1. Periplaneta is a nocturnal creature, avoiding the daylight and found in warm and damp places like kitchens, bakeries,hotels, godowns and ships.
2. It is found in India. Asia and USA. It has original home in Mexico but has travelled with man to all parts of the world. They flourish chiefly in tropical damp forests but occur throughout the world.
3. Commonly called as cockroach.
4. Body reddish brown in color measuring 2.5 cm in length.
5. Body elongated dorsally and dorsoventrally flattened.
6. Body strongly differentiated into dorsal and ventral surface and divided into head, thorax and abdomen.
7. Head is slightly movable. Thorax is divided into prothorax, mesothorax and metathorax.
8. Abdomen contains 10 segments.
9. Male and female cockroaches are distinguished by the appendages in 10 th abdominal segment.
10. Male cockroach has a pair of segmented anal cerci and a pair of unsegmented anal styles in the 10 th abdominal cerci.Female cockroach has anal cerci and ovipositor valves.
Source:
1. Practical Zoology Invertebrates by S.S.Lal. 2. A Manual of Practical Zoology Chordates by Dr. P.S. Verma.
