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The Strange Reproductive Behavior Demonstrated By Cockroaches | Cockroach Control

The Strange Reproductive Behavior Demonstrated By Cockroaches |  Cockroach Control

Cockroaches are fascinating despite the fact that nearly everyone on the planet seems to be disgusted by them. Who knows, perhaps if you took the time to gain an objective understanding of cockroach behavior you may realize that these bugs are different from all other insects in many unique ways. For example, female cockroaches don’t actually need a mate in order to reproduce. However, studies show that female virgin cockroaches that are housed together are much quicker to produce offspring than virgin female cockroaches that are isolated from other members of their species.

You may not have wanted to know this, but a single cockroach can create an entire brood of baby cockroaches without even having a mate present. So the next time you find one single roach in your home, you will know better than to assume that one cockroach could not possibly cause an infestation.

Female cockroaches can reproduce asexually, and this phenomenon is known as Parthenogenesis. However, this is not the female cockroaches preferred method of reproduction since female cockroaches resort to asexual reproduction only when there are no male cockroaches available for mating.

As far as American cockroaches go, cockroach eggs that are produced asexually do not have a particularly high survival rate–thank god! However, in order for female cockroaches to ensure the survival of their young, the female cockroaches will reproduce asexually in close proximity to other asexually reproducing female cockroaches. As you can guess, by syncing up female asexual reproduction, female cockroaches find it to their advantage, and the advantage of their offspring, to lay eggs around other asexually reproducing females. Naturally, the asexually reproducing cockroaches can better ensure the survival of their young by laying eggs with numerous other female cockroaches. Once each female lays eggs, each female roach protects the egg-laying location from intruders. Therefore, the female roaches band together to help all the offspring in the roach community survive.

Had you ever heard of roaches reproducing asexually?

 

 

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