Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 05.djvu/133

* COCKKOACH. 103 COCKROACH. foi'eign origin, and of cusmopoljLan raiigi', luiviiig followed civilized man to all jjarls of the gloljc: it is of medium -size, brown or yellowish, with wings, ill the adult, extending beyond the abdo- men. (2) The Orienlal or proper eoeUroach {Feriplaneta Oiicnlalis) is also a iidely dis- tributed pest, introduced from the East. Al- though it is not at all related to the beetles (Coleoptera), its British name "black beetle' well describes its dark, shining. rol)Ust apjiear- anee: its wings are eharacteristically shorter than the abdomen. (3) The American cockroach (Pcriplanetti Aniericaiici) jjrobably originated in tropical America, wlience it long ago spread to most of the seajrart cities of the world; it is large and reddish brown, with veiv long wings. (4) The Australian cockroach {Periplaiietu Aiis- tralaaiw) . much like the American, but smaller. In addition to these, which frequent houses, bakeries, warehouses, and shipping, there are a large number of wood-cockroaches but rarely seen. tliat they serve as scavengers to a small degree, and are the enemies of bedbugs. Consult: for extended illustrated accounts of species above mentioned, Marlatt, Household In- mcls (Department of Agriculture, Washington. 18!)G; revised rc))rint, 1002) ; for general account of the Blattida", De Saussure, Mchmyrs Orthopti- roloijii/iies, fascicule ii. (Geneva. 1S78): for structure. Carpenter, Insects: Their Htriieture and Li'/r (London, ISD'J). Fossil Foums. During the latter part of the Paleozoic era cockroaches seem to have been very abundant, and to have formed the dominant feature of the insect life of that time. Their remains are present, though much less abun- dantly, in the Triassic rocks also, and some have been found in the Tertiary. The total number of fossil species is about 225, of which number 19.3 species are Paleozoic, and of these 133 are American. The Paleozoic cockroaches are as a rule larger, and have broader bodies than do the modern species. Their wings are quite common LUL'KROACHES INFESTING HOUSES. 1, The American cnckroac-h (Periplaneta Americana). 2, EgR-^^apsule or 'pod' of the same (somewhat enlarged); a. Bide view; 6, end view; the dotted llgui-e shows the natural size. 3, Australian roach (^feriplaneta Australasim): nat- ui'alsize. i. Croton-bug, or German roach (B/afta Germaoiea) ; natural size. 5, Its egg-capsule; double size. 6, Orien- tal cockroach, or 'black beetle" (Periplaneta, Orientalis) ; natural size. Roaches as a group prefer warm, moist places. They go abroail mainlj' at night, and thus often escape notice even where they are abundant; and their excessively flattened body permits them to creep into very narrow crevices — below base- boards, in table-drawers, etc., where the eggs ("nits') are laid, surrounded by a peculiar 'pod;' but they are often carried by the female until nearly ready to hatch. The new-born young have nearly the same shape as the adult, but are wingless and pale in color. They are practically omnivorous, injuring all kinds of provisions, eating parts of books, blackened boots, and even the n.iils and eyelashes of sleeping children. The loss caused to provisions by their appetite is far surpassed by the remaining food being rendered unfit for human use. on account of the nauseous 'roachy' odor noticed wherever they congregate in large numbers, llieir only claim to credit is in the shales of the Coal Measures and Permian at several localities, such as Richmond. Ohio; Cassville, W. Va.; Mazon Creek, 111.; and Com- ment ry. France. At a few localities the larval forms (nymphs) have been found and described under the generic name Dipeltis. The cockroach wings of the Coal Measures are usually found in shales that are replete with the leaves of ferns. One of the commonest ferns is JCeuropteris. and the insect's wings so closely resemble the leaflets of this fern that the likeness has been remarked upon and explained as a case of protective mimicry, adopted by the insect to enalile it to elude its pursiK'rs by hiding among the fallen fern-leaves. For a full history of these insects, with recom- mendations for their suppression as a pest, con- sult: Howard and JIarlatt. "Principal Household Insects of the United States," in United States Depdrtnient of Agriculture. Division of Entomol-