Why Do Cockroaches Fly?
We all think we’re brave … until they spread their wings and flutter across the room. Would you like to know why cockroaches fly? We’ll tell you this secret in our article.
Physical characteristics of the cockroaches?
To understand why cockroaches sometimes fly and give us a terrible scare, we first need to find out a little more about these crawly animals.
First you can see its body shape, it is flat and thinner at the ends than in the middle. Some types of cockroach can grow to be over 10 cm, others are only a few millimeters long, but their body shape is always the same.
The animals are dark in color, they are either black or dark brown. Their exoskeleton is smooth, their rib cage is well developed, and their hind paws have some protective thorns. They also have long antennae and large eyes that lie on the sides of their bodies.
So how do the cockroaches fly now?
These insects may have wings, but as strange as it may seem, most do not use them for flight. Cockroaches have two pairs of wings. If they are at rest, the left, upper wing is above the right.
The second pair of wings is under the first and emerges when the animal deems it necessary.
Actually, it’s not true that cockroaches fly, because they glide in a clumsy way. Usually when someone scares them, they open their wings and try to fly to escape danger.
Each wing moves in the shape of an 8 and they can only move forward.
In addition, they do not have flight indicators in their brains that birds have, for example. Therefore, they have no balance or sensory receptors while in flight.
What types of cockroaches fly?
Not all types of cockroaches can fly, even if they have wings. Those who can scare you with their flight when they feel threatened are the following:
1. Surinam cockroach
They are about two inches long and only the males can cover short distances in flight. They are black, eat wood and can wreak havoc on the flora.
2. Australian cockroach
They can be found all over the world, especially in warm climates. In adulthood, the animals are over three centimeters long and have a yellow border on the chest.
3. Blattella asahinai cockroach
It comes from Southeast Asia, is usually less than two centimeters long and light brown in color.
4. Periplaneta fullginosa
This species lives in the southeastern United States of America, is almost four inches long and one of the few species in which one can really speak of flight. These cockroaches are black-reddish in color.
5. Cuban cockroach
These are not only found in Cuba, but they are also spreading in the Caribbean, Florida and Texas. The females are larger than the males (25 and 15 mm) and both are green or yellowish.
6. Megaloblatta cockroach
She is the cockroach flight expert. If it spreads its wings, it has a wingspan of two centimeters. This species is native to Central and South America.
7. Loboptera cockroach
These crawfish are dark brown and have slightly lighter wings that allow them to move around quite well. However, this only applies to the males, because the wings of the females are very small.
This type of cockroach is one of the most found around the world.
Now you not only know how cockroaches fly, but that there are completely different species with this ability. Don’t be afraid the next time you run into one and she opens her wings to move toward you. You just scared them!
