Female Cockroach’s Reproductive System Explained

Cockroaches belong to the phylum Arthropoda family Blattidae and class Insecta. They are a nocturnal and omnivorous animal. They are unisexual animals and show sexual dimorphism. The body of a cockroach is divided into the head, thorax and abdomen. The alimentary canal of cockroaches is long and coiled. Respiration occurs through the trachea present on the lateral side of the body; the trachea consists of tracheoles that help carry oxygen from the environment to different parts of the body. The Nervous system is divided into the central nervous system, peripheral nervous system and sympathetic nervous system.

Reproductive System of Cockroach

Cockroaches are unisexual or dioecious insects. They can be a male or female. The reproductive system of a male cockroach consists of the testes, vas deferens, ejaculatory duct, utricular gland and phallic gland. The reproductive system of a female cockroach consists of ovaries, genital chamber, vagina, spermatheca, colleterial gland, external genitalia and oviduct. The copulation in cockroaches occurs in the summer season at night. A female cockroach lays eggs between 16 to 50 according to the species of the cockroach.

Reproductive System of Female Cockroach

The reproductive system of a female cockroach consists of two large ovaries, genital chamber, vagina, spermatheca, colleterial gland, external genitalia and oviduct.

Ovaries

The female reproductive system of cockroaches consists of two large ovaries, which are light yellow.
The two ovaries are present between the second and sixth segments of the abdomen.
Each ovary is formed of a group of eight ovarioles or ovarian tubules that contain rows of developing ova in various stages of development.

Oviduct and Vagina

An oviduct is a small, lateral and muscular tube formed in the continuation of the ovary. The stalk of eight ovarioles contributes to the formation of oviducts.
Two lateral oviducts in the female body unite to form a single common oviduct. This common oviduct is known as the vagina.

Genital pouch

The genital pouch is formed by the 7th, 8th and 9th segments of the abdomen.
It is a boat-shaped structure.
It can be divided into a genital chamber and an oothecal chamber. The vagina opens in the genital chamber, and the ootheca is formed in the oothecal chamber.
The genital pouch is also responsible for receiving the accessory reproductive glands.

Collateral Glands

They are the accessory reproductive glands and are white in colour and branches.
They occur on either side of a genital chamber where they open.
The primary function of the collateral gland is to help in the formation of egg cases or ootheca.

Spermatheca

Spermatheca occurs in pairs and is club-shaped.
They are present in the sixth abdominal segment.
Both the spermatheca are unequal sized and combine to form a common duct. This common duct opens into the genital chamber.
The place where they open in the genital chamber is the spermatheca papilla.

External Genitalia of Female

The external genitalia of the female cockroach lies inside the gymnatorium in concealed form.
It is an accessory reproductive gland.
The external genitalia are six in number.
Two gonapophyses form an ovipositor. This ovipositor is present in the external genitalia of females.

Male reproductive system	Female reproductive system
It consists of the testes, vas deferens, ejaculatory duct, utricular gland and phallic gland.	It consists of the ovaries, genital chamber, vagina colleterial gland and oviduct.
The male reproductive system is formed by the organs related to the production of sperms and the transfer of sperms to the place where fertilisation occurs.	The female reproductive system is formed by the organs related to the production of the ovum in the plantation of the embryo and childbirth.
The vas deferens joins the urinary duct coming from the urinary bladder to form the urethra.	The oviducts from both sides open in the muscular uterus.
The male reproductive organ, the testes are located in the scrotal sac, which is located outside the abdominal cavity.	The female reproductive organs are located in the abdominal cavity.
The common passage of sperms and urine is the urethra.	The urinary opening and the genital opening in females are separate.

Conclusion

Cockroaches are unisexual animals and show sexual dimorphism. The reproductive system of a female cockroach consists of two large ovaries, genital chamber, vagina, spermatheca, colleterial gland, external genitalia and oviduct. The female reproductive system of cockroaches consists of two large ovaries, which are light yellow. The two ovaries are present between the second and sixth segments of the abdomen. Two lateral oviducts in the female body unite to form a single common oviduct. This common oviduct is known as the vagina. Collateral glands are the accessory reproductive glands and are white in colour and branches. They occur on either side of a genital chamber where they open. The genital pouch is responsible for receiving the accessory reproductive glands. The external genitalia of the female cockroach lie inside the gymnatorium in concealed form. It is an accessory reproductive gland and is six in number.