• Cockroaches are brown or black bodied insects that belong to the class Insecta of Phylum Arthropoda.
• Bright yellow, red and green coloured cockroaches have also been reported in tropical regions.
• Their size ranges from ¼ inches to 3 inches (0.6 to 7.6 cm) and they have long antennae, legs and a flat extension of upper body wall
that covers the head.
• They are nocturnal omnivores that live in damp places worldwide.
• Cockroaches have become pests in human homes and can spread diseases.
• The common cockroach species Periplaneta americana has adults that are 34-53 mm long. The wings extend beyond the abdomen in
males.
• The cockroach body is segmented into three regions: the head, thorax, and abdomen.
• The entire body is covered by a hard chitinous exoskeleton that is brown in color.
• The exoskeleton has hardened plates called sclerites (tergites dorsally and sternites ventrally) that are joined by a thin and flexible
articular membrane (arthrodial membrane)..
• The head is triangular in shape and located anteriorly at right angles to the longitudinal body axis.
• The head is formed by the fusion of six segments and shows great mobility due to a flexible neck.
• The head capsule bears a pair of compound eyes and a pair of antennae from membranous sockets lying in front of eyes that help in
monitoring the environment.
• The anterior end of the head contains mouthparts for biting and chewing consisting of:
- A labrum (upper lip)
- A pair of mandibles
- A pair of maxillae
- A labium (lower lip)
- A hypopharynx acting as a tongue within the mouthparts cavity
• Thorax consists of three parts - prothorax, mesothorax and metathorax.
• The head is connected to the thorax by a short extension called the neck.
• Each thoracic segment has a pair of walking legs.
• The first pair of wings arise from the mesothorax and the second pair from the metathorax.
• The forewings from the mesothorax are called tegmina. They are dark, opaque and cover the hind wings when at rest.
• The hind wings are transparent and membranous. They are used for flight.
COCKROACH (PERIPLANETA AMERICANA)
BASIC MORPHOLOGY
MORPHOLOGY
MORPHOLOGY OF BODY
MORPHOLOGY OF HEAD
MORPHOLOGY OF THORAX
