Name: Aderomilorun Adeleye

CHAPTER ONE
Insects are the most diverse group of animals on Earth, with millions of species

inhibiting nearly every terrestrial and aquatic habitat (Madesh, 2024). The

diversity of insects is mostly due to big changes in their evolution, with

remarkable adaptation that allowed them survive in different places and glow

alongside flowering plants (Philippe, 2019). The precise number of insect species

remains uncertain, with current scientific estimates ranging between 5.5 to 7

million (Madesh, 2024).

Insects play a vital role in maintaining ecological balance, from pollination and

decomposition to being vectors of diseases, insects contribute significantly to the

health and sustainability of ecosystems around the world (Verma et al., 2023).

Pollination is a reproductive process in plant wherein pollen grains are transferred

from the male anther of a flower to the female stigma (Verma et al., 2023),

animals play roles in aiding this transfer, but it's the insects that emerge as the

predominant and most efficient pollinators (Cock et al., 2013). The morphology

of certain flowers, for example, is so specialized that it aligns perfectly with the

body structure of their primary pollinators (Gagliardi and Walker, 2018). For

humans, the role of insect pollinators in food production is paramount (Hall,

2018). A study estimates that around 75% of the leading global food crop benefit

from animal pollination, with insects being the dominant contributors (Hall,

2018). Decomposition and nutrient recycling are two interconnected processes

global biogeochemical cycles (Lakshmi et al., 2020). Decomposition is a natural

process through which organic matter is broken down into simpler substances,

this process is essential for recycling nutrients from dead plants, animals and

waste products back into the environment (Bharathi et al., 2024). In this process,

insects play a crucial role (Piazza et al., 2021). They contribute to decomposition

through a variety of mechanisms including direct consumption of organic matter,

mechanical fragmentation and facilitation of microbial activity (Bharathi et al.,

2024). The soil is the foundation of terrestrial ecosystems and in the diverse

tapestry of life that thrives within it, insects play a role that is pivotal and complex

(Verma et al., 2023). They transport soil particles, mix them with organic matter,

and in doing so, influence both the soil's physical structure and its chemistry

(Verma et al., 2023). Dung beetles, for instance, burrow into the soil to bury feces,

which serves as both food and a nesting place (Bagyaraj et al., 2016). This activity

not only aids in nutrient recycling but also in improving soil structure by creating

channels that enhance water infiltration and reduce erosion (Bagyaraj et al.,

2016). Disease vectors are organisms that transmit infectious agents from one

host to another (Verma et al., 2023). Although various organisms can serve this

role, insects have historically been the most impactful vectors for humans and

other animals, their capacity to harbor and spread infectious agents arises from

their close interactions with hosts and their adaptability to various environments

(Verma et al., 2023). The feeding mechanisms and filthy breeding habits of
synanthropic insects such as flies, cockroaches, and coprophagic beetles make

them efficient vectors and transmitters of human enteric protozoan parasites

(Graczyk et al., 2005).

Cockroaches have been in existence for about 360 million years, and they are one

of the important groups of insect pests in urban environments (Gholam et al.,

2013). Cockroaches belong to the kingdom Animalia, phylum Arthropoda, and

class Insecta. They are classified under the superorder Dictyoptera, and order

Blattodea, which includes several families such as Blattidae and Ectobiidae

(Beccaloni, 2014). The families include Anaplectidae, Blaberidae, Blattidae,

Corydiidae, Cryptocercidae, Ectobiidae, Lamproblattidae, Nocticolidae and

Tryonicidae. Currently, there are 4,600 species and over 460 genera are described

worldwide (Beccaloni, 2014). The most common cockroach species found in

human habitations or environments are Periplaneta Americana, Blattella

germanica, Blatta orientalis, Periplaneta australasiae, and Supella longipalpa

(Donkor, 2020).

Cockroaches are among the most notorious pests of premises (Ibrahim and Cece,

2017). They are generally best described as omnivorous detritivores but cover a

wide range of food specialists (Bell et al., 2007). They thrive in warm, dark, and

moist environments with access to food (Nakano, 2023). Indoors, they are

commonly found in kitchens, bathrooms, basements, and inside furniture or wall

crevices (Nakano, 2023). Outdoors, they live in sewers, drains, gardens, garbage
areas, and under natural debris (Nakano, 2023). Their survival depends on

warmth, moisture, darkness, and food availability (Nakano, 2023). Cockroaches

not only spoil food but also transfer pathogens and cause allergic reactions and

psychological distress (Brenner, 1995). As a potential mechanical vector of

human diseases, many pathogenic organisms have been associated with

cockroaches, these include poliomyelitis viruses, bacteria, fungi, protozoa, and

helminthes (Saichua et al., 2008). Microorganisms may be carried externally on

the cuticle of cockroaches, or may be ingested and then later excreted or

regurgitated (Donkor, 2020). In this way, cockroaches can easily contaminate

food when they come into contact with it (Donkor, 2020). Out breaks and cases

of food borne diarrhoeal diseases in urban and rural areas are closely related to

the seasonal increase in abundance of cockroach and enforced control is closely

related to reductions in the occurrence of such diseases (Ronald et al., 2005).