Birds on the Brain

invertebrate-science:

Order Blattodea- Cockroaches

Cockroaches are possibly the most despised of all insects. Just hearing the word disgusts most people, but the truth is out of the thousands of known species only four are common pests. These are the American, German, Oriental, and Asian Cockroaches. 

Despite what most people think I find cockroaches to be fascinating and intriguing insects. They have adapted to almost every habitat on Earth. While most people are only familiar with the fairly unassuming brown pest species there are many bright, colorful, and beautifully patterned species. Many people even keep cockroaches as pets, Madagascar Hissing Roaches being the most common.

Cockroaches are part of the superorder Dictyoptera with their close relatives the mantids and termites. The similarities between roaches and mantids can be seen in the triangular heads and laying of oothecas. Recent DNA testing has led some people to consider termites to be part of the order Blattodea with the cockroaches because of the very close similarities with wood-eating roaches in the Cryptocercus genus.