Activity

TMEN513 Lab exam: Cockroaches and bugs
Tipawan Ammarit ID:6438166

Question1: Please describe how you identify the cockroaches (selecting at least two species)
Answers: We can use morphological characteristics to identify the cockroaches. Firstly, I want to describe the morphology of adult cockroaches first. Start with cockroaches are flatted insect from top to bottom, have chewing mouthparts, have long filamentous antennae, have two pairs of wings (forewings and hind wings), have caudal cerci (cercus) that sensitive to vibration, males have a pair of styli (stylus), and females have subgenital plate.
– Periplaneta americana (American cockroach), it has about 35-40 mm. long (large size), reddish brown in color except for a submarginal pale brown to yellow band around the edge of their pronotal shield, Both sexes are fully winged, the wings of males extend beyond the tip of the abdomen, while females do not, have twice cercus as long as wide at last segment.
– Supella longipalpa (Brown-banded cockroach). It has 10-14 mm. long, have two light-colored bands (yellow and brown band) across the wings and abdomen, Males appear more slender than females, Males have wings that cover the abdomen, but females have wings that don’t cover the abdomen completely thus they cannot well fly.

Question2: What is the difference between genus Triatoma and Rhodnius?
Answers: Both of genus Triatoma and Rhodnius are part of family Reduviidae, subfamily Triatominea, are also known as conenose bugs, kissing bugs, or vampire bugs. Mose of the 130 or more species of this subfamily feed on vertebrate blood. The difference between genus Triatoma and Rhodnius cause by morphological adaptations associated with living in bird nests. Rhodnius is morphologically quite different from the Triatominae, especially in the head morphology. In genus Triatoma the antennae start from side of head at the middle between eyes and outer anterior tip, while in genus Rhodnius the antennae start from the side of head at the anterior end.