Mouth Parts of Cockroach
WouterCockroaches have mouth parts that allow them to eat food, a specialized feeding system. These mouthparts, or trophi, are part of the ventral side of the head. There are two types of trophi, chewing and biting. In addition to the mandibles, cockroaches have a labrum, which is like a flap in the floor of the mouth. This flap is covered with taste buds that enable them to eat certain foods.
The labium is the lower lip and lies behind the maxillae. It consists of two layers: a proximal submentum and a middle mentum. The labium bears a pair of labial palps on the inner surface and is easily removed. The hypopharynx is a tongue-like projection that aids in taste perception and suction. This part of the mouth is visible only when the insect is in a resting position and not actively sucking food.
A cockroach’s mouth is largely covered by a labrum, which is a thin, flexible plate that extends above the mouthparts like the upper lip. The labrum contains the food in the mouth and enables the mandibles and the maxilla to shred the food item. The labrum is cut from the frontal plate of the head and is very flexible.
The labium of a cockroach is C-shaped in transverse section and shaped like a tube. The mandibles are finer than the maxillae, and the maxillae have saw-like edges at the tip. There is also a salivary duct at the tip of the hypo pharynx.
