How Do Cockroaches Change Color?

Many cockroaches have an interesting coloring process. Their blood is not red, since they do not have hemoglobin in their blood. Instead, their tracheae bring oxygen to the body and remove carbon dioxide from the tissues. However, there are other factors that contribute to the color of cockroaches’ blood. For example, adult female cockroaches who are producing eggs will have slightly orange blood. This color is caused by a protein called vitellogenin. This protein is produced in the liver and carries a carotenoid molecule that is essential to the development of the embryo.

Some labs have cultures of cockroaches with white eyes, but this variation is not known to occur in nature. In fact, there are dozens of genes in Blattella germanica that are responsible for abnormal color in the eyes. However, white cockroaches are not albinos; instead, they are juveniles that have molted.

The cockroach brain is spread throughout the abdomen, the thoracic ganglia T1-T3, and the head ganglia. The brain is located in the abdomen and is used to control flight, sexual behavior, and body movements. It also controls the legs of the insect in its running behavior.

Cockroaches undergo several molts before they reach adulthood. Each molt results in a new shell and the cockroach grows a little. The number of molts in a cockroach’s life cycle varies between species. The more times a cockroach molts, the closer they resemble their adult counterparts.

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