Cockroaches Flashcards
Order of cockroaches
Blattodea
Cockroaches aggregate in groups and share food and digestive fluids but are not
eusocial - they do not have a division of labor like termites and other social insects
How many species of cockroaches are found in the U.S.?
About 70
Two species of cockroaches that are known to live indoors exclusively
German and brown-banded
Cockroaches can spread pathogens that cause diseases like
Salmonella
Cockroaches produce
allergens that can affect human health
Allergens produced by cockroaches come from
proteins found in cockroach feces, shed exoskeletons, and their dead bodies, which become airborne in the confined space of an infested home
Cockroaches develop via
gradual metamorphosis
The only cockroach species to carry the ootheca internally until the nymphs hatch, giving the appearance of a live birth
Surinam
Why does cockroach feces attract nymphs and other adults to their harborage areas?
aggregation pheromones
The eating of feces
coprophagy - an important means for young cockroaches to obtain nutrition
One reason why cockroach bait is so effective?
foraging cockroaches defecate some of the bait before they die, and first instar nymphs then consume it and die
Believed to contribute to the distribution of insecticides among cockroaches in harborage areas
necrophagy (the eating of one’s dead) and cannibalism
Produce five or more ootheca containing as many as 50 eggs over the course of a year
German
What makes cockroaches likely candidates for developing insecticide resistance?
their high reproductive potential
Control strategies should include applications of
baits, dusts, and sprays in and around harborage areas