large wings:
And further: Do not write off the chalk from cockroaches Masha - it really works, we checked it during the experiment ...
Individuals from this species can rightfully be called the only flying cockroaches. When the insect unfolds its wings, it becomes truly huge, reaching 20 cm in width.
cockroach evolution
The fact that the ancestors of the Cockroach-like order are older than dinosaurs has been written and said hundreds of times. The appearance of modern cockroaches has undergone minor changes since the Carboniferous period, the lifestyle has also remained the same.
Evolution touched the reproductive system of insects. In the distant past, cockroaches had an ovipositor that allowed them to lay their eggs inside the substrate and leave them there almost to their fate. This resulted in the death of most of the offspring.
Later, edema appeared, a protective capsule for eggs. And some varieties of cockroaches that exist in the third millennium carry the ootheca with them, parting with it immediately before the release of the larvae, and some even have a live birth. Caring for the younger generation has allowed cockroaches to more effectively maintain their appearance.
From time to time there are new species of cockroaches that have not previously come to the attention of entomologists. Insects evolve, adapt to new environmental conditions, to poisons. Who knows what the cockroaches of the future will look like...
Huge hissing Madagascar cockroach defending itself
