7.

4 CoCKROACH

Cockroaches are brown or black bodied animals that are included in

class Insecta of Phylum Arthropoda. Bright yellow, red and green coloured
i s h e d

cockroaches have also been reported in troplcal regions. Their size ranges
from %inches to 3 inches (0.6-7.6 cm) and have long antenna, legs and
flat extension of the upper body wall that conceals head. They are
nocturnal omnivores that live in damp places throughout the world. They
have become residents of human homes and thus are serious pests and
vectors of several diseases.

7.4.1 Morphology
The adults of the common species of cockroach, Pertplaneta americana
are about 34-53 mm long with wings that extend beyond the tip of the
abdomen in males. The body of the cockroach is segmented and divisible
into three distinct reglons - head, thorax and abdomen (Figure 7.14).
The entire body is covered by a hard chitinous exoskeleton (brown in
colour). In each segment, exoskeleton has hardened plates called sclerites
(tergites dorsally and sternites ventrally) that are joined to each other by
a thin and flexible articular membrane (arthrodial membrane).

Filiform antennae

Compound eye Head

SPronotum
Mesothorax Tegmina
Prothoracic leg
no
Hind wing
Metathorax
Mesothoracic leg

Metathoracic leg -Abdomen

Anal cerci

Figure 7.14 External features of cockroach

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112
BIOLOGY
Head is triangular in shape and lies anteriorly at right
longitudinal body axis. It is formed by the fusion of six
angles to the
segments
shows great mobility in all directions due to flexible neck (Figure and
The head capsule bears a pair of 7.15).
compound eyes. A pair of thread like
antennae arise from membranous sockets lying in front of eyes. Antennae
have sensory receptors that help in monitoring the
end of the head bears appendages forming environment. Anterior
biting and chewing type of
mouth parts. The mouthparts consisting of a labrum (upper lip), a
of mandibles, a pair of maxillae and a labium pair
(lower lip). A median flexible
lobe, acting as tongue (hypopharynx), lies within the
the mouthparts (Figure 7.15b). Thorax consists of threecavity enclosed by
mesothorax and metathorax. The head is connected with parts-prothorax,
short extension of the prothorax known as the neck. Each thoracic thorax by a
bears a pair of walking legs. The first pair of wings arises from segment
and the second pair from metathorax. Forewings mesothorax
(mesothoracic)
tegmina are opaque dark and leathery and cover the hind wings when at
called
rest. The hind wings are transparent, membranous and are used
in flight.
The abdomen in both males and females consists of 10
segments. In
females, the 7h sternum is boat shaped and together with the &th and 9th
sterna forms a brood or genital pouch whose anterior part contains female
gonopore, spermathecal pores and collateral glands. In males, genital pouch
or chamber lies at the hind end of abdomen bounded
dorsally by 9th and
10h terga and ventrally by the 9h sternum. It contains dorsal anus,
ventral
male genital pore and gonapophysis. Males bear a pair of short, thread
like anal styles which are absent in females. In both sexes, the 10h
segment
bears a pair ofjointed filamnentous structures called anal cerci.

Ocellus
Compound eye
Labrum
Grinding
region
Incising
Mandible region Mandible

Hypopharynx
Maxilla

Mandible

Labrum

Maxilla Maxilla
(a) Labium
Labium
(b)
Figure 7.15 Head region of cockroach : (a) parts of head region (b) mouth parts

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 Salivary gland
7.4.2 Anatomy
in the body cavity
The alimentary canal present
regions: foregut, midgut
Salivary
is divided into three reservoir
The mouth opens
and hindgut (Figure 7.16). a
Oesophagus
pharynx, leading to
into a short tubular oesophagus.
narrow tubular passage calledlike structure Crop
sac
This in turn opens into a
food. The crop
called crop used for storing of Gizzard
proventriculus. It has
is followed by gizzard or
circular muscles and Hepatic caeca
an outer layer of thick chitinous
thickinner cuticle forming six highly
plate called teeth. Gizzard helps in grinding the Mesenteron
or midgut
foregut is lined by
food particles. The entire tubules called Malpighian.
cuticle. A ring of 6-8 blind tubules Rectum
present at the
hepatic or gastric caeca is leum
which secrete
junction of foregut and midgut, midgut and
digestive juice. At the junction of 100-150 Colon
ring of
hindgut is present another canal of cockroach
Malpighian Figure 7.16 Alimnentary
yellow coloured thin flamentous of excretory
tubules. They help in removal hindgut is
The
products from haemolymph. differentiated into
broader than midgut and is opens
Anterior aorta
rectum
ileum, colon and rectum. The
out through anus.
is an
Blood vascular system of cockroach are Alary muscles
Blood vessels
open type (Figure 7.17).
into space
poorly developed and openlocated in the
(haemocoel). Visceral organs
(haemolymph).
haemocoel are bathed in blood colourless
The haemolymph Is composed of cockroach
plasma and haemocytes. Heart of lying
consists of elongated muscular tube abdomen.
and
along mid dorsal line of thorax chambers
It is diferentiated into funnel shaped
from sinuses Chambers
with ostia on either side. Blood
pumped of heart
enter heart through ostia and is
anteriorly to sinuses again.
consists of a
The respiratory system pairs
network of trachea, that open through 10
on the
of small holes called spiracles present tubes
lateral side of the body. Thin branching
tracheoles) cockroach
(tracheal tubes subdivided into The Figure 7.17 Open circulatory system of
the parts.
carry oxygen from the air to all
 BioLOGY

opening of the spiracles is regulated by the sphincters. Exchange of gases

take place at the tracheoles by diffusion.
Excretion is performed by Malpighian tubules,. Each tubule is lined
by glandular and ciliated cells. They absorb nitrogenous waste products
and convert themn into uric acid which is excreted out through the hindgut.
Therefore, this insect is called uricotelic. In addition, the fat body.
nephrocytes and urecose glands also help in excretion.
The nervous system of cockroach consists of a series of fused.
segmentally arranged ganglia joined by paired longitudinal connectives
on the ventral side. Three ganglia lie in the thorax, and six in the abdomen.
The nervous system of cockroach is spread throughout the body. The
head holds a bit of a nervous system while the rest is situated along the
ventral (belly-side) part of its body. So, now you understand that if the
head of a cockroach is cut off, it will still live for as long as one week. In
the head region, the brain is represented by supra-oesophageal ganglon
which supplies nerves to antennae and compound eyes. In cockroach,
the sense organs are antennae, eyes, maxillary palps, labial palps, anal
cerci, etc. The compound eyes are situated at the dorsal surface of the
head. Each eye consists of about 2000 hexagonal ommatidia
(sing.: ommatidium). With the help of several ommatidia, a cockroach can
receive several images of an object. This kind of vision is known as mosaic
vision with more sensitivity but less resolution, being common during
night (hence called nocturnal vision).
Cockroaches are dioeclous and both sexes have well developed
reproductive organs (Figure 7.18). Male reproductive system consists of
a pair of testes one lying on each lateral side in the 4 -6h abdominal
segments. From each testis arises a thin vas deferens, which opens into
ejaculatory duct through seminal vesicle. The ejaculatory duct opens into
male gonopore situated ventral to anus. Acharacteristic mushroom
shaped gland is present in the 6M-7h abdominal segments which functions
as an accessory reproductive gland. The external genitalia are represented
by male gonapophysis or phallomere (chitinous asymmetrical structures,
surrounding the male gonopore). The sperms are stored in the seminal
vesicles and are glued together in the form of bundles called
spermatophores which are discharged during copulation. The female
reproductive sysytem consists of two large ovaries, Iying laterally in the
2d 6th abdominal segments. Each ovary is formed of a group of eight
ovarian tubules or ovarioles. containing a chain of developing ova.
Oviducts of each ovary unite into a single median oviduct (also called
vagina) which opens into the genital chamber. A pair of spermatheca is
present in the 6h segment which opens into the genital chamber.
Sperms are transferred through spermatophores. Their fertilised eggs
are encased in capsules called oothecae. Ootheca is a dark reddish to
blackish brown capsule, about 3/8" (8 mm) long. They are dropped or

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 Testis

Phallic gland
Small tubules
-Long tubules
-Seminal vesicle
Vas deferens
Ejaculatory duct
-Right phallomere
b l i s h e d

-Ventral phallomere
Anal cercus

Caudal style
Left phallomere \ Pseudopenis
Titillator (a)

Ovary
-Oviduct
Spermatheca
Common oviduct
or vagina

Collaterial glands

Genital chamber 1Genital

pouch
gonapophyses Vestibulum
(b)
Figure 7.18 Reproductive system of cockroach : (a) male (b) female
glued to a suitable surface, usually in a crack or crevice of high relative
humidity near a food source. On an average, females produce 9-10
oothecae, each containing 14-16 eggs. The development of P. americana
is paurometabolous, meaning there is development through nymphal
stage. The nymphs look very much like adults. The nymph grows by
moulting about 13 times to reach the adult form. The next to last nymphal
stage has wing pads but only adult cockroaches have wings.
Many species of cockroaches are wld and are of no known economic
importance yet. Afew species thrive in and around human habitat. They are
pests because they spol food and contaminate it with their smely excreta.
They can transnit avartety ofbactertal diseases by contaminating food material.