How Many Pairs af Legs Does A Cockroach Have

Introduction

There are three pairs of legs situated in the thorax and abdominal region of a cockroach. Let us see this in detail. The name "cockroach" is derived from the Spanish "Cucaracha." It belongs to the Blattodea order (generally for cockroaches)and includes termites. The meaning of "cockroach'' in Latin is "an insect that shuns the light".It was estimated that there are 4500 species of cockroaches and only 30 species are associated with human habitats. Out of 30, only five species are commonly known as pests(cuss).

On this broad scale, there are millions of cockroaches belonging to alternate species that might have different evolutionary genetics and also vary widely among well-known species. There are a variety of cockroaches that might have five legs or even four, some of those legs were broken because of climbing rough surfaces and some hide their legs by the armed structure known as Pronotum.

In cockroaches, sexual dimorphism takes place where the characteristics and appearance of the body vary widely based on sex. In our next segments, we will discuss the roach body and its properties, pairs of legs, and how to prevent infestation of cockroaches.

Pairs of legs

As I said earlier, Cockroaches possess three pairs of legs of which one is positioned behind its head and the other two are positioned in the thorax and abdominal region respectively. Cockroaches also carry a pair of wings which will be discussed in the following segments.

In general, Roach's legs appear slightly shiny and also jointed. These three pairs of legs are functionally different. Based on the position of the legs and their function, it was classified into three major types.

1. Prothoracic legs: They are the shortest legs located right behind the head. It helps to fall off the mobility of an insect. The name itself defines the location of these legs

2. Mesothoracic legs: It is located in the middle and helps in adjusting speed. It helps in accelerating or slackening speed. Its function differs from the other two pairs as the other two proceed its motion in the direction of mobility but the second pair moves in the opposite direction in order to gain the maximum speed. This formula of cockroach might be the reason for the impotence to catch it.

3. Metathoracic legs: It is located on the Rear side and propels the cockroach forward so that it gains high speed. It is the strongest leg among others.

Roach body

1. Roach possesses two antenna-like structures at its head. The body is flat and we can't rely on the size of the cockroach.

The German cockroach grows up to 0.15 inches whereas large American cockroaches grow to expand their length by 2 inches on growing.

2. The head is very small as most of the time it is covered with an armed structure known as the pronotum. The legs are attached to the torso part of its body known as the thorax.

3. The eyes are compound and it is nocturnal as it dislikes light. In females, the reproductive organs are present at the abdomen and also protrude a structure known as cerci

4. Incredibly, roaches have the tendency to regenerate their lost leg as their genome is modified like that.

5. Roaches also possess wings only during adulthood and wings are not born during the Nymphal stage. Generally, Roach doesn't like to fly but uses wings for climbing rough surface

6. Roaches are confused with beetles and crickets as both have a similar appearance and the same number of legs.

Conclusion

We started with the question "How many pairs of legs does a cockroach have" we saw a detailed explanation of the pairs of legs, and appearance and also compared it with beetles and crickets. If you have seen a cockroach, but don't exactly know what it is, then look at its legs because you can simply identify a cockroach using its legs. Sometimes you get confused roaches with the spider but remember the spider is eight-legged.

Cockroaches are unwelcome guests in all our homes. Usually, cockroaches prefer a place to hide. So to prevent cockroach infestation, we must clean waste and spoiled food. We should clean all our appliances and keeping them apart is the best way to prevent Cockroaches.