(Insecta: Blattodea:

Blattidae)
LECTURER: DR CRISELDA S. BATTAD
August 14, 2017 MW ; August 15, 2017 TTh
Blattodea
 omnivorous
Hemimetabolous
cursorial and move rapidly
have flattened bodies
head concealed from above by the
pronotum.
 have two pairs of wings
 Reference: http://agrilife.org/4-hentomology/junior-insect-
orders/blattodea/
Hemimetabolism incomplete metamorphosis

The life cycle from egg to adult averages about 600

days and the adult life span may be another 400
days.
http://entnemdept.ufl.edu/creatures/urban/roaches/american_cockroach.htm
Periplaneta americana (Linnaeus)

Aka as American cockroach

Average length = 4 cm (40mm)
Adult male American Adult female American
cockroach Periplaneta cockroach Periplaneta
americana (Linnaeus). Americana (Linnaeus)

Photograph by P.G. Koehler, University of Florida

Adult male American cockroach, Periplaneta
americana (Linnaeus), cerci and stylets (ventral
view)

Photograph by P.G. Koehler, University of Florida.

 Adult female German cockroach, Blattella
germanica (Linnaeus), with ootheca

Adult female German cockroach, Blattella

Adult male German cockroach, Blattella
germanica (Linnaeus). Photograph by P.G. Koehler,
germanica (Linnaeus). Photograph by P.G.
University of Florida.
Koehler, University of Florida
 German cockroach Blatella germanica
The entire life cycle is completed in about 100
days.
However, factors such as temperature, nutritional
status, and strain differences may influence the
time required to complete a life cycle.

A typical egg case contains 30 to 40 eggs. The egg

case is a tiny, brown, purse-shaped capsule. It is
about 8 mm long, 3 mm high, and 2 mm wide.
Blatella germanica

The number of molts required to reach the adult

stage varies, but the most frequently reported
number of molts is six.
The stage between molts is called an instar. At
room temperature nymphs complete development
in about 60 days.
All developmental stages actively forage for food
and water.
 Asian cockroach
The Asian cockroach looks very much like a
German cockroach, except it flies.
 Asian cockroaches live outside and are
attracted to the lights from buildings.
They will fly to porch lights and find their way
inside.
Once inside, however, their survival is poor, like
other outdoor cockroaches.
 Blatta orientalis cockroach
 oriental cockroach is approximately 1 inch long (22
to 27mm) and dark brown to black.
 Males have wings covering 3/4 of their body, and
the female has very short (rudimentary) wings.
 The inner wing folds like a fan and is membranous.
 The outer part of the wing is narrow, leathery and
thick.
 The styli between a pair of jointed cerci can identify
the male. Both the male and female are flightless.

Female oriental cockroach, Blatta orientalis Linnaeus. Photograph by Rebecca W. Baldwin, University of
Florida
 ORIENTAL COCKROACH

Male Blata orientalis Female Blata oreientalis

Males have wings covering 3/4 of their body, and the female has very short (rudimentary) wings.
cockroach produces an average of eight egg capsules per lifetime
carried from 12 hours to five days and then deposited in a warm sheltered environment
 Medical and Economic Significance

 American cockroaches can become a public health

problem due to their association with human waste and
disease and their ability to move from sewers into homes
and commercial establishments
 The cockroach is found in caves, mines, privies, latrines,
cesspools, sewers, sewage treatment plants, and dumps
(Bell and Adiyodi 1981). Their presence in these habitats is
of epidemiological significance.
 At least 22 species of pathogenic human bacteria, viruses,
fungi, and protozoans, five species of helminthic worms,
have been isolated from field collected American
cockroaches (Rust et. al. 1991).
 Pathogens carried by cockroaches
 Aeromonas species cause wound and other infections, diarrhea.
 Alcaligenes faecalis causes of gastroenteritis, urinary tract infections.
 Bacillus cerreus causes food poisoning.
 Bacillus subtilis causes conjunctivitis.
 Campylobacter jejuni causes enteritis.
 Clostridium perfringens causes food poisoning, gas gangrene.
 Enterobacter species cause bacteremia (temporary presence of bacteria in the blood, which is
commonly followed by the development of various infections including abscesses).
 Enterococcus species cause urinary tract and wound infections. Cockroaches in the confined swine
production environment may act as vectors and/or reservoirs of antibiotic resistant enterococci.
 Escherichia coli causes diarrhea, wound infections.
 Helicobacter hepaticus, animal and human pathogen associated with inflammation of gallbladder
(cholecystitis), gallbladder stones and gallbladder cancer.14,15
 Klebsiella species cause pneumonia and urinary tract infections.
 Mycobacterium leprae causes leprosy.
 Morganella morganii causes wound infections.
 Nocardia species cause actinomycetoma (chronic infection of the skin and underlying tissues).
 Oligella urethralis, may cause bacteremia, septic arthritis that mimics gonococcal arthritis, and
peritonitis.4
 Pantoea species cause wound infections.
 Proteus rettgeri causes wound infections.
 Proteus vulgaris causes wound infections.
 Proteus mirabilis causes wound infections, gastroenteritis.
 Pseudomonas species cause respiratory infections, gastroenteritis.
 Salmonella cause gastroenteritis, food poisoning
 Salmonella typhi causes typhoid.
 Salmonella pyogenes causes pneumonia.
 Serratia species cause food poisoning.
 Shigella dysenteriae causes disentery.
 Sphyngobacterium species cause sepsis (presence in the blood or other tissues of
pathogenic microorganisms or their toxins).
 Staphylococcus aureus causes wound infections, skin infections, infections of internal organ.
 Staphylococcus epidermalis causes wound infections.
 Streptococcus faecalis and other species cause pneumonia.
 Chlamydia trachomatis causes trachoma, infectious eye disease, the leading cause of the
world's infectious blindness. Globally, 41 million people suffer from active infection, and
nearly 8 million people are visually impaired as a result of this disease.
 Yersinia pestis (isolated from oriental cockroach), causes plague.

http://www.gopetsamerica.com/diseases/diseases-spread-by-cockroaches.aspx
 Management of cockroaches

 Several hymenopteran natural enemies of the American cockroach

have been found (Suiter et. al. 1998).
 These parasitic wasps deposit their eggs in the cockroach ootheca
preventing the emergence of cockroach nymphs.
 Aprostocetus hagenowii (Ratzeburg) is one of several parasitic
wasps that attack American cockroach, Periplaneta
americana (Linnaeus), oothecae.

 Photograph by Pest Control magazine (used with permission).

 Management of cockroahes
Other means of management are insecticides that can be
applied to basement walls, wood scraps, and other
infested locations.
Residual sprays can be applied inside and around the
perimeter of an infested structure.
When insecticides and sprays are used to manage
cockroach populations they may ultimately kill off the
parasitic wasps.
Loose, toxic, pellet baits are extremely effective in
controlling America cockroach populations