CATDOLL : CATDOLL: What is the difference between cockroaches and crickets?

What is the difference between cockroaches and crickets?

1. Different forms

1. Cockroach: Flat body, dark brown, usually medium size. Small, movable head. Long filamentous antennae, well-developed compound eyes. Flat wings, leathery forewings and membranous hindwings, front and back wings are basically the same size, covering the back of the abdomen; some species are wingless. Not good at flying, but can run fast.

2. Crickets: Species of the family Gryllidae are larger than 3mm in length. Their body color varies greatly, mostly from yellowish brown to dark brown, or green, yellow, etc. There are few with uniform body color, and most are variegated. Their bodies are not scaly. They have round heads, broad chests, and slender antennae. They have chewing mouthparts. The antennal peduncle is mostly round shield-shaped, narrower than or equal to the frontal process; a few groups are long shield-shaped, larger, and wider than the frontal process.

2. Distribution

1. Cockroaches: Mainly distributed in tropical and subtropical areas, living in the wild or indoors.

2. Crickets: Crickets are widely distributed all over the country, and are more common in provinces south of the Yellow River. They like to live on hillsides, fields, piles of rocks and grass where the soil is slightly moist.

3. Living habits

1. Cockroaches: They like warmth and moisture, like darkness and fear light, hide during the day and come out at night. They have the habit of living in groups and are omnivorous insects.

2. Crickets: Crickets live in burrows, often on the ground, under bricks and stones, in earth holes, and among grass. They are active at night. They are omnivorous and eat a variety of crops, seedlings, vegetables and fruits. Crickets are solitary by nature and live independently.

Reference source: Baidu Encyclopedia - Cockroach (Blatillaria)

Reference source: Baidu Encyclopedia - Cricket (Insects)

Different forms

Cockroach: Flat body, dark brown, usually medium size. Small, movable head. Long filamentous antennae, well-developed compound eyes. Flat wings, leathery forewings and membranous hindwings, front and back wings are basically the same size, covering the back of the abdomen; some species are wingless. Not good at flying, but can run fast.

Cricket: Species of the family Gryllidae are larger than 3mm in length. Their body color varies greatly, mostly from yellowish brown to dark brown, or green, yellow, etc. There are few with uniform body color, and most are variegated. Their bodies are not scaly. They have round heads, broad chests, and slender antennae. They have chewing mouthparts. The antennal peduncle is mostly round shield-shaped, narrower than or equal to the frontal process; a few groups are long shield-shaped, larger, and wider than the frontal process.

distributed

Cockroaches: Mainly distributed in tropical and subtropical areas, living in the wild or indoors.

Crickets are widely distributed all over the country, and are more common in provinces south of the Yellow River. They like to live on hillsides, fields, piles of rocks and grass where the soil is slightly moist.

Living habits

Cockroaches: like warmth and moisture, like darkness and fear light, hide during the day and come out at night. They have the habit of living in groups and are omnivorous insects.

Crickets: Crickets live in burrows, often on the ground, under bricks and stones, in earth holes, and in bushes. They are active at night. They are omnivorous and eat a variety of crops, seedlings, vegetables and fruits. Crickets are solitary by nature and live independently.

Cockroach (Latin name: Blattodea), also known as yellow cockroach, cockroach, belongs to the phylum Arthropoda, class Insecta, order Blattodea, and is a common medical insect. Cockroaches are flat, dark brown, and usually medium-sized. They were first evolved from sea scorpions, crabs and other arthropods on the seabed. They are mainly distributed in tropical and subtropical areas, living in the wild or indoors. They like to choose warm, humid, food-rich and cracked places to live, hiding during the day and coming out at night.

Crickets (scientific name: Gryllidae), an ancient insect belonging to the class Insecta of the phylum Arthropoda, the order Orthoptera, and the family Gryllidae, have a history of 140 million years. They lack scales, have filamentous antennae that are longer than their bodies, and live in burrows. They often live on the ground, under bricks and stones, in earth holes, and among grasses. They are active at night and are omnivorous. They are distributed throughout the country. They are important agricultural pests in Northeast China, North China, the lower reaches of the Yangtze River, and South China. They destroy the roots, stems, leaves, fruits, and seeds of various crops, and are particularly harmful to seedlings. In the south, 11% to 30% of peanut seedlings are destroyed by crickets. They also harm corn, jute, tobacco, cotton, soybeans, and cassava, often causing seedling shortages and affecting harvests.

What is the difference between cockroaches and crickets? They can be distinguished from three aspects: one is the different shapes, two is the different distribution, and three is the different living habits.

According to my observation, if it is big, you can tell at a glance whether it is a cockroach or a cricket; but if it is still a larva, the legs of a cockroach are almost the same thickness, while a cricket has two obviously thick hind legs.

Crickets are crickets. Cockroaches have round backs, while crickets have pointed backs.

What is the difference between a mantis and a cockroach?

Mantises and cockroaches are mainly distinguished in terms of biological species, body appearance, living habits, types and distribution, and impact on humans.

1. Biological species

Mantis: It belongs to the family Mantidae, subclass Pterygota, class Insecta. It is a medium to large insect and a beneficial insect.

Cockroach: An invertebrate, a general term for insects of the class Insecta and the order Mantis, and is a pest.

2. Physical appearance

Mantis: Medium or large body, inverted triangle head, large and bright compound eyes, slender antennae; neck can rotate freely. Body is yellowish brown, grayish brown or green. The chest has 2 pairs of wings and 3 pairs of legs; the prothorax is slender, the forelegs are a pair of thick sickle-shaped catching legs, and there are hook-like spines on the femur and tibia.

Cockroach: It is very small, about 10-15mm long, and the adult is brown-yellow.

3. Living habits and distribution

Mantis: Some species reproduce parthenogenetically, such as the American grass mantis. Mantis is a carnivorous insect that hunts all kinds of insects and small animals. It can kill many pests in fields and forests, so it is a beneficial insect. It is cruel and aggressive by nature. When it is short of food, it often swallows the small and the female eats the male.

Some species distributed in South America can occasionally attack small animals such as birds, lizards or frogs. Mantises have protective colors, and some have mimicry, similar to their environment, to prey on a variety of pests. They are very agile and take only 0.01 seconds to catch prey. They only eat live insects and use their thorny front legs to firmly clamp their prey.

When startled, it rustles its wings and displays bright warning colors. It is often found in vegetation rather than on the ground, and its body shape can resemble green leaves or brown dead leaves, twigs, lichens, flowers or ants. Relying on mimicry, it can not only avoid natural enemies, but also be difficult to detect when approaching or waiting for prey.

The life span of a mantis is generally one generation per year, and the life span of a mantis is about six to eight months. Even without a head, a mantis can still survive for about ten days.

Except for the extremely cold regions, they are widely distributed throughout the world, especially in tropical regions where the most species are found.

Cockroach: Cockroach is one of the oldest insects on the planet, living at the same time as dinosaurs. According to fossil evidence, primitive cockroaches appeared on Earth about 400 million years ago in the Silurian period. The fossilized cockroaches we find or the cockroaches found in coal and amber are not much different from the ones in your cupboard.

Its appearance has not changed much over billions of years, but its vitality and adaptability have become increasingly strong. It has continued to multiply to this day and is widely distributed in every corner of the world.

Cockroaches are good at crawling, swimming, and can fly when in danger. Their flat bodies allow them to live in tiny crevices, and they can survive almost anywhere there is water and food. If conditions are bad, they will not die even if they do not eat or drink for a long time. The above characteristics of cockroaches have led to their increasing numbers and expanding distribution range, making them the number one household pest.

Cockroaches prefer darkness and fear light. They like to hide during the day and come out at night. They can be seen occasionally during the day. They usually start to crawl out and look for food after dusk and return to their nests in the early morning. They are most active at temperatures between 24 and 32 degrees Celsius and are completely inactive at 4 degrees Celsius. In tropical areas, cockroaches can reproduce and move around all year round. In northern areas, in winter, indoors with heating equipment, the temperature is suitable, and cockroaches can move and reproduce as usual.

Most cockroaches are oviparous, and their eggs are arranged in an orderly manner in the egg sheath. They can resist the influence of adverse environments and are not easily killed by pesticides. The larvae can hatch when conditions are suitable.

Spiders, scorpions, ants, parasitic flies, parasitic wasps, toads, lizards, birds, mice, etc. are all common natural enemies of cockroaches.

4. Types

Praying mantis: There are about 1,585 known species in the world. About 51 species are known in China. Among them, the southern giant mantis, the northern giant mantis, the broad axe mantis, the Chinese giant mantis, the European mantis, the green-spotted small mantis, etc. are important natural enemies of pests in China's agriculture, forestry, fruit trees and ornamental plants.

Cockroaches: Most of them look similar, but if you look closely you can see some differences. Current taxonomists classify cockroaches into about 6,000 species, of which about 50 are pests.

For example, the common Asian cockroach. In addition, the American cockroach (American cockroach), German cockroach (German cockroach), brown cockroach and Australian cockroach are also widely distributed. There are about 200 species in my country, and there are about 10 common indoor cockroaches, which vary from place to place. The most common ones are German cockroach and American cockroach.

5. Impact on Humans

Mantis: Mantis can prey on more than 40 kinds of pests, such as flies, mosquitoes, locusts, moths and butterflies and their larvae and exposed pupae, small insects such as crickets, and large insects such as cicadas, locusts, and katydids.

Through artificial off-season cultivation, people can enjoy mantises all year round. Mantises are also good materials for building small zoos and wild insect parks.

Cockroaches: Cockroaches living in the wild mostly feed on decaying organic matter or dead branches and leaves, while those living in houses prefer starchy food. They often leave the pathogens they carry on the food they crawl over, thus spreading diseases. Cockroaches have a bad habit when eating: they eat, vomit, and excrete at the same time, thus contaminating food and spreading a variety of diseases, such as dysentery, paracholera, hepatitis, tuberculosis, diphtheria, scarlet fever, ascariasis, etc.

Regardless of the species, the pathogens spread by cockroaches include typhoid bacillus, dysentery bacillus, Escherichia coli, tuberculosis, anthrax bacillus, leprosy bacteria, and eggs of tapeworms, roundworms, and schistosoma, etc. Cockroaches also secrete and excrete substances with a foul odor, which makes people feel nauseous or even vomit after smelling them.

Reference: Baidu Encyclopedia - Praying Mantis

Baidu Encyclopedia - Cockroach

1. Different types:

(1) Praying mantis: There are about 2,000 known species of praying mantis in the world. About 147 species are known in China, including the Chinese broadsword mantis, narrow-winged broadsword mantis, broad-axe mantis, brown mantis, thin-winged mantis, green mantis, etc.

(2) Cockroaches: Taxonomists classify cockroaches into about 6,000 species, of which about 50 are pests, such as the common Asian cockroach. There are more than 200 species in my country, and about 10 common indoor cockroaches.

2. Different positioning:

(1) Mantis: Mantis is an important natural enemy of agricultural pests and a beneficial insect.

(2) Cockroach: Cockroach is an important health pest that spreads diseases.

3. Different forms:

(1) Mantis: Mantis is a relatively large insect, with a body length of 55 to 105 mm. Its body is streamlined and mainly green or brown, but there are also spotted species. Its characteristic feature is that it has two "swords", i.e. forelimbs, with a row of hard serrations. Its head is fan-shaped and relatively small; its compound eyes are prominent and mainly yellow-green; and its abdomen is enlarged.

(2) Cockroach: Flat body, dark brown, usually medium size. Small, mobile head. Long filamentous antennae, well-developed compound eyes. Flat wings, leathery forewings and membranous hindwings, front and back wings are basically the same size, covering the back of the abdomen; some species are wingless. Not good at flying, but can run fast. Incomplete metamorphosis.

4. Different categories:

(1) Praying mantises belong to the order Mantodea.

(2) Cockroaches belong to the order Blattodea.

Reference source: Baidu Encyclopedia - Praying Mantis

Reference source: Baidu Encyclopedia - Cockroach

Mantis belongs to the winged subclass Mantidae of the class Insecta. It is a medium to large insect with a triangular head and free movement. The femur and tibia of the forelegs have sharp spines, and the tibia is sickle-shaped and often folded toward the femur to form a foreleg that can catch prey. The forewings are cortical, with wing covers and lacking anterior margins. The hindwings are membranous, with well-developed anal regions and fan-shaped, folded on the back when resting; the abdomen is enlarged. Except for the extremely cold areas, it is widely distributed throughout the world, especially in tropical areas where the species are most abundant. There are about 1,585 known species in the world. About 51 species are known in China. Among them, the southern mantis, the northern mantis, the broad axe mantis, the Chinese mantis, the European mantis, the green-spotted small mantis, etc. are important natural enemies of pests in China's agriculture, forestry, fruit trees and ornamental plants. Mantises are long in shape, mostly green, but also brown or spotted. The compound eyes are prominent, with three simple eyes. Chewing mouthparts, strong upper jaws. The forelegs are catching legs, and the middle and hind legs are suitable for walking. Gradual metamorphosis. The eggs are laid in egg sheaths, each egg sheath contains 20 to 40 eggs, arranged in 2 to 4 rows. Each female can lay 4 to 5 egg sheaths, which are hardened foamy secretions and are often attached to objects such as branches, bark, and walls. The newly hatched nymphs are "pre-nymphs" and molt 3 to 12 times before becoming adults. Generally, there is one generation per year, and some species reproduce parthenogenetically. They are carnivorous and hunt all kinds of insects and small animals. They can eliminate many pests in fields and forests, so they are beneficial insects. They are brutal and aggressive, and when they are short of food, they often swallow small ones and females eat males. Some species distributed in South America can also attack small animals such as birds, lizards, or frogs from time to time. Mantises have protective colors, and some have mimicry, which is similar to their environment, so they can prey on a variety of pests.

Praying mantis

Mantis is a general term for invertebrates, insects, and mantises. It has a medium or large body, an inverted triangular head, large and bright compound eyes, and slender antennae; its neck can rotate freely. Its body is yellow-brown, gray-brown, or green. It has two pairs of wings and three pairs of legs on its chest; its prothorax is slender, and its forelegs are a pair of thick sickle-shaped catching legs, and hook-like spines are grown on the femurs and tibias to catch pests, so it is a beneficial insect. There are auditory organs at the base of its hind legs. The appetite, food intake, and catching ability of females are greater than those of males, and females can sometimes eat males. The female's egg-laying method is special, neither underground nor in plant stems, but on the surface of branches. Two days after mating, the female usually turns her head downward, discharges a foamy substance from her abdomen first, and then lays eggs on it in sequence. The foamy substance quickly solidifies to form a hard egg sheath. Egg sheaths are called "mulberry silkworm cocoons" or "silkworm cocoons" in traditional Chinese medicine. In the early summer of the following year, hundreds of nymphs hatch from the egg sheaths. The nymphs molt several times and develop into adults. This is an incomplete metamorphosis. Common in my country are the Chinese green mantis (Paraten-odera sinensis), commonly known as the "big mantis", which is about 8 cm long and green or yellow-brown; the small spotted mantis (Statilia maculata), which is 5 to 6.5 cm long and gray-brown or dark brown.

cockroach

1. Insects

Cockroaches are one of the oldest insects on the planet, living in the same era as dinosaurs. According to fossil evidence, primitive cockroaches appeared on Earth about 400 million years ago in the Silurian period. The fossilized cockroaches we find or the cockroaches found in coal and amber are not much different from the ones in your cupboard. Its appearance has not changed much over hundreds of millions of years, but its vitality and adaptability have become more and more tenacious, and it has continued to multiply to this day and is widely distributed in every corner of the world.

Biologists once made a conclusion based on the ecological habits of cockroaches: If a global nuclear war breaks out on Earth one day, all creatures in the affected area, including humans and even fish, will disappear, and only cockroaches will continue their lives! This is because the radiation dose that the human body can normally withstand is 5rems, and once the total radiation dose exceeds 800rems, it will be certain to die. The German cockroach can withstand 9000-105000rems, and the American cockroach can reach 967500rems! So even if there is a nuclear explosion, cockroaches can survive. Now the US government spends $1.5 billion a year to eliminate cockroaches, which is about twice the budget for AIDS prevention and treatment.

Most of them look similar, but you can still see some differences if you look closely. Current taxonomists divide cockroaches into about 6,000 species, of which about 50 are pests, such as the common Asian cockroach. In addition, the American cockroach (American cockroach), German cockroach (German cockroach), brown cockroach and Australian cockroach are also widely distributed. There are about 200 species in my country, and there are about 10 common indoor cockroaches, which vary from place to place. The most common ones are German cockroach and American cockroach.

The German cockroach is very small, about 10-15mm long, and the adult is brown-yellow. It is a common dominant species in northern China. In addition to being distributed in houses, it is also a dominant species in hotels, restaurants, hospitals, ships, trains, and passenger planes.

The American cockroach is relatively large, with a body length of about 30-40mm. The adult is reddish brown. It is the dominant species indoors in the southern region. In other regions, it is distributed in dark and humid environments such as sewers, heating trenches, toilets, bathrooms, breweries, and sauce factories.

The scientific name of cockroach is Blatta. It has chewing mouthparts and can chew food. Cockroach's food is very complex, ranging from ordinary food to shoe brushes, wire rubber, cardboard, soap, paint chips, dead leaves, textiles, leather, hair, etc. Entomologists have found that 12 species of cockroaches can live for a week on paste, and American cockroaches can live for a month by drinking only water, and can still live for 3 weeks without food and water. Cockroaches will cannibalize each other when food is scarce or the space is too crowded.

Cockroaches are good at crawling, swimming, and can fly when in danger. Their flat bodies allow them to live in tiny crevices, and they can survive almost anywhere there is water and food. If conditions are bad, they will not die even if they do not eat or drink for a long time. The above characteristics of cockroaches have led to their increasing numbers and expanding distribution range, making them the number one household pest.

Cockroaches prefer darkness and fear light. They like to hide during the day and come out at night. They can be seen occasionally during the day. They usually start to crawl out and move around and look for food after dusk, and return to their nests in the early morning. They are most active at temperatures between 24 and 32 degrees Celsius, and are completely inactive at 4 degrees Celsius. In tropical areas, cockroaches can reproduce and move around all year round. In northern regions, in winter, indoor spaces with heating equipment have a suitable temperature, and cockroaches can move and reproduce as usual. Most cockroaches are oviparous, and their eggs are arranged in an orderly manner in the egg sheath, which can resist the influence of adverse environments and are not easily killed by chemicals. Larvae can hatch when conditions are suitable.

Cockroaches have a strong reproductive capacity. After mating, a bean-pod-shaped thing called an ootheca grows at the end of the female cockroach's tail, and the eggs are laid in it. A female cockroach can produce as few as 10 and as many as 90 oothecae; in one ootheca, as few as 10 and as many as 50 small cockroaches can hatch, depending on the cockroach species. In the eastern United States, an average of more than 1,000 cockroaches live in a house; while a pair of German cockroaches can reproduce 100,000 offspring in a year! Cockroach eggs hatch in the egg clip, which takes about 15 days. The newly hatched cockroach is a milky white nymph without wings. Like other types of insects, it must molt as it grows. After 3-4 molts, wing buds can be seen. German cockroaches need 6-7 molts to reach sexual maturity, while American cockroaches need 10-12 molts. The growth of cockroaches, the number of molting times, climate factors, and food availability are closely related. Usually this process is completed within two months.

Spiders, scorpions, ants, parasitic flies, parasitic wasps, toads, lizards, birds, mice, etc. are all common natural enemies of cockroaches.

Most cockroach species living in the wild feed on decaying organic matter or dead branches and leaves, while those living in houses prefer starchy food. They often leave the pathogens they carry on the food they crawl over and spread diseases. Cockroaches have a bad habit when eating: they eat, vomit, and excrete, thus contaminating food and spreading a variety of diseases, such as dysentery, paracholera, hepatitis, tuberculosis, diphtheria, scarlet fever, and ascariasis. Regardless of the species of cockroaches, the pathogens they spread include typhoid bacillus, dysentery bacillus, Escherichia coli, tuberculosis, anthrax bacillus, leprosy bacteria, and eggs of tapeworms, ascarids, and schistosomiasis. Cockroaches also secrete and excrete substances with a foul odor, which makes people feel nauseous or even vomit after smelling them. The Thai government announced that it will no longer allow the sale of a "giant cockroach" native to Madagascar as a pet, and ordinary individuals are also prohibited from owning it.

Cockroaches are moderately sized, easy to raise, and have strong reproductive abilities, and have long been a favorite experimental subject for biologists.

Praying Mantis

Mantis belongs to the winged subclass Mantidae of the class Insecta. It is a medium to large insect with a triangular head and free movement. The femur and tibia of the forelegs have sharp spines, and the tibia is sickle-shaped and often folded toward the femur to form a foreleg that can catch prey. The forewings are cortical, with wing covers and lacking anterior margins. The hindwings are membranous, with well-developed anal regions and fan-shaped, folded on the back when resting; the abdomen is enlarged. Except for the extremely cold areas, it is widely distributed throughout the world, especially in tropical areas where the species are most abundant. There are about 1,585 known species in the world. About 51 species are known in China. Among them, the southern mantis, the northern mantis, the broad axe mantis, the Chinese mantis, the European mantis, the green-spotted small mantis, etc. are important natural enemies of pests in China's agriculture, forestry, fruit trees and ornamental plants. Mantises are long in shape, mostly green, but also brown or spotted. The compound eyes are prominent, with three simple eyes. Chewing mouthparts, strong upper jaws. The forelegs are catching legs, and the middle and hind legs are suitable for walking. Gradual metamorphosis. The eggs are laid in egg sheaths, each egg sheath contains 20 to 40 eggs, arranged in 2 to 4 rows. Each female can lay 4 to 5 egg sheaths, which are hardened foamy secretions and are often attached to objects such as branches, bark, and walls. The newly hatched nymphs are "pre-nymphs" and molt 3 to 12 times before becoming adults. Generally, there is one generation per year, and some species reproduce parthenogenetically. They are carnivorous and hunt all kinds of insects and small animals. They can eliminate many pests in fields and forests, so they are beneficial insects. They are brutal and aggressive, and when they are short of food, they often swallow small ones and females eat males. Some species distributed in South America can also attack small animals such as birds, lizards, or frogs from time to time. Mantises have protective colors, and some have mimicry, which is similar to their environment, so they can prey on a variety of pests.

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Praying mantis

Mantis is a general term for invertebrates, insects, and mantises. It has a medium or large body, an inverted triangular head, large and bright compound eyes, and slender antennae; its neck can rotate freely. Its body is yellow-brown, gray-brown, or green. It has two pairs of wings and three pairs of legs on its chest; its prothorax is slender, and its forelegs are a pair of thick sickle-shaped catching legs, and hook-like spines are grown on the femurs and tibias to catch pests, so it is a beneficial insect. There are auditory organs at the base of its hind legs. The appetite, food intake, and catching ability of females are greater than those of males, and females can sometimes eat males. The female's egg-laying method is special, neither underground nor in plant stems, but on the surface of branches. Two days after mating, the female usually turns her head downward, discharges a foamy substance from her abdomen first, and then lays eggs on it in sequence. The foamy substance quickly solidifies to form a hard egg sheath. Egg sheaths are called "mulberry silkworm cocoons" or "silkworm cocoons" in traditional Chinese medicine. In the early summer of the following year, hundreds of nymphs hatch from the egg sheaths. The nymphs molt several times and develop into adults. This is an incomplete metamorphosis. Common in my country are the Chinese green mantis (Paraten-odera sinensis), commonly known as the "big mantis", which is about 8 cm long and green or yellow-brown; the small spotted mantis (Statilia maculata), which is 5 to 6.5 cm long and gray-brown or dark brown.

cockroach

1. Insects

Cockroaches are one of the oldest insects on the planet, living in the same era as dinosaurs. According to fossil evidence, primitive cockroaches appeared on Earth about 400 million years ago in the Silurian period. The fossilized cockroaches we find or the cockroaches found in coal and amber are not much different from the ones in your cupboard. Its appearance has not changed much over hundreds of millions of years, but its vitality and adaptability have become more and more tenacious, and it has continued to multiply to this day and is widely distributed in every corner of the world.

Biologists once made a conclusion based on the ecological habits of cockroaches: If a global nuclear war breaks out on Earth one day, all creatures in the affected area, including humans and even fish, will disappear, and only cockroaches will continue their lives! This is because the radiation dose that the human body can normally withstand is 5rems, and once the total radiation dose exceeds 800rems, it will be certain to die. The German cockroach can withstand 9000-105000rems, and the American cockroach can reach 967500rems! So even if there is a nuclear explosion, cockroaches can survive. Now the US government spends $1.5 billion a year to eliminate cockroaches, which is about twice the budget for AIDS prevention and treatment.

Most of them look similar, but you can still see some differences if you look closely. Current taxonomists divide cockroaches into about 6,000 species, of which about 50 are pests, such as the common Asian cockroach. In addition, the American cockroach (American cockroach), German cockroach (German cockroach), brown cockroach and Australian cockroach are also widely distributed. There are about 200 species in my country, and there are about 10 common indoor cockroaches, which vary from place to place. The most common ones are German cockroach and American cockroach.

The German cockroach is very small, about 10-15mm long, and the adult is brown-yellow. It is a common dominant species in northern China. In addition to being distributed in houses, it is also a dominant species in hotels, restaurants, hospitals, ships, trains, and passenger planes.

The American cockroach is relatively large, with a body length of about 30-40mm. The adult is reddish brown. It is the dominant species indoors in the southern region. In other regions, it is distributed in dark and humid environments such as sewers, heating trenches, toilets, bathrooms, breweries, and sauce factories.

The scientific name of cockroach is Blatta. It has chewing mouthparts and can chew food. Cockroach's food is very complex, ranging from ordinary food to shoe brushes, wire rubber, cardboard, soap, paint chips, dead leaves, textiles, leather, hair, etc. Entomologists have found that 12 species of cockroaches can live for a week on paste, and American cockroaches can live for a month by drinking only water, and can still live for 3 weeks without food and water. Cockroaches will cannibalize each other when food is scarce or the space is too crowded.

Cockroaches are good at crawling, swimming, and can fly when in danger. Their flat bodies allow them to live in tiny crevices, and they can survive almost anywhere there is water and food. If conditions are bad, they will not die even if they do not eat or drink for a long time. The above characteristics of cockroaches have led to their increasing numbers and expanding distribution range, making them the number one household pest.

Cockroaches prefer darkness and fear light. They like to hide during the day and come out at night. They can be seen occasionally during the day. They usually start to crawl out and move around and look for food after dusk, and return to their nests in the early morning. They are most active at temperatures between 24 and 32 degrees Celsius, and are completely inactive at 4 degrees Celsius. In tropical areas, cockroaches can reproduce and move around all year round. In northern regions, in winter, indoor spaces with heating equipment have a suitable temperature, and cockroaches can move and reproduce as usual. Most cockroaches are oviparous, and their eggs are arranged in an orderly manner in the egg sheath, which can resist the influence of adverse environments and are not easily killed by chemicals. Larvae can hatch when conditions are suitable.

Cockroaches have a strong reproductive capacity. After mating, a bean-pod-shaped thing called an ootheca grows at the end of the female cockroach's tail, and the eggs are laid in it. A female cockroach can produce as few as 10 and as many as 90 oothecae; in one ootheca, as few as 10 and as many as 50 small cockroaches can hatch, depending on the cockroach species. In the eastern United States, an average of more than 1,000 cockroaches live in a house; while a pair of German cockroaches can reproduce 100,000 offspring in a year! Cockroach eggs hatch in the egg clip, which takes about 15 days. The newly hatched cockroach is a milky white nymph without wings. Like other types of insects, it must molt as it grows. After 3-4 molts, wing buds can be seen. German cockroaches need 6-7 molts to reach sexual maturity, while American cockroaches need 10-12 molts. The growth of cockroaches, the number of molting times, climate factors, and food availability are closely related. Usually this process is completed within two months.

Spiders, scorpions, ants, parasitic flies, parasitic wasps, toads, lizards, birds, mice, etc. are all common natural enemies of cockroaches.

Most cockroach species living in the wild feed on decaying organic matter or dead branches and leaves, while those living in houses prefer starchy food. They often leave the pathogens they carry on the food they crawl over and spread diseases. Cockroaches have a bad habit when eating: they eat, vomit, and excrete, thus contaminating food and spreading a variety of diseases, such as dysentery, paracholera, hepatitis, tuberculosis, diphtheria, scarlet fever, and ascariasis. Regardless of the species of cockroaches, the pathogens they spread include typhoid bacillus, dysentery bacillus, Escherichia coli, tuberculosis, anthrax bacillus, leprosy bacteria, and eggs of tapeworms, ascarids, and schistosomiasis. Cockroaches also secrete and excrete substances with a foul odor, which makes people feel nauseous or even vomit after smelling them. The Thai government announced that it will no longer allow the sale of a "giant cockroach" native to Madagascar as a pet, and ordinary individuals are also prohibited from owning it.

Cockroaches are moderately sized, easy to raise, and have strong reproductive abilities, and have long been a favorite experimental subject for biologists.

Praying mantises are beneficial insects, while cockroaches are pests. Praying mantises are common in the wild, and are generally more common in green. They have two "machetes" on the front, which are shown in the animation in "Cat Sheriff". Brown cockroaches are more common, and I have also seen white ones. They are generally more common in those living on the first floor. They come out at night and hide in the sewers during the day. If you want to catch it, put a drop of lard in an empty wine bottle and place it on the corner of the wall, with the mouth against the wall, at night.