Yellow cockroach. Types of cockroaches (varieties) and exotic domestic cockroaches, photo, video. Huge hissing Madagascar cockroach defending itself
As a rule, a cockroach is an unwanted guest. With him, he brings a lot of problems, as he is a carrier of infections, and getting rid of numerous colonies is quite problematic. But if you know what types of cockroaches exist, you will quickly find the most suitable remedy to fight the individuals operating in your kitchen. Or maybe you want to get an exotic pet from the same squad of insects that can become a winner in cockroach races, serve as food for your pet, or play the role of a pet for the whole family.
Why do these insects live in apartments and houses? The answer is very simple - because in the conditions of the Russian winter in the open air they are simply not able to survive, and it is rather problematic to find a source of food in cold weather. That is why they rush to warm buildings, where food is in abundance and the most comfortable conditions for their living are created.
The main signs of apartment cockroaches
All representatives of cockroaches living in residential premises have a number of characteristic features:
- their life consists of three stages of development: egg, larva, adult;
- the female carries eggs in a special capsule - ootheca;
- larvae and adults are very similar in appearance;
- home cockroach is oriented with the help of tactile antennae;
- the insect is omnivorous and has a gnawing mouthpart that can grind any food.
- The car cockroach looks more than original. Characteristic features its are short elytra of a light shade and a light strip along the perimeter of the body, and males are also distinguished by bright spots on the pronotum.
- The chess cockroach is the cutest, so to speak, representative of his squad. It has a bright black and white coloration, which resembles the color of a predatory ground beetle, which helps it not become prey to some predators. Like representatives of other species, the chess cockroach prefers to hide during the day and go out in search of provisions at night.
- The next species received the catchy name "Dead Head", as it has a pattern on the back that resembles a terrible mask.
- The Madagascar hissing cockroach is the largest member of its order. Adults can reach 10 cm in length and surprise with their behavior - they hiss. It may seem that in this way they are trying to scare you away, but this is not entirely true. No doubt they use this sound to scare off enemies, but often the hiss emitted is just a sharp exhalation. Read more about this type in the article:.
- The rhinoceros cockroach is distinguished by its impressive weight - some individuals can reach a mass of 37 g. Almost like an ordinary sparrow. These insects are long-lived - able to live for about 10 years.
- Megaloblatta longipennis is a Latin American cockroach that can fly. Its wingspan is 20 cm, and when it unfolds them, it becomes really huge.
And this is not all representatives of the cockroach squad. After all, every year there are new individuals that have not been previously studied. Insects adapt to poisons, get used to new environmental conditions and again settle in our homes. Some as exotic pets, others as pests.
Considering cockroaches not out of entomological interest, but in the context of fighting them, as with uninvited guests in our dwellings, it is worth omitting the description of several thousand species that live on the planet.
Information about the types of cockroaches is structured as follows:
There remain relatively few of those who have been annoying people for centuries with their intrusive neighborhood. Living conditions in close contact with people turned out to be more attractive than in the wild. And now a person is forced to protect their homes from annoying and very tenacious representatives of the fauna.
What unites domestic cockroaches
The main thing that is common to all is secrecy, which gives time to insects that have chosen a new place to breed in sufficient numbers. Then already local losses of individuals will not have catastrophic consequences for the entire population. The speed of reproduction also contributes to this.
Nocturnal lifestyle also helps cockroaches survive in the constant danger posed by the one at whose expense they feed, so avoiding unnecessary meetings is much easier. The narrow, flat body and the greatest agility make it possible to quickly hide in various cracks and voids.
External data:- elongated oval body up to 13 millimeters long;
- whiskers exceeding the length of the body;
- pronounced Brown color, with variations from light to dark.
The Prussian, as it is also called, feeds on almost everything that lies badly. The freshness of the products does not play a special role. Living in human habitation, goes hunting at night, picking up the remnants of dinner, cleaning dirty dishes and everything that can store a certain amount of nutrients. It can sneak into inaccessible, as it seemed to the owners, places like bread bins, closed containers, and even refrigerators. 
And putting food in an inaccessible place, carefully wiping all the crumbs from the table, a person will not leave a red cockroach hungry. He will find something to profit from in the trash can or inside the stove. Omnivorousness allows them to survive even at the expense of flowers on the windowsill or a remnant of the washbasin. In addition, they know how to starve, doing without food for up to a month, but without which they cannot live for so long, this is water.
Acceptable room temperature - from 15 to 30 degrees Celsius and constant access to water sources, not to mention affordable food, make our kitchens perfect place for the redhead. And the presence of all kinds of shelters, which abound in furniture, skirting boards, wallpaper, heating radiators and water pipes, allow you to multiply at the speed that they are only capable of.
The closest relative of the Prusak, and almost not inferior to him in terms of the degree of dependence on a person. This species, however, is more wild, and settles in dwellings driven by cold and hunger from dumpsters, basements and sewers. Maybe that's why it is almost never found in apartments located above the fifth floor.
Distinctive features:
- oval flat body up to 3 centimeters long in adults;
- relatively short limbs with suckers;
- shiny black or dark brown.
- sewer drains and water supply pipes;
- air ducts and ventilation;
- cracks along skirting boards, window and door openings.
Due to the degree of danger infectious diseases transmitted by black cockroaches, they are more dangerous to humans than the Prussians, despite the larger population of the latter.
No, these are not albinos, like some animals, and not even a separate group. This is a cockroach that has lost its chitinous shell and has not had time to acquire a new one. The process of molting in these insects occurs about 8 times in a lifetime, and at this time the cockroach is extremely vulnerable.
As never before, he goes especially deep into shelters until his chitinous layer is restored, and he gradually acquires his usual darkening color. All types of cockroaches living in people's homes are subject to such a metamorphosis. 
It also happens that this is a surviving victim of exposure to chemical reagents, due to the insecticidal treatment of one's home independently carried out by a person. In such cases, the color of the insect is not restored. Photo of a white cockroach: 
American cockroach
Contrary to the name, he is a native of Africa, brought to the American continent, and then to Europe, thanks to the rapidly developing maritime trade. Traveling in bales and boxes of goods, they settled almost all over the world.
Initially a wild species, the American cockroach quickly adapted to new conditions of development, and became no less dependent on humans than other synanthropic species. In cohabitation with people, they are attracted by the same easily accessible water, food and acceptable temperature limits. But they are in an American, still much lower than in red Prussians or black omnivores. It does not withstand the slightest negative temperature values. 
Even larger than black, it surpasses even the red one in terms of movement speed, and has a very aggressive disposition.
Furniture cockroaches
Recently open view, it has a red color and brown striped wings. He is distinguished by complete indifference to the food of a person with whom he is connected by a love of books. In bindings, as well as in wallpaper paste, he finds his favorite starch, which he mainly feeds on.
Turkmen and Egyptian cockroaches
Inhabitants southern regions Russia and Central Asia are probably familiar with this species of cockroach, which is quite rare in the cooler latitudes of our country. 
At home, they live in cattle pens and poultry houses, but they can also migrate to human dwellings.
Black (Blatta orientalis)
One of the most popular indoor human family is black cockroaches. They easily penetrate the home, especially if there is a sewer drain, garbage cans or cluttered basements nearby. In summer, members of the family can feel great on the street, but with the advent of a cold snap, they tend to find a warmer place.
An unpleasant smell, chitinous black shell, size (up to 3 cm) are the main characteristics of this variety of cockroaches. The color can vary from dark gray to dirty red. Adults reproduce slowly, but if you do not deal with them immediately, then such neglect threatens to grow the family to an incredible size.
The largest concentration of individuals can be found in such places:
- a bucket of garbage;
- under the stove;
- behind the refrigerator
- in the closet.
Black cockroaches are the most dangerous insects from this family for human health. Since their favorite place is garbage containers, the number of infections and bacteria on their paws is unimaginable. And together with insects, this accumulation of infection, dangerous for humans, can quickly move into an apartment.
Redheads (Blattella germanica)
If we consider the types of domestic cockroaches, then this is the most popular family. It is also known under the name of the Prussians. No dwelling is immune from the appearance of red cockroaches.
It is worth noting that it is very difficult to get rid of them - insects can hide well, multiply with incredible speed, and chemicals or folk ways the destruction of cockroaches is ineffective.
Varieties of cockroaches
You can meet red cockroaches almost everywhere:
- Living spaces;
- hospitals;
- public places;
- utility rooms;
- country houses.
The body of the cockroach is slightly elongated, the chitinous shell has a reddish tint, which can range from light to very dark. Representatives of such an interesting family live near a large amount of food. Incredibly, they easily manage to penetrate even into closed containers.
Interesting facts from the life of red cockroaches - they can find food almost everywhere. Even if you diligently hide all the remnants of food, insects can easily find a few grains of sugar spilled a long time ago or stale bread crumbs.
The presence of water for representatives of this family is vital. They can go without food for a long time, but if the taps in the apartment are out of order, then the cockroaches will calmly continue to visit, visiting the source that is constantly life-giving for them. They do not hesitate and indoor plants- young sprouts may be completely eaten.
White
You can often see a white cockroach in the apartment. No need to think that this is some new strange species. In most cases, the cockroach has a white tint after molting. In their entire life, insects of this family shed their chitinous shell almost 10 times.
A light, almost transparent color makes it difficult to detect an insect. After some time, it will be covered with a new shell and acquire a permanent color. How long will it take him to do this? In two weeks, a mustachioed white cockroach will turn into an ordinary red or black pest.
Appearance of a white cockroach
The shade of the mustachioed inhabitants of the apartment can be affected by chemicals. This happens especially often if low-quality means for the destruction of domestic insects were purchased. After a while, the natural color will return.
American (Periplaneta americana)
Judging by the name of the origin of the insect is not worth it. The homeland of this family is hot Africa. With cargo ships, cockroaches made their way to America, and then easily spread to all continents.
Plentiful food, a large amount of garbage near the houses and unsanitary conditions in public institutions have become an excellent incentive to appear in our country. Despite how many species are found in total, it is easy to distinguish this insect - large sizes, an oval body with a brown shell similar to folded wings, differ sharply from appearance familiar to all Prussians.
Another feature that distinguishes American cockroaches from red or black ones is that they do not tolerate cold weather. Even at a temperature of 0 degrees, the insect inevitably dies. Another unpleasant characteristic is that the American cockroach is very aggressive, it can even attack a pet or a person.
Furniture (Supella longipalpa)
The central regions of Russia are especially replete with such species of insects. They were first discovered in the apartment more than 50 years ago, and since then the owners of the premises have been unsuccessfully trying to get rid of such a scourge.
The peculiarity of this family is the presence of transparent wings with dark stripes and a bright red tint. The kitchen is the most unsuitable place for these insects. Why? Their favorite food is wallpaper paste and old books. This is what brings these types of cockroaches to archives and libraries.
Central Asian (Shelfordella tartara)
The south of Russia is a part of the country where you can meet another family of unpleasant insects. It is very easy to recognize it - only Central Asian cockroaches have a yellow head and a black belly.
Another one of them distinguishing feature- insects can perfectly jump from object to object, and where it is not possible to overcome an obstacle in one jump, cockroaches simply fly over.
Egyptian (Polyphaga aegyptiaca)
One of the most prominent representatives among insect pests of the south of Russia. housing conditions they don’t sort out - they can happily live both in an apartment and in a livestock room. They do not pose a threat, they are absolutely harmless, although the size of the family can cause many problems.
The appearance is very unusual. Large, up to several centimeters adults are black. The shell is smooth and shiny. Often this species is used as food on farms that breed lizards.
A bit of exotic
Despite the fact that a person always thinks of cockroaches with disgust, some apartment dwellers cannot resist acquiring the most interesting specimens of the cockroach family.
One of the most beloved pets is the chess cockroach. It is called so because of the original coloring, reminiscent of a chessboard. The insect is nocturnal - during the day it prefers to hide, and with the advent of darkness it goes for a walk around the apartment.
Another wonderful representative of a large family is the Dead Head. Why is it so unusually called? He has an interesting pattern on his back in the form of a scary grinning mask. The peculiarity of this insect is the ability to make long flights.
The huge Madagascar cockroach is a unique insect. Not only can it reach 10 cm in size, but the ability to make sounds is inherent in the whole huge family only to them. It looks like a loud hiss, but scientists have proven that it's just noisy breathing.
Cockroaches - what are these insects?
The rhinoceros cockroach is also unique in its kind. The huge weight of these insects is to blame for this. How much exactly? An adult can reach a weight of about 40 grams. Also, such beautiful representatives of exotic insects can live a long life - up to 10 years.
A striking representative of a number of Latin American insects is Megaloblatta longipennis. It has not only huge dimensions, it is the only species that flies without difficulty. The wingspan is impressive - up to 25 cm! The shade of this insect is especially beautiful - black, with a purple tint. Because of the size in apartments, they are afraid to keep it, so you can meet such beauty only in wildlife.
Mutation, crossing several varieties, living conditions - all this favorably affects the increase in the family. There are more and more new types of cockroaches. Some of them are completely harmless to humans, but most can become the main cause of serious illnesses.
Scientists are sure that modern cockroaches can easily spread cholera or an ulcer. That is why humanity has been fighting these unpleasant insects for many years. But so far, all to no avail - the family continues to successfully grow and multiply.
Video: A variety of cockroaches
Various types of cockroaches have been living in human dwellings for centuries. Once the insect was considered a symbol of wealth, but now it is an unpleasant guest, causing a lot of trouble and spreading infection. What attracts them to our apartments? The answer is obvious. It is warmth and mass of food. In winter, they cannot survive in natural conditions, and it is problematic to find food.
Any cockroach living next to a person has a whole set of features characteristic of any of the species:
- A cockroach goes through three stages of development, a larva appears from an egg, turning into an adult insect - an imago;
- Outwardly, adults and larvae are similar;
- Female cockroaches have edema to carry eggs;
- A mustache helps a cockroach not to get lost in space;
- The insect is able to gnaw and digest any food;
- For a long time, they can simply be ignored, due to the high speed of movement, the ability to hide in cracks and crevices, and high activity, mainly at night.
How to recognize a cockroach
In nature, there are a great many insects and a person who encounters a cockroach for the first time may not recognize the enemy “by sight”. How do you know it's a cockroach? So, the characteristic features of the insect:
- The length of the oblong or oval body is 4mm -10 cm;
- The head is not round, but flat, in the form of a heart or a triangle;
- The mouth apparatus of the gnawing type is covered by a shield.
The photo shows the types of cockroaches that may be in the apartment.
Where do cockroaches come from
Of the five thousand varieties of cockroaches in houses and apartments in Russia, only a few of them settle. Why do they choose to live in your apartment? In each case, the reason is individual:
- Dishes periodically left overnight in the sink;
- Migratory individuals from neighbors;
- Accumulated garbage and food waste;
- A cockroach brought from the street or from guests and much more.
After at least one individual of a cockroach has entered the room, it is highly likely that their number will soon increase significantly. Often pests start in clean rooms, do not forget that cockroaches are omnivorous and can even eat paper.
How to know if there are cockroaches in your house
Detect pests, if they are a little more, you can not immediately. The neighborhood will become noticeable when they start hosting your kitchen like at home. There are signs by which you can determine the presence of cockroaches in the room:
- On the tiles, in the corners of the walls, on the furniture, black dots are noticeable - these are insect feces;
- Check cracks, crevices and all corners for cockroach eggs;
- Cockroaches are sometimes accompanied by a specific smell.
Determine the type of cockroach
Cockroaches are the most common synotropic insects. But among several thousand types of houses, not all live. Most often in our homes there is a red cockroach, less often - black and American. In the south and in the tropics, other species wander into the houses, but they cannot be called synotropic, rather they are random guests. Since the home cockroach looks different, depending on the variety, we give short description and a photo of each of the common species.
Types of cockroaches in the apartment (photo)
Prusak - red cockroach
We have looked at the common types of cockroaches that live in an apartment, but it is possible that you may come across an instance that is not on this list.
Watch a video of the Madagascar hissing cockroach
Appearance
The body is flat, oval, from 4 mm to 9.5 cm (or more) long. The head is triangular or heart-shaped, flat. Mouth organs are gnawing. Cockroaches have strong jaws studded with chitinous teeth. The eyes are big. Sometimes absent (often in cave forms). Antennae elongated. Elytra dense; Wings membranous, fold under elytra at rest. Often the elytra and wings are shortened or completely absent.
Behavior
Cockroaches are thermophilic and moisture-loving, very mobile insects, leading a predominantly nocturnal lifestyle; during the day they hide under stones or fallen leaves, in cracks on the surface of the soil, in rodent burrows, under the bark of stumps and dying trees. Winged birds can fly at night into the light. They feed on plant and animal remains.
Cockroaches are one of the hardiest insects. Some cockroaches can live up to a month without food, as well as hold their breath for 45 minutes and slow their heart rate.
Cockroaches reproduce sexually and parthenogenetically, but in order to start breeding, the female must mate with the male at least once. Modern cockroaches lay eggs protected by a special capsule - ootheca, which is sometimes carried by the female and sticks out at the end of the abdomen. Some species are viviparous; in cockroaches Cryptocercus and some other complex parenting behavior. Metamorphosis is incomplete, larvae of wingless species are hardly distinguishable from adults; develop from several months (red cockroach) to 4 years (black cockroach), shedding 5-8 times during this period. Many types of cockroaches can fly.
Most cockroaches are warm and moisture-loving insects. Optimal conditions for them: temperature 28-32oC and relative humidity 70-90%. Tropical species die at temperatures below 20 and above 35. Several hundred cockroaches can live in a dark terrarium measuring 50X50X30 cm with enough shelters. Which can be made from flower pots, bark, or egg cartons. A 50-mm layer of moistened peat, fallen leaves or soil mixed with sand is used as the soil. The lid can be made from metal or plastic fine mesh. You can leave the aquarium without covering it at all. If cockroaches can climb a vertical smooth surface, it is better to lubricate the walls of the terrarium along the edges with petroleum jelly. In this case, cockroaches will not be able to get out even from an open terrarium.
Cockroaches can feed on almost any organic material (e.g. cat and dog food, bread), but also need a significant amount of fruits and vegetables (not too much, so that the leftovers do not grow moldy in the terrarium). No water container needed. It is necessary to clean the terrarium with cockroaches before it appears. bad smell. A good solution for supplying cockroaches with moisture can be orange slices, which, too. help eliminate bad odors. It is better to use dry food, for example, fish flakes.
Cockroaches can eat their smaller counterparts, which helps control the population when overcrowded. Cockroaches can be hosts to microscopic mites that do no harm to them.
Males are smaller, thinner, and have eight abdominal segments, the last of which is provided with two additional palps. Females have six abdominal segments. The wings of males are longer than those of females.
Mating occurs after mutual examination with palps and raising the wings. During the entire process, the cockroaches remain entangled with each other. One species of cockroach reproduces by parthenogenesis.
Adult females make from one to fifteen clutches of 16-45 eggs each. Inside the body, the shell of the egg is soft white color, turns brown and hardens in air. Nymphs emerge from eggs within 2-12 weeks after laying. Immediately after hatching, the nymphs shed their embryonic skin.
Most species store their eggs in an ootheca where nymphs hatch, which also remain inside the mother's body until their chitinous cover hardens, and in some cases longer.
Other species also keep their eggs in the ootheca but lay them several hours before hatching.
Cockroach species that lay their eggs weeks before hatching hide their clutches in deep crevices.
Nymphs that reach 6-12 mm in length can live with their parents. Depending on the species, they reach sexual maturity within 5-11 stages. The whole process may take 50-275 days.
