The Cockroach (Periplaneta Americana, L.)

Book excerpt: The Cockroach covers the structure and physiology of the American cockroach, Periplaneta americana. This well-known insect is extensively used by research workers for insecticide testing and general experimental work. This book is composed of 12 chapters, and begins with a presentation of the classification, life history and development, and the external features of the American cockroach. These topics are followed by considerable chapters on the internal features of the insect, including its circulatory, nervous, reproductive, and muscular systems, sense organs, and excretion. A chapter presents some practical guidelines in the laboratory for observation, dissection, and drawing. The last chapter describes the parasites and predators of the American cockroach. Zoologists, entomologists, researchers, and entomology students will find this book rewarding.