How do they look?

They are medium to large-sized insects with a length of 10-30 mm. They have a flat body, and the head is hidden under the thorax. Cockroaches have well-developed legs, enabling them to run at speeds of up to 30 cm/s. The forewings are tough and serve as protective covers. Cockroaches have long, antennae-like appendages for navigation in confined spaces. They possess two large compound eyes and two simple eyes.

What do they eat?

Wood-dwelling cockroaches are omnivores, consuming both animal remains and decomposing leaves. Indoor residents feed on bread scraps, fruits, and vegetables.

Where do they live?

Kitchen cockroaches and black cockroaches inhabit human dwellings, while northern cockroaches and woodland cockroaches reside in dry pine forests.

Interesting and important facts

In Europe, there are 130 species of cockroaches, and occasionally new species are discovered. Four of them inhabit Latvia: the kitchen cockroach, the black cockroach, the northern cockroach, and the woodland cockroach. Cockroaches have pronounced abilities to regenerate body parts. For example, if a leg or antenna is lost in the early stages of their life cycle, the insect can regrow it. Cockroaches are among the most resilient insects globally. Some species can survive without food and remain active for an entire month, even in environments with limited food sources, such as glue on postage stamps.

In places where cockroaches live, there may be a strong odor, and they can carry microbes and disease-causing bacteria, posing a potential risk to humans, especially in hospitals. Cockroaches commonly transmit intestinal infections (typhoid, dysentery, cholera), and sometimes they can also spread respiratory infections (tuberculosis, diphtheria) and parasitic worm eggs.

Information sources: Wikipedia, Kreslina L. ‘Insects in Latvia’

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