COCKROACH
Class Insecta of Phylum Arthropoda.
Size: ¼ inches to 3 inches [0.6 – 7.6 cm]
Nocturnal omnivores
Organisms that are active at night and eat both plants and meat.
Habitat: Damp places
Pest & Vectors of several diseases
No economic importance
They are pest as they spoil food and contaminate with smelly excreta, transmit
bacterial diseases.
Morphology
Periplaneta americana 34 to 53 mm long
Wings (males) extends beyond the tip of the abdomen.
Segmented body
Body Head + Thorax + Abdomen
Body is covered by a non-living hard chitinous brown coloured exoskeleton
In each segment exoskeleton has hardened plates called sclerites
Sclerites [formed by cuticle] = Tergites (dorsal) + Sternite (Ventral) + Pleura (Lateral)
Sclerites are joined to each other by thin and flexible articular membrane /
arthrodial membrane.
Body is divided into 3 main segments
1) Head
2) Thorax
3) AbdomenGo to beginning of
Head anterior right angle to longitudinal axis
It is formed by the fusion of six segments
Head is connected with thorax by short extension of prothorax neck
Head shows great mobility as neck is flexible.
The head capsule bears a pair of compound eyes.
A pair of thread like antennae arise from membranous sockets [antennal sockets]
lying in front of eyes.
Antennae = tactile + olfactory receptor
(Sensitive to touch and smell)
Antennae have sensory receptors that help in monitoring the environment.
Hypognathous mouth
Anterior end of the head bears appendages forming biting and chewing type of mouth
parts
Mouthparts
1) Labrum [upper lip]
2) Pair of Mandibles
3) Pair of Maxillae
4) Labium [lower lip]
5) Hypopharynx [tongue] (median flexible lobe)
Thorax has 3 parts
1) Prothorax (Anterior)
2) Mesothorax
3) Metathorax (Posterior)
2 pair of wings
1st from mesothorax fore wings
2nd from metathorax hind wings
Forewings are larger than hind wings.
Not used for flight, protect the hind wings Wing covers / Tegmina / Elytra
Metathoracic wings are used in flight
Each thoracic segment bears a pair of jointed walking legs (Hexapoda) – 3 pairs of
legs
1) Pro – legs
2) Meso – legs
3) Meta – legs
Abdomen
The abdomen in both males and females consist of 10 segments. (Adults) and 11
segments (Embryo)
4 sclerites = 1 Targum + 1 Sternum + 2 Pleura
Males bear a pair of short, thread-like anal styles which are absent in females. 9 th
sternum
Sensitive to touch, unjointed outgrowth
In both sexes, the 10th segment bears a pair of jointed filamentous structures called
anal cerci.
Anal cerci are sensitive to sound and vibrations
In both sexes genital aperture is surrounded by Gonapophyses / Phallomeres
(Sclerites)
Anus @ 10th abdominal segment below Tergum
Genital aperture
Male: below anus b/w 10th and 9th sternum
Female: opens into genital chamber
ANATOMY
1) DIGESTIVE & EXCRETORY SYSTEM
Alimentary canal = Foregut (cuticle) (Stomadaeum) + Midgut (Mesenteron) + Hindgut
(Proctodaeum)
Stomodaeum and proctodaeum are formed by ectoderm and are lined by cuticle
Mesenteron develops from endoderm, cuticle (-)
Mouth —> Pharynx —-> Oesophagus —-> Crop ——> Gizzard / Proventriculus ——>
Mesenteron —> Ileum —> Colon —> Rectum —> Anus
Paired & bilobed salivary glands (+) on each side of oesophagus and crop.
Crop is used for storing of food
Crop is the largest part of foregut
Extends up to 3rd / 4th abdominal segment
Gizzard
Outer layer – Thick circular muscle
Inner layer – thick cuticle forms six chitinous plate (TEETH)
Helps in grinding of food particles
A ring of 6 – 8 blind tubule Hepatic / Gastric caeca @ junction of foregut and midgut
Gastric caeca secrete digestive juice
A ring of 100 – 150 yellow-coloured thin filaments Malpighian tubules @ junction of
midgut and hindgut
It is lined by glandular and ciliated cells
Removal of excretory substance from haemolymph
Nitrogenous waste products Uric Acid
It is excreted out through hind gut
Role of other organs in excretion = fat body + Nephrocytes + Urecose gland (male
only)
The hindgut is broader than the midgut.
Hindgut = Ileum + Colon + Rectum
Rectum Anus
2) VASCULAR SYSTEM
Open type
Poorly developed blood vessels ——> open into HAEMOCOEL (body cavity)
blood filled spaces - sinuses
Visceral organs located in haemocoel are bathed in haemolymph (blood)
Haemolymph = colourless plasma + haemocytes (phagocytes, remove metabolic
wastes)
Haemolymph is devoid of respiratory pigment hence does not assist in respiration.
Heart – elongated muscular tube, mid – dorsal line of thorax and abdomen.
Anterior – open and posterior – closed
13 funnel – shaped contractile chambers, neurogenic
Anterior aorta – 1st chamber forms anterior aorta —leading to —-> sinuses
@ posterior end of each chamber pair of Ostia is laterally +
Receives blood from sinuses through Ostia (guarded by valves)
Blood is pumped anteriorly only by contraction and relaxation of fan – shaped
paired muscles – Alary muscles
3) Respiratory system
Blood isn’t used for respiration.
Tracheal system ——> Spiracles / Stigmata (10 pairs of small holes) @ lateral side
of body
Stigmata is guarded by hair to keep out dirt.
Opening of spiracles is regulated by SPHINCTERS.
Spiracle tracheal chamber tracheal trunk
Haemocoel = air tubes – trachea ——> Branching tubes (tracheal tubes —->
tracheoles) carry oxygen from the air to all parts.
Exchange of gas @ tracheoles by diffusion
Some CO2 leave through trachea and spiracles but major part leaves through
cuticular covering of the body
Rsn: CO2 can diffuse more readily through chitin than O2.
4) Nervous System
Brain Supra – oesophageal ganglion (large bilobed) @ above oesophagus
It supplies nerves to antennae and compound eyes
Sub – oesophageal ganglion @ below oesophagus
(Connected by paired longitudinal connectives on ventral side)
9 ganglia = 3 (thorax) + 6 (abdomen)
If the head of the cockroach is cut – off, it will still live as long as one week.
5) SENSORY ORGANS
1) Antennae
2) Compound eyes
3) Maxillary palps
4) Labial palps
5) Anal cerci
Eyes @ dorsal surface of head
Each eye = 2000 hexagonal ommatidia (receives several images of an object)
(Mosaic vision – more sensitivity and less resolution) —> common during night
(Nocturnal vision)
Reproductive system
Dioecious
Male
Pair of testes @ lateral side in 4th – 6th abdomen segments.
Testis vas deferens seminal vesicles ejaculatory duct male ganopore
Genital pouch Phallomere
Male ganapore is @ ventral to anus
Mushroom shaped gland (Utricular gland) @ 6th – 7th abdomen segment
It surrounds the junction of vas deferens & ejaculatory duct.
Fnx: accessory reproductive gland nourishes sperms
Phallic / Conglobate gland
Below ejaculatory duct, reach anterior up to 5 th abdominal segment.
Secretes outer layer of spermatophore
Genital pouch
Hind end of abdomen dorsal lay by 9th and 10th terga and ventrally by 9th sternum.
External genitalia: male ganapophysis / phallomere
- Chitinous
- Asymmetrical
- Surrounds male ganapore
Sperms stored @ seminal vesicle
Sperms glued together as spermatophores —-> discharged during copulation
Female
Pair of ovaries @ lateral side 2nd – 6th abdominal segments.
Ovary = 8 ovarian tubules / ovarioles
Ovarioles has developing ova.
Ovarioles Oviduct vagina genital chamber
Pair of Spermatheca @ 6th segment (filled with spermatozoa received from male)
Spermatheca —> genital chamber
Collaterail gland
Secrete hard egg – case / Oothecae around eggs
Genital pouch / chamber / brood
Hind end
7th, 8th and 9th sternum
2 parts
1) Small anterior part – female gonopore + pores of Spermatheca + collaterial gland
= Genital atrium
2) Large posterior part – Oothecae is formed = Vestibulum / Oothecal chamber
External genitalia / Ovipositor
3 pairs of plate – like chitinous ganapophyses
(+) b.w female genital pore and anus
Fertilised eggs are encased in capsules Oothecae (dark red – blackish brown)
Oothecae 3/8” (8mm long)
Oothecae is dropped to a crack / crevice /high relative humidity @ near food source
Females produce 9 – 10 Oothecae
1 Oothecae – 14 to 16 eggs
The development of P. Americana is paurometabolous (development through
nymphal stage)
(Gradual metamorphosis)
Nymphs' alike adults
Nymphs ——> moulting X 13 times ——> Adult
The next to last nymphal stage have wing pads but only adults have wings.