Probably everyone knows what a home cockroach looks like, since they are often found not only in an apartment, but even in an office building or a hotel. They are unique in that they can adapt to any habitat. Some argue that even a nuclear explosion is not terrible for them. Domestic cockroach has wings
To date, more than 4 thousand species of these insects are known. Seeing them at home, we involuntarily ask ourselves questions, do they have wings? Can they fly? And if so, how long can such a flight last?
Types of cockroaches
Types of flying cockroaches
Over 300 million years of existence, representatives of the order of cockroaches have significantly reduced the ovipositor and partially changed the wings. In most modern species, one pair of wings has evolved into strong elytra, while the other has been partially reduced. In general, the flight functions were preserved in the representatives of the tropical fauna.
Green banana cockroach
Representatives of the species Panchlora nivea are found in the rainforests of the Caribbean, Cuba and Florida. They are small in size 17-22 mm. Light green adults jump and fly beautifully, larvae prefer to bury themselves in the ground. In the evening, adults actively fly into the light, during the day they fly up to flowering banana palms for nectar. The larvae feed on plant debris.
Megaloblatta longipennis
Inhabitants of South America (Ecuador, Peru) are the largest cockroaches with wings. Their body length is 76-95 mm, the wingspan is up to 200 mm. Insects are listed in the Guinness Book of Records. The second characteristic feature of the species is the high fecundity of the female. During her life, she lays about 50 cocoons with eggs, giving rise to a whole colony.
Giant cave (forest) cockroach or Blaberus giganteus
Insects are found in the forests of Central and South America. The adults live in trees, and the larvae are buried in the litter. Females are larger than males, body length is 8 cm and 7 cm, respectively. Wings are well developed insects fly from branch to branch, plan from a height. Lovers of exoticism often turn on Blabers.
Information. When keeping flying cockroaches as pets, the terrarium must be covered with a net.
Flying cockroaches use their wings during courtship courtship of the female. To attract a partner, not only pheromones are used, but special movements. The male raises wide transparent wings, flaps them, making a chirping sound at the same time. If the female partner accepts courtship, the wings rise fully and she climbs onto the male's back.
Saussure's turtle
Insects are native to Central Asia and live in clay deserts. The species has developed sexual dimorphism. Females are rounded, convex, resembling turtles. Body length 45-50 mm. Their wings have atrophied. Males are oval, dark, have long developed elytra. Retained the ability to fly.
Lapland cockroach
European species introduced to the United States. Insects are small in size, males 13-14 mm, females 9-10 mm. Males prefer to spend time in low trees and bushes, flutter between branches. Females keep in litter.
Asian cockroach
Outwardly, the insects are the twins of the Prusaks; in some cases, interspecific crossing was noted.They live in the subtropical regions of Asia. The species was introduced to the United States, where it spread to the southern states. The adults have long wings and actively fly into the light. The habitats are herbaceous thickets and deciduous litter.
Information. The species Blattella asahinai is not synanthropic, but under unfavorable conditions it can settle in a human dwelling.
Does a cockroach's diet depend on its ability to fly?
Cockroaches with wings
Nobody saw the Prussians hovering in the air, but cockroaches fly. Only they do it rarely, in case of serious danger. The most famous in our area
capable of diving from a height during a fire. They rise into the air to a small height during the mating season. In other situations, they prefer to run fast.
When asked if cockroaches can fly, the answer is “Yes”. But insects do not use these abilities to move from one apartment to another, do not travel long distances by air in search of food.
The cockroach is not a bird; it does not need to catch its prey on the fly. In nature, males move through the air in search of females, and forage is obtained on the ground. The basis of the diet of these insects is rotting organic matter. If you have to starve, a cockroach can go without food for a whole month.
The Prussians and their domestic relatives eat whatever they find edible: book bindings, glue, genuine leather goods, dust, natural textiles and even soap. And, of course, any food leftovers. That is why cockroaches are difficult to remove even from houses where cleanliness and hygiene are carefully monitored.
Parasitic insects can come from sewers where they feed on feces. Surprisingly tenacious, they are immune to many infections and even high doses of radiation, but they can bring with them a whole bunch of dangerous diseases.
Types of domestic cockroaches
Scientists have found and classified about 5,000 species of cockroaches. Only 30 of them live in close interaction with humans. The synanthropic species have found in human homes everything they need to survive. They received a source of heat, a source of food and water. Cockroaches are considered true synanthropes, they cannot exist in natural conditions. In temperate latitudes, heat-loving insects survive only in heated buildings.
Arthropods are comfortable next to humans, and for us they are a threat to health. On their limbs, insects carry almost 40 species of pathogenic bacteria, helminth eggs, fungi. Pathogenic microorganisms do not pose a danger to them, even if ingested. A person can become infected with dysentery, tuberculosis, hepatitis, diphtheria and other diseases. Particles of the chitinous cover of molting larvae provoke allergies. Sinanthropes are able to eat through the epidermis. In conditions of lack of food and moisture, they bite homeowners.
The most widespread are two types of cockroaches: red (Blattella germanica) and black (Blatta orientalis). The Prussians, who are the smallest representatives of the group, rank first in terms of prevalence. Red pests are found in apartments, offices, hospitals, dormitories. The body of the imago is elongated, reddish-yellow, with dark stripes on the pronotum. The elytra are narrow, reaching the apex of the abdomen. Do not fly.
Black cockroaches are rivals of the Prussians in the struggle for territory. Larger individuals (18-30 mm) lose to red ones due to lack of care for the offspring. Abandoned egg capsules are defenseless against attacks by omnivorous insects. The body of males is slender, brownish, in females it is stocky, black. Elytra and wings of insects are shortened, poorly developed.
Representatives of the Periplaneta Americana species appeared in Russia not so long ago. Africa is considered the birthplace of insects, but as real cosmopolitans they spread to other continents. The body of the imago is colored reddish-brown or brown.It is the largest species in the northern latitudes, the length of adults is 28-44 mm. American cockroaches can fly. They inhabit warm and humid rooms, prefer basements and communication channels.
How to distinguish a red cockroach from an American
A person far from entomology will easily confuse a Prusak and an "American." Both species have a fairly narrow body and are colored in different shades of brown. Only American cockroaches are shiny, with a chocolate or red tint, and the Prusaks are duller, brownish-red.
Another difference is in size. The body size of an adult Prusak is only 1-1.6 cm, and American cockroaches grow in length up to 3.5-5 cm.
Red cockroaches are typical synanthropes and are rare outside human dwellings. Their American relatives are more adapted to life in the wild, willingly settling in public institutions and underground utilities. Therefore, the personnel serving the tunnels and basements will willingly share their observations whether cockroaches can fly, using the example of the ubiquitous "American".
The behavior of these insects is also different. The Prussians are harmless, except for the infection they carry. But the Americans will not surrender without a fight and may bite. All cockroach species have a developed gnawing mouth apparatus equipped with powerful jaws with chitinous teeth, and the "Americans" successfully use them for protection. And if we add here the flying ability, then these insects seem to be practically invulnerable.
We offer you to familiarize yourself with: Devices for controlling cockroaches
Insect structure
All representatives of the order of cockroaches have a similar structure. It has three main parts: head, chest, and abdomen. The body is flattened, oval. Length in the range of 9-95 mm. The head is triangular, covered from above by the pronotum. The mouth apparatus is of a gnawing type, directed downward. Antennae are long, bristle-shaped. Elytra with wings and 3 pairs of limbs are attached to the segments of the chest. The abdomen is elongated, flat, with well-defined segments.
The larvae are a smaller copy of the imago. Their distinctive feature is the absence of wings. The offspring acquire an organ after changing several ages and molts, upon reaching puberty.
Insects have two pairs of wings located on the segments of the chest. As a result of evolution, the former turned into leathery elytra. They do not take part in the flight. In resting states, they fold compactly on the back, in some cases they partially overlap each other. The organ performs a covering function. The hind wings of cockroaches are a thin chitinous plate with veins and trachea. They are webbed and fold in a fan-like manner.
Information. Sexual dimorphism of insects is often manifested in the presence and structure of the wings. In females, the organ is usually less developed or completely reduced.
The variety of the cockroach genus
Science knows at least seven thousand species of cockroaches. Almost all of them have wings. However, not everyone has the ability to fly. Only a few species that live in the wild can boast such a privilege. What is the function of the wings of these insects?
Do cockroaches bite?
What are cockroaches afraid of?
Cockroach Madagascar keeping at home
Flightless cockroaches of our latitudes
The parasites that we are used to seeing in our homes as pests are represented by three types: red, kitchen or black, American. All of them have small wings on the abdomen, except for Madagascar.
However, for what need have they been abandoned by evolution? Do these domestic cockroaches fly or not?
Red Prussians
Red Prussians have wings that absorb jumping.
In Russia, red cockroaches were christened Prussians, believing that these pests migrated from Prussia.Although the Europeans believe that they migrated to them from Russia.
Why, having wings, these cockroaches do not fly? Having settled inside our homes, the red cockroach has quite favorable conditions for its existence and reproduction: heat, food base, water.
Therefore, they do not need to fly long distances in order to find food.
Prusaks are not aggressive insects. At the hint of the slightest threat, they flee. And the wings help them in this, which serve as a kind of accelerators while jumping over considerable distances.
The Prussians can also spread their wings, parrying when falling.
During the mating season, the female Prusak spreads her wings and shakes them. In response to this, in order to be selected, males fly low above the surface and also shake them.
In other words, these types of parasites use their wings for a very short time.
Black (kitchen)
Inside our homes, this type of cockroach is much less common than the Prusak.
The peak of their activity coincides with the dark time of the day. In the daytime, they usually hide in burrows, crevices.
Like their relatives, they have a pair of wings and elytra, which are also not used for their intended purpose. Moreover, only adults have wings, and the body of the larvae is covered with chitinous formation.
Flying indoor cockroach
Although a good half of flying cockroaches live mainly in the tropics, where the climate is warm, however, in our latitudes, one species of these insects can be found that is able to fly.
The American cockroach has dense and fairly large wings. They provide flight over considerable distances.
This type of insect was accidentally transported to America from tropical countries on ships. Later, these insects migrated to all countries of the world by various types of transport.
Tropical Prusak is aggressive, but dies at low temperatures
Insects of this family very skillfully adapt to a variety of environmental conditions. Even the increased background radiation does not frighten them.
This species is very aggressive. People can suffer from the bites of this parasite.
Its weak point is the lowered air temperature. Death occurs at 0 degrees.
Do domestic cockroaches fly?
The most common type of domestic insect, the Prusak, is equipped with yellowish long wings. The organ is developed in both sexes, but it is not used for flights. The wings are spread when falling from a height to soften the blow. Long running legs are enough for insects. They are capable of speeds up to 4 km / h. Using a suction cup on its feet, pests move along vertical surfaces and the ceiling.
In males of the black cockroach, the elytra reach 2/3 of the abdomen, brownish wings of this size. The flying organ of females is reduced, the wings are in an embryonic state. Elytra are thin, lanceolate, do not reach the abdomen. Such characteristics exclude the possibility of flight.
Two poorly distributed synanthropic insect species can fly. The male furniture cockroach is endowed with long developed wings and elytra. In length, they exceed the size of the body of an arthropod. Females have shortened wings. East Asian or Australian cockroaches of both sexes show the ability to fly.
Flying cockroaches are exotic for the inhabitants of temperate climates. You can get acquainted with them in the collections of tropical fauna lovers.
Control methods
“Cockroaches have settled, but do not want to move out,” - apt phrase from the legendary blockbuster “Men in Black” very accurately reflects the essence of these insects. The Prussians are able to survive after a nuclear explosion, so it is not surprising that they adapt to any conditions and new insecticides.
When there are few cockroaches, baits, traps, crayons and aerosols work effectively.Better to give preference to proven brands: "Raid", "Raptor", "Kombat".
I don’t want to wonder if cockroaches can fly, scooping up another scoop of dead insects. But if the colony has grown catastrophically, pest controllers will have to be called. Responsible companies provide quality services to ensure complete elimination of dangerous pests.
Interesting Facts
Cockroaches are one of the types of creatures to which the title "one of the most ..." can rightfully be attributed. This is one of the most hardy insect species, capable of living without food for a month, and without drinking for a week. One of the most harmful species that cause damage to plants that carry dangerous infections. However, the uniqueness of these insects is not only this.
From the life of insects
The female insect is capable of self-conception after one mating
Females of this insect species can, after a single conception from the outside, conceive on their own more than once, thanks to their ability to preserve the seed.
It has been reliably calculated that these insects emit gases every 15 minutes. After death, gases are emitted for another 18 hours. The percentage of methane they emit is approaching 20. In other words, the contribution of cockroaches to global warming is relatively large.
These parasites continue to live decapitated. Because their respiratory organs are not the nose, but the entire surface of the body.
