Periplaneta americana (Cockroach)

The largest species of cockroach that is frequently seen in homes is the American cockroach (Periplaneta americana), which is frequently regarded as a pest. Although it is not a real waterbug because it is neither aquatic nor hemipteran, it is referred to as the “waterbug” in some parts of the United States. It is also referred to as the Bombay canary, kakerlac, and ship cockroach.It is frequently mistaken for a palmetto bug.

American cockroaches are indigenous to Africa and the Middle East, despite their name. It is thought that human commercial practices, like as the Atlantic slave trade, brought them to the Americas only around the 17th century.

Contents hide

1) Classification of Periplaneta americana (Cockroach)

2) Habit and habitat

3) Distribution

4) Comments on Periplaneta americana

5) Economic value

6) Identification

Classification of Periplaneta americana (Cockroach)

Phylum – Arthropoda (Jointed Appendages)

Class – Insecta (3 pairs of legs.)

Sub-class – Pterygota (Winged insects.)

Division – Exopterygota (Wings develop externally.)

Order – Orthoptera (Straight wings.)

Genus – Periplaneta

Species – americana (Common Cockroach)

Habit and habitat

Periplaneta americana is a nocturnal creature, avoiding the daylight and found in warm and damp places like kitchens, bakeries, hotels, restaurants, godowns, stores, channels and ships, etc.

Distribution

It is found in India, Asia and U:S.A. It has original home in Mexico but has travelled with man to all parts of the world. They flourish chiefly in tropical damp forests but occur throughout the world.

Comments on Periplaneta americana

Commonly called as cockroach.
Body reddish brown in colour measuring 2.5 cm in length.
Body elongated bilaterally symmetrical dorsoventrally flattened.
Body strongly differentiated into dorsal and ventral surface and divided into head, thorax and abdomen.
Dorsal surface has following structures :
- Head is slightly movable containing of a pair of long sensory antennae and pair of compound.
- Thorax divisible into prothorax mesothorax and metathorax. Thorax contains 3 pairs of walking legs, a pair of anterior forewing, a pair of posterior hind wings. At rest wings remain folded and completely cover thorax and abdomen.
- Abdomen contains 10 segments.
Ventral surface shows following structures:
- Tentacles and eyes prominent in head.
- Head contains chewing type of clearly visible mouth parts. mouth parts coxa femur tibia trochanter tarsus
- Three pairs of legs in thorax, foreleg, middle leg and hind leg. Each contains coxa, trochantex, femur, tibia, tarsus, claws and pulvillus.
Male and female cockroaches are distinguished by the appendages in 10th abdominal segment.
Male cockroach has a pair of segmented anal cerci on sides and a pairs of unsegmented anal styles in 10th abdominal segment.
Female cockroach has anal cerci and ovipositor valves.

Periplaneta americana - American cockroach

Economic value

These are the most important insect pests of human habitations destroying food and other things leaving behind a disagreable odour. They are regarded on general nuisance and sign of unclean conditions. Cockroaches are not devoid of goodness because they are extensively used for dissections to study invertebrate anatomy. They are also extensively used for physiological, biochemical, and toxicological researches in insects

Identification

The cockroaches are so characteristic that there is no difficulty in indentifying them

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