COCKROACH
– AN AMAZING INSECT
AN
INSECT THAT HAS BEATEN EVOLUTION WITHOUT ANY CHANGE
Many a times we would have encountered this amazing
animal called COCKROACH, without
realizing that it is “more a remarkable
animal” than any other animal we can see in a zoo; but yet HUMBLE , and goes
about its life without bothering about any happenings around.
Cockroach is one of the WORLD’s OLDEST INHABITANT, and
the history of life has passed before its small sharp simple eyes as well as
compound eyes.
SYSTEMATIC POSITION:
|
Kingdom
|
Animalia
|
|
Sub-Kingdom
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Invertebrata
|
|
Phylum
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Arthropoda
|
|
Class
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Insecta
(Hexapoda)
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|
Order
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Orthoptera
|
|
Family
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Balattidae
|
|
Genus
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Periplaneta
|
|
Species
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americana
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COCKROACH was there to greet the ARRIVAL OF
DINOSAURS 170 MILLION YEARS AGO; he was there to bid FAREWELL TO DINOSAURS 100
MILLIONS AFTER.
COCKROACH IS AN AMAZIN ANMAL, THAT HAS LEARNT ABOUT
SURVIVAL THAN HAS ANY OTHER ANIMAL IN THE WORLD.
The COCKROACH is an amazing insect in the universe.
Having a flat body they come under the classification
BLATIDS. Cockroaches easily skitter away even when they are pressed hard under
an elephant’s foot . They easily move away after the pressure is removed.
They can easily fit in crevices and underneath
cleavages (CRYPTIC HABITAT) and walk into it with its flat body.
Cockroaches live anywhere from the hot Sahara to the
cold Arctic and Antarctic.
Cockroaches have been found in the comfort of Modern
TVs, Radios &Transistors, Balances
and weighing machines in grocery shops etc, where the machine parts provide
warmth and food in the form of wax, grease and other paraffin, that are an acceptable diet for them.
It must be remembered that of the 3500 known species of
COCKROACHES , hardly 1 % seek human beings, their homes and environment as their
neighbours.
Cockroach’s great survival is mainly due to its
catholicity of food tastes .It can survive on ant thing from, flower buds, shoe
leather, glues that hold Card boards together, paints, beer, clothes, and whatever
you name. Cockroaches even eat its own cast of skin due to molting.
Cockroach’s survival is also due to its ability to
fast, remain without food and water; two months on water alone, five months on
dry food alone; and without any food and water for more than a month.
Most of us desist Cockroaches as filthy mainly due to
their fetid odour. This odour is actually responsible for his survival as many
predators of cockroaches too desist this odour and refuse to eat him. But
Scorpions due the lack of scent organs relish and eat cockroaches.
Some of the forest dwelling tropical species of
Cockroach are as large as small bird having 5 cm body length and a wing span of
13-14 cms.
Almost all cockroach species have wings. They fly only
when all other means of escape fails.
Their main strength lies in its six long and powerful
legs which takes them away from danger fast.
The most remarkable equipment that a cockroach has is
its two Antennae , which are longer than
the cockroach itself. These antennae help the cockroach feel its way in the
dark.
The antennae of cockroach contain olfactory cells that
help in detecting food and water.
The antennae also plays a key role in reproduction as
they use they use they stroke their
antennae to stimulate sexual interest in their partner.
Cockroaches are nocturnal insect (ACTIVE IN NIGHT).
This habit helps the cockroach to avoid potential predators.
His three simple eyes and two compound eyes are very
sensitive.
COCHROACHES ARE A PROLIFIC BREEDER. They reproduce very
fast and increase their number. Some records shoe that they reproduced a record
180 offspring in about 303 days. There are reports of recovering as many as
475000 dead cockroaches from a barrack after fumigation.
The female cockroaches seem to be good mothers. Some
species hatch eggs within their bodies and produce live roachlings. Most
cockroaches carry a purse shaped egg sack with 12 to 40 eggs
These egg sacs
protrude from their abdomen and are laid pastes to a corner of tree or wall. This
hatch away to give white roachings that can survive about a week without food.
But
usually the mother cockroach deposits her egg sac near some food source and
camouflages it.
GREAT ASTRONAUT
Cockroaches can stand 100 times the nuclear radiation
that human beings can endure.
A human being blacks out at 12 times EARTH’s gravity
and his body suffers structural damage at 18 times Earth’s gravitational force.
Cockroaches can stand 100 times Earth’s gravitational pull
for four hours and go about his business as usual.
USEFUL RESEARCH ANIMAL
As cockroaches are a hardy insect its use is valuable
in cancer, heart diseases and nutritional research.
Many species help us by consuming dead vegetation that
would otherwise clog forests.
Their anatomy has not changed from the beginning ,
though other animal species evolved.
The only animal (insect) whose direct ancestors have
seen dinosaurs among others that is extinct today
Some SIX LEGGED INSECTS ARE KNOWN FOR THEIR
PEDAGOGICAL ACHIEVEMENTS..
Honey bees are known for their industry.
Grass hoppers are known for their joy of living.
COCKROACH , nothing special other than living a simple
life minding its own business, that has paid of in preserving its ORIGINALITY
OF CREATION DURING THE COURSE OF 350 MILLION YEARS.
