Good day, dear readers. I want to ask - are you talking about cockroaches on which side of the barricades? Do you fight intruders in every possible way, or lovingly grow a colony to feed insects to your iguana later?
However, this article will be equally useful for those and for others. Let's talk about how cockroaches reproduce.
I will tell you how it works reproductive system in cockroaches, how fertilization and the subsequent birth of offspring occur. You will learn how long a female carries a pregnancy and why you need a separate ootheca insectarium. For those who are tired of fighting the Prussians, there are a couple of tips in the article, thanks to which the fight will become much more effective.
How is the reproductive system of cockroaches arranged?
Although the total number of cockroach species is in the region of 5000, the reproductive system of all of them is almost the same, with rare exceptions. Moreover, the device of the reproductive system in cockroaches is quite complex and interesting.
In males, the reproductive system is represented by the following organs:
- the genital organ - the so-called genital plate;
- seminal vesicles;
- utricular (or fungal) gland;
- testes, which are located in 4-6 segments of the abdomen.
As for females, they have:
- ovaries, consisting of 8 egg tubes (ovarioles);
- oviducts, through which mature eggs move;
- genital chamber (its function is to accumulate mature eggs and store them until fertilization; there are also special glands that secrete a secret that later forms an ootheca);
- ovipositor.
Each organ has its own function, and sometimes very unusual. So, in the cavity of the female genital chamber there are special folds. After mating, the seed remains in these folds, and after one pregnancy, the female no longer needs the "services" of the male - fertilization now occurs without his participation. This means that once fertilized female will breed for life. This fact can partly explain the incredible breeding rate of cockroaches.
How does mating take place?
Depending on its species, the insect reaches sexual maturity at the age of 4 to 6 months. At this time, the genitals of the female begin to secrete a special secret, which, with its smell, signals readiness for mating and attracts males.
You probably know that cockroaches have wings, although they cannot fly. So it is the wings that help them in the mating season. Although females are larger, their wings are smaller than those of males - their wings are much larger. This is necessary so that during mating, the spread large wings of the male serve as a kind of platform for his partner. And the female needs wings in order to attract males - they wave them, signaling their readiness for mating.
Males fight for the attention of girlfriends, sometimes it comes to a fight. The mating process itself lasts just a couple of minutes, after which the males go in search of a new partner. After the completion of sexual intercourse and the entry of the seed into the genital chamber, fertilization of all the eggs accumulated there occurs.
The collateral gland begins the active production of a secret from which the walls of the ootheca are formed. This is a strong brownish cocoon up to 2 cm long, in which the eggs are located. The walls of the cocoon protect future offspring from external factors - low temperature, chemicals and physical impact.
We read on the topic: Where do cockroaches come from in the apartment and how to get rid of them
How long does pregnancy last?
The female wears an ootheca from a couple of weeks to six months - it depends on the species. Pregnancy habitual prusak lasts an average of 2-3 weeks. On the whole future mom wears a cocoon until the larvae grow up and get stronger.
It is noteworthy that most species push the ootheca out to ventilate it, and later retract it. When the female decides that her babies are strong enough, she sheds the cocoon in a suitable place. Usually this is some dark, warm and secluded corner.
Now the independent path of the larvae begins. They will spend a few more weeks in the ooteca, usually 2 to 4 weeks. These terms depend on the ambient temperature - the warmer the air, the faster the babies will hatch. Newborn cockroaches have a beautiful name - nymphs. These are small creatures 1-2 mm in size, and immediately after the birth of their white body. But after a couple of hours, the nymphs begin to darken. Slightly grown larvae turn brown with one or two black stripes on the back, so now you know that these strange little bugs are not bugs at all, but Prussian cubs.
The life cycle of an ordinary Prusak lasts approximately 9 months, 4 of which are the state of a nymph or larva. After reaching puberty, the insect turns into an imago - this is the name of an adult.
How fast do cockroaches breed?
As I said, the duration of ootheca maturation depends on the ambient temperature. Our apartments are warm enough for the eggs to ripen in 2 weeks. Let's do a simple calculation.
The childbearing age of the female lasts about 5 months. During this period, she will lay up to 20 ootheca. Each cocoon can contain from 15 to 60 larvae. In the worst case scenario, one female Prusak will give life to three hundred small cockroaches. In the best case, when there are 60 eggs in the clutch, in 5 months the female will bring 1200 newborns. 
Just imagine how quickly they breed: 1200 stasiks - that's a whole horde! That is why it is very important to start pest control activities in a timely manner. Ideally, as soon as you notice one insect. If this matter is postponed until later, the females will have time to lay a significant amount of ootheca, which will greatly complicate the destruction of insects.
But black cockroaches, like some other species, breed much more slowly. This is due to the fact that they reach puberty only by two years, and sometimes only by four. So this species is not suitable for those who breed cockroaches as a fodder crop - the process of maturation of the reproductive systems of insects will take too much time.
cockroaches as pet food
Obviously, those who grow cockroaches as a fodder crop rely on the rapid maturation and reproduction of insects. Not all species are suitable for use for these purposes - as I said, the same black cockroach will bring the first offspring only after 2 years. Fans of exotic pets are better off choosing a different type of cockroach as food for their pets:
- Madagascar hissing cockroach;
- Turkmen;
- marble (ash) cockroach.
We read on the topic: Who is the black cockroach and where did it come from in your house
These species are unpretentious in content, breed quickly, do not emit an unpleasant odor characteristic of other species, and in general do not cause trouble to the owners. But they bring a lot of benefits to those animals for which they will become dinner: Madagascar, Turkmen and marble cockroaches are very nutritious, they have a lot of protein and little fat, and they are also quickly absorbed.
How to speed up the reproduction of cockroaches?
The question is relevant for those who grow insects for food. There is a little life hack: after the female has shed the ootheca, carefully transfer it to a separate insectarium. The baby house should be very warm - around 30 ° C, dark and humid. It is under such conditions that the maturation of the larvae occurs faster. When the cockroaches are born, it is not necessary to immediately move them to the "adult" insectarium - give them time to grow up and get stronger.
If you are reluctant to bother with the second insectarium, get used to following the abundant and varied nutrition of adults. With monotonous food or in conditions of its deficiency, adults begin to devour each other, and at the same time larvae. As you understand, in such conditions there can be no talk of rapid reproduction.
In order for arthropods to breed successfully, some effort will have to be made.
- First of all, find out as much as you can about the conditions of your chosen species. This can be done in our blog - here you will find information about the content and breeding of marble, Turkmen, Madagascar and other types of cockroaches.
- Do not forget that arthropods need a rich variety of food. And they should always have access to water.
- Although cockroaches are unpretentious in terms of cleanliness, the dirt in the insectarium can lead to mites getting there. You won’t even know about it, and meanwhile the insects will start to die, get sick and stop multiplying. So regularly clean up the cockroach house.
- Maintain the required level of heat and humidity in the insectarium - the rate of reproduction of arthropods directly depends on this.
At right approach cockroach care does not require much time and effort, but you will get healthy and nutritious food for your pet.
Is it possible to slow down the reproduction of cockroaches in the insectarium?
The question is relevant for those whose colony has grown excessively. If there is too much live food, try lowering the temperature in the insectarium. This can be done by placing the house in a cool place. The colder environment, the longer the pregnancy lasts and the slower the ootheca matures.
In general, at low temperatures, all the vital processes of arthropods slow down.
This feature is useful for owners of exotic pets: so that cockroaches do not scatter while feeding your iguana or snake, place them in the freezer in an airtight container for 15 minutes before feeding. During this period, they will not die, but they will lose the ability to move around, and your pet will be able to have lunch without any problems.
How cockroaches breed, how long the development process from egg to adult lasts, depends on the type of insects, habitat conditions. The life cycle consists of several stages - egg, larva, nymph, adult. The duration of each stage of development can vary from several weeks to months. For fertilization, insects mate, but in some cases, cubs are born without the participation of a male. A young female mates with a male, a new cycle of life begins. Seminal fluid enters the genital organ, stored there, used in the future for its intended purpose. For the next fertilization, the presence of a male is not required, but this process is often repeated. In a special section located at the end of the body, the ootheca, embryos begin to form and develop. The female carries the larvae for a certain time, and then leaves them in a secluded place. After some time, they appear from there, which immediately proceed to the lifestyle typical of cockroaches. reproduction How many cockroaches hatch from one egg? We will consider this issue further in our material. In the meantime, let's find out what actually the eggs of such insects are. They hatch from the so-called ootheca. The latter is an egg storage in the form of a cocoon, which is covered with a rather pliable chitinous shell. An ootheca develops in the body of a female cockroach. Under favorable conditions, several dozen eggs can form in such a cocoon. After the insect embryos mature, the ootheca separates from the body of the female. The shell of the ovary quickly hardens and transforms into a reliable protective capsule. Such a receptacle for larvae protects the offspring of cockroaches from the effects of a number of adverse environmental factors. Before finding out how many cockroaches hatch from one egg, let's consider what morphological differences the ootheca of certain types of domestic pests have: So we come to the question of how many eggs can be contained in one clutch? Individual species of cockroaches produce a different number of offspring: How many cockroaches hatch from one egg (ootheca) largely depends on the availability of favorable conditions for the life of young individuals. Females can carry cocoons with embryos from 2 to 6 months. If the environment is too dry, there is no food, various kinds of radiation, chemical exposure, and other negative factors, the female may prematurely shed ootheca. In this case, not all larvae will survive. Some of them will not hatch at all or will be born underdeveloped. So we found out how many cockroaches hatch from one egg in different species. Now let's look at what happens to the juveniles after leaving the ootheca. Cockroach larvae are called nymphs. They differ from adults only in their translucent body structure, modest size, and inability to reproduce. Nymphs may be white for several days. It was from here that the misconceptions about the existence of a separate species of pale mutated cockroaches began. Different show the following care for offspring: In the presented material, we examined how many cockroaches hatch from an egg. A photo of this process can be seen above. OUR READERS RECOMMEND! In the fight against cockroaches, our readers advise the Pest-Reject repeller. The electromagnetic and ultrasonic technology is 100% effective against cockroaches, bed bugs and other insects. Absolutely safe, ecological product for humans and pets. After a partner is found, the female and male start mating. Fertilization of the female occurs with the help of the genital plate, which is located in the male at the very end of the body. After the end of mating, the partners part: the male continues to be active, and the female prepares for parenthood. After a certain amount of time, the females lay eggs. In one normal oviposition, there can be from 20 to 60 larvae. For carrying small insects, the female has a special compartment in the form of a leathery bag - ootheca. It will store the embryos for as long as they need protection. It is noteworthy that this capsule-shaped sac of the female is enough long time carry with them - until the embryos are sufficiently formed. It is clearly visible to the naked eye, since most of it extends beyond the abdomen of the female. As soon as the babies have grown a little and got stronger, the female sheds the ootheca in a dark secluded place and leaves, leaving the embryos to themselves. It is very difficult, since domestic cockroaches, commonly called, breed very quickly. It is enough to have just one pregnant female in the house, so that after a while a whole population of pests settles in it. This article will tell you about how cockroaches reproduce. A sticky secret released from a special organ enters the edema, which envelops the eggs. It is also used when plugging the capsule at the end of its formation. By that time, the ootheca clearly protrudes from the body of the female, and it becomes obvious that you really have a pregnant cockroach in front of you. On a note! Proper development and high survival of the offspring is ensured by a dense shell that can withstand even the effects of pesticides. The embryo receives the oxygen necessary for the development of the embryo through special perforations in the protective covers. A cockroach ootheca is formed within 30-75 days. In many ways, it all depends on the temperature and humidity in the room: the higher these figures, the faster the insects will see the light. The female tries to lay the matured ootheca in a secluded protected place, where she will lie until the appearance of new offspring. Embryos constantly move, developing due to the nutrients of the sticky secret that envelops the egg. As the egg grows, the shell of the egg becomes tight for the future nymph, as a result of which she successfully breaks through it, subsequently gnawing through the wall of the ootheca. In this way, the formed embryo is born. The process of "birth" of small cockroaches from all eggs of the ootheca occurs simultaneously for several minutes. Over time, the larvae will grow and look like all adults (adults). But while the offspring that has appeared is under the control of adult females for at least two weeks. Nymphs need the guardianship of adult relatives due to the lack of immunity, chitinous shell and inactivity. This life of the larvae continues until the young individuals get stronger and are able to independently find food for themselves. Knowing how many cockroaches hatch from one egg, how many eggs are contained in the ootheca, it is possible to estimate the extent of the spread of pests. Usually one individual is born from an egg at a time, less often a pair of “twins” is formed. In total, up to 20 larvae can appear from the female's ootheca, while the female of the red prusak can give birth to up to 50 larvae. This amount is quite enough for a whole cockroach population to multiply in the apartment. Given the fact that the life of cockroaches does not exceed 6 months and during this time the female Prusak manages to lay up to 12 ootheca, it is easy to understand that the number of emerging insects will increase at a high speed.Reproduction of cockroaches - general information
Differences between clutches of individual cockroach species
How many cockroaches hatch from an egg?
Do cockroaches take care of their offspring?
Eventually
Upon reaching the last stage of development, domestic cockroaches become capable of reproduction. The process begins with finding a mating partner. In order to find and attract a suitable partner, females secrete a special odorous secret. This was made possible thanks to the glands located in the back of the body. In addition, they can also use their own wings to attract the male, waving them slightly.
breeding process
Female red cockroaches wear a capsule on the back of their body. Individuals lay eggs in secluded places. There are also viviparous cockroaches, the females of which carry an ootheca inside the body. In this case, live larvae immediately appear from the mother's body. An example of this is . How do nymphs appear
Transparent and white nymphs, which are mistaken for, grow rapidly, undergoing several molts. In appearance, the cockroach nymph and the adult are exactly the same. A young cockroach will differ only in small body size and a darker color. It is also possible to distinguish a nymph from an adult Prusak by the absence of wings.