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Insecta: Orthoptera

BLATTIDAE KEY

(Cockroaches)

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Four regularly encountered cockroaches species that have been spread around by world by commerce are the German roach, Blatella germanica, the oriental roach, Blatta orientalis L., the American roach, Periplaneta americana L., the Australian roach, Periplaneta australasiae Fab. and the brown-banded roach, Supella supellectilium Serv.

The following key to adult roaches distinguishes the important species

:

1. The tegmina in males does not extend to the abdomen's end and covers only about 2/3rds of it. The female's tegmina is reduced to

small pads. Length is around one inch. The color is predominantly black without any special markings _ _ _ _ _ Blatta orientalis

The tegmina in both males and females reaches beyond the end of the abdomen. When it does not cover the abdomen then it has two

lightly-colored bands, one at the base of wings and another about 1/3rd of the length from the base _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 2

2. The insect is hardly ever more than 1/2 inch in length _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 3

The length is more than one inch _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 4

3. The color is pale brown with two parallel dark stripes on the pronotum _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Blatella germanica

The color is dark brown with two pale bands near the tegmina's base: one at the base and the other 1/3rd of the length from the base _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Supella supellectilium

4. The thorax is yellow with two large brownish blotches. The tegmina does not have a yellow submarginal stripe along the basal third.

The length ranges from 1.5-2 inches _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Periplaneta americana

The thorax is yellow. Its base and one or two central spots are black. The tegmina has a pale yellow submarginal stripe along the basal

1/3rd. The length is around one inch _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _Periplaneta australasiae

Key References: <medvet.ref.htm> <Hexapoda>

Back, E. A. 1937. The increasing importance of the cockroach, Supella supellectillium Serv., as a pest in the United States. Proc. Ent. Soc.

Wash. 39: 205-13.

Gould, G. E., & H. O. Deay. 1938. Biology of the American cockroadh. Ann. Ent. Soc. Amer. 31: 489-98.

Matheson, R. 1950. Medical Entomology. Comstock Publ. Co, Inc. 610 p.

Service, M. 2008. Medical Entomology For Students. Cambridge Univ. Press. 289 p

Legner, E. F. 1995. Biological control of Diptera of medical and veterinary importance. J. Vector Ecology 20(1): 59-120.

Legner, E. F.. 2000. Biological control of aquatic Diptera. p. 847-870. Contributions to a Manual of Palaearctic Diptera,

Vol. 1, Science Herald, Budapest. 978 p.

Ross, H. H. 1931. Life history of Blatella germanica. Trans. Ill. Acad. Sci. 21: 84-92.