How Many Kinds of Cockroaches Are There in the World?
WouterThere are different kinds of cockroaches. Cockroaches vary greatly in color, species, and origin. They’ve also survived a large extinction event, the ice age. In fact, they’ve survived so long that they’ve managed to hide in small caves.
The cockroach has been around for 320 million years and has adapted to its environment. This means it will likely be around for millions of years to come. Some species live in the wild and prefer tropical and subtropical climates while others live near human inhabitations. Currently, there are over 4,000 species of cockroaches worldwide, with 70 species living in the U.S.
Although cockroaches are nocturnal, you can still identify them at night with the help of a flashlight. They usually congregate at night and can be killed at this time. Glue traps can also help detect cockroach infestations. A dead cockroach may be an indication of a healthy colony.
Adult males and females are about an inch and a half in length. The male has wings that cover 75% of his abdomen. Unlike the females, adult males do not fly. They do have tiny wing pads on the hind wings. Nymphs are reddish brown and get darker in later stages of their life. Female roaches produce up to 280 eggs in their lifetime.
During the molting process, cockroaches shed their old exoskeleton. This process can take several days or weeks. Once the old skin has been shed, the cockroach will develop its new skin, which will be its new exoskeleton. However, the molting process is a long process and requires a lot of time.
