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Essay about The Endless Cycle of the American Cockroach

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The American cockroach was introduced to the United States from Africa as early as 1625. They belong to the Kingdom: Animalia, Phylum: Arthropoda, Class: Insecta (Insecta: Blattodea: Blattidae), Order: Dictyoptera, and Family: Blattidae. Its common name is American cockroach and scientific name is Periplaneta Americana (Linnaeus). American cockroaches are normally between one and one and a half inches in length. They are oval shaped and reddish-brow with yellow fringes on the area of the body behind the head as adults. They hide in dark crevices during the day, which could include: sewer and drainage systems, cracks and crevices of a house, steam tunnels, large institutional buildings and basements. They emerge at night to hunt for food. …show more content…

The male cockroaches have cerci with 18 to 19 segments while the female has 13 to 14 segments. The male American cockroaches have a pair of styli between the cerci while the females do not. The life cycle from egg to adult averages about 600 days; and the adult life span may be another 400 days. Adult females will produce an average of 150 offspring in her lifetime. Environmental factors such as temperature and humidity can increase or decrease the developmental time of the American cockroach.
American cockroaches can become a health problem due to their association with human waste and disease. At least 22 species of pathogenic human bacteria, virus, fungi, and protozoans, as well as five species of helminthic worms, have been collected from American Cockroaches. Cockroaches crawl through dirty areas and then walk around our homes bringing in lots of bacteria and germs. They can contaminate food by shedding their skins and leaving their waste around, which can trigger allergic reactions, asthma and other illnesses, especially in children. These pests can contaminate food, causing food poisoning, dysentery, or diarrhea. They can create an unpleasant smell in the home or building which they infest.
Some of the coolest things I’ve learned about my insect: A cockroach can live almost a month without food, about two weeks without water and one week without its head! Some female cockroaches only mate once and stay pregnant for life!

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