Blattodea

• Blattodea


  Order of cockroaches
• Cockroaches

  • Oval and flattened body shape
  • Thorax covered by a large plate (the pronotum), which extends partly over the head
  • Chewing mouthparts
  • Compound eyes and 2 simple ocelli like spots
  • 2 pairs of membranous wings when present
  • Wings are folded left over right when at rest
  • Long antennae
• Life Cycle of a Cockroach

  1. Egg

  2. Nymph

  3. Adult
• Incomplete metamorphosis


  The young are active from hatching and resemble the adults but are usually lighter in color and lack wings
• Most species of cockroaches lay eggs in an ootheca (egg case) deposited on or under suitable substrate, or carried attached to the genital region
• The egg stage lasts from a few weeks to a few months
• The young cockroaches develop through a number of nymphal instars, which may range from 2 to 12 depending on the species and may take from a month or so up to 12 months to reach maturity
• Some species may live for several years
• Habitat

  • Cockroaches are widespread and adapted to both wet and dry environments
  • Most species are nocturnal and ground dwelling and are usually found hiding during the day in crevices, under bark, rocks or logs and in burrows
  • Some species may occur on plants or in litter and some also occur solely in caves or ant nests
  • Others are associated with human habitat
• Feeding

  • Some species are known to feed predominantly on rotting wood while some species harbor symbiotic gut protozoa that aids in cellulose digestion
  • The introduced domestic species appear to eat almost anything
• Cockroaches are important as intermediate hosts of certain parasitic worms
• Cockroaches also serve as mechanical vectors of filth-borne diseases of humans
• Presence or absence of cockroaches is an important criterion of the adequacy of food sanitation
• German cockroach (Blatta germanica)


  • Adult is 10 – 15 mm in length
  • Pronotum (head shield) has 2 dark longitude stripes
  • Male is light yellowish brown in color with longer tis darker in color with tongue shaped body
  • Female has a plump abdomen
• Life Cycle of German cockroach


  1. Female produces 4 – 9 oothecae (egg case), each oothecae contain 37 – 44 eggs

  2. Nymphs take 30 – 60 days to mature into adults

  3. Adult life cycle is more than 100 days
• Habitat of German cockroach

  • Major pest in restaurants, hotels & apartments
  • Prefers dark and secluded areas to harborage such as under the cupboard & behind a refrigerator
• American cockroach (Periplaneta americana)


  • Adult is 35 – 40 mm in length
  • One of the largest pest cockroaches
  • Shining red to chocolate brown in color
• Life Cycle of American cockroach


  1. Female produces 10 – 90 oothecae (egg case) each oothecae contain 14 – 28 eggs

  2. Nymphs take 150 days to develop into adults

  3. Adult life cycle is 100 days to 3 years
• Habitat of American cockroach

  Prefers warm and humid environment such as drains and sewers
• Brown banded cockroach (Supella longipalp)


  • Adult is 10–14 mm in length
  • One of the smallest pest cockroaches
  • Yellow-brown stripes across the abdomen
• Life Cycle of Brown banded cockroach

  1. Female produces up to 13 oothecae (egg case), each oothecae contain 16 eggs

  2. Nymphs take 55 days to develop into adults

  3. In ideal temperature conditions (30°c), adult lives 90 – 115 days
• Habitat of Brown banded cockroach

  Prefers warm and humid environment such as drains and sewers
• How to get rid of cockroach

  1. Cockroaches must have a source of water

  2. Clean your house thoroughly

  3. Keep food containers sealed, and don't leave food out for extended periods

  4. Mop the floor routinely to clean up crumbs and sticky spots

  5. Take out the trash regularly
• On average, an American cockroach will live about one year
• Pet cockroaches have been known to live even longer
• Female cockroaches have longer lives than males, with some living almost two years