How cockroaches breed, how long the development process from an egg to an adult lasts, depends on the type of insects, habitat conditions. The life cycle consists of several stages - the egg, larva, nymph, and imago. The duration of each stage of development can vary from several weeks to months. For fertilization, insects mate, but in some cases, cubs are born without the participation of a male.
Reproduction of cockroaches - general information
A young female mates with a male, a new cycle of life begins. Seminal fluid enters the genitals, is stored there, and is used later for its intended purpose. For the next fertilization, the presence of a male is not required, but often this process is repeated.
In a special department, located at the end of the body, the ooteca, begin to form the eggsembryos develop. The female carries the larvae for a certain time, and then leaves it in a secluded place. After a while, from there appear larvaethat immediately begin a typical cockroach lifestyle.
After hatching small cockroaches begin to eat actively, grow rapidly. When the chitinous cover becomes too tight, the first molt begins. The skin on the back is cracking, a young nymph is selected from there. Up to 6 links pass until the moment of growing up.
On a note!
This is a typical process of breeding, mating. home cockroaches. But each species has its own differences. Madagascar - viviparous cockroaches, the Prussians carry an edema almost until the birth of the larvae, black ordinary cockroach leaves eggs in a secluded place a few days after the start of embryo development. Among representatives of this type of insect, there are individuals that are able to give birth without the presence of a male.
Breeding stages
Only sexually mature individuals are fertilized. The female secretes pheromones, flaps its wings to attract a partner. Males arrange fights, deadly fights for the right to own a female. The copulation process continues for several seconds. The incubation period lasts 1-2 days, then eggs begin to form from the embryos in the ooteca.
The timing of embryo development depends on the living conditions of the uterus. At a temperature within 20 degrees Celsius, moderate humidity, the process lasts 1-2 weeks. Red cockroaches drop their swarm a week before the expected birth of the larvae. Under favorable conditions, the young hatch after 7 days. Madagascar cockroaches give birth to larvae, dump an already empty odeka.
With a decrease in temperature indicators, insects reproduce more slowly. Each stage can last several months. Development continues with a change in living conditions for the better.
On a note!
Distinguishing a pregnant cockroach is very simple. At the end of the body there is a peculiar supplement in the form of a capsule. The eggs are inside, so you can’t make out.
Larvae are born white with black eyes. The chitinous cover darkens, hardens after a while - 1-2 hours. Wings and the genitals appear at the end of the development of the nymph, at the last stage. Outwardly, an immature cockroach looks like an adult, only smaller in size.
What determines the rate of reproduction
Cockroaches breed quickly under favorable conditions:
- air temperature within 20-30 degrees Celsius;
- moderate humidity;
- food availability.
If one of the conditions for a healthy life is not observed, the rate of reproduction, all stages of development slow down.
With a decrease in temperature indicators to +10 degrees Celsius, cockroaches do not die, but cease to fertilize, multiply. With insufficient moisture, the body of the insect dries, loses its nutritional components, and the development of embryos slows down. Lack of food acts similarly. Features of insect life under favorable, adverse conditions are different.
Breeding frequency
Fertility of females also depends on the species. In the uterus, 15 to 60 eggs are formed. All of them can give birth to a cockroach at a time, but in the process of molting, half die, the strongest survive. The largest brood of the Prussians. In a month they can breed at tremendous speed.
Interesting!
For the entire life of a cockroach, the uterus reproduces from 60 to 90 ootec. 300 children are able to give birth to one cockroach.
Development speed
Life cycle insects are counted from the moment the larvae hatch. After this, the complex process of growing up begins, which lasts about 4 months. Under favorable conditions, the larva turns into an imago in 90 days. During this time, the cub grows to the size of an adult, molts about 6 times. Stages of growth, growing up depend on temperature, humidity, the availability of food, water. The breeding period of adults lasts 30 weeks.
Cockroach life span
On average, cockroaches live in apartments for 1 year. Genetically laid duration of 2 years. Insects die from chemistry, mechanical impact, from deadly battles among themselves, in the struggle for survival. With a catastrophic shortage of food, cannibalism begins. Adult prolific females live no longer than 210 days, males die earlier.
Cockroach Sex
Most species are heterosexual - females, males. To start the breeding process you need a male. The female population is propagated. However, one pairing is enough to ensure that all life forms eggs, babies are born. Newborn cockroaches are asexual - have no signs of sexual difference. Sex in cockroaches appears at the last stage of development, after the transformation of the nymph into an adult.
On a note!
Same-sex individuals are found that can fertilize themselves. This process is an exception, it happens rarely. Insects cannot change sex during their life after organ formation.
The difference between males and females
You can distinguish a female cockroach from a male in appearance. Females are larger, with a wide abdomen, long, even mustaches. In males, the mustache is deformed due to constant contractions, the body is elongated. The main difference between a pregnant female is the presence of ooteka at the end of the body. You can also find out gender by behavior. Males are more active, and females are aggressive, as they often defend their offspring.
Can one cockroach bring offspring
If a male gets into the apartment, infection will not occur. When a female enters the room, cubs will appear within a month. Females lay their eggs in secluded places, away from human eyes, so the infection process occurs imperceptibly. Females breed offspring without the participation of males if fertilization has once occurred.
Viviparous cockroaches
The process of propagation of the Madagascar, banana cockroach is somewhat different. Females bear babies until birth. Larvae jump out of the mother’s body, she throws off the oteka, hatched cockroaches eat her. Childbirth lasts a few minutes. Up to 60 larvae appear at a time. For some time they stick together, their mother protects them, provides them with food.After the second molt, they become independent. Imagoes, nymphs of different ages live together in one colony. Life expectancy of 4 years, centenarians live up to 6 years.
Cockroaches breed in apartments very quickly, because all conditions are ideal. To stop this process, use chemicalspoison bait traps.
When the Prussians crawl in the apartment, it’s absolutely not enough to consider the differences between the female and the male. You need to run to the store, buy poison. They reproduce, maybe for a long time, but appear massively quickly. One cockroach may not be noticed, but after a month they already have a regiment.