The Spermatheca in Female Cockroach
WouterCockroaches are a type of insect that has two different sets of accessory glands. The male cockroach has a mushroom-shaped accessory gland and the female has a phallic-shaped accessory gland. The mushroom-shaped accessory gland is found at the junction of the ejaculatory duct and the vasa deferentia. These glands nourish the sperms.
The spermatheca is an ectodermal organ and remains viable for years after it is collected. A female cockroach’s heart consists of ten abdominal chambers and three thoracic chambers. The spermatheca is present in segment 10 and is covered with a filamentous structure called anal cerci.
The female cockroach has a genital pouch and a pair of ovaries. The male gonopore arises from the testis, which opens into the ejaculatory duct. It also has two spermatheca, one on each side of the ejaculatory duct. The spermatheca contains a pair of chitinous processes called spermatophores.
The female cockroach’s reproductive system includes two large ovaries that lie laterally in the 2nd to 6th abdominal segment. Each ovary contains eight ovarian tubules, and each ovary contains a chain of developing ova. The ovary and ovaries then join to form a median oviduct, also called a vagina, which opens into the genital chamber.
The female cockroach has three pairs of chitinous processes on her genitalia. These spermatheca are transferred to the egg to fertilize the egg. The egg is then encased in a dark reddish-brown capsule. This ootheca is 8 mm long and is dropped or glued to a suitable surface. The ootheca contains fourteen or sixteen eggs. The next stage is called the nymph stage and lasts for approximately one month before it becomes an adult.
