What happens if the cockroaches die out completely?

At the moment, scientists are aware of the existencemore than 7000 species of cockroaches. According to their calculations, cockroaches lived on our planet 500 million years ago, long before the appearance of dinosaurs. They were able to survive many mass extinctions, because they are not afraid of radiation, they can go for months without food and are generally very tenacious. In some countries, cockroaches are eaten, but mostly they only cause disgust in people. When we see a cockroach, most of us try to swat it down with a slipper. It may seem that without them, our life would be much better. However, if the cockroaches become completely extinct, many species of animals on our planet will also disappear... But what connection can there be between cockroaches and the life of other animals?

Cockroaches are one of the most tenacious creatures on our planet. And this is good

Interesting fact: fear of insects, including cockroaches, is called insectophobia... There is a theory that this phobia was passed on to us from distant ancestors who lived in caves and did not know that insect bites can be fatal.

Content

• 1 Who are cockroaches?
• 2 Extinction of insects
• 3 Wasp parasites
• 4 How do cockroaches affect plant growth?

Who are cockroaches?

Cockroaches are different, but mostly their bodiesflat and oval. Their body length is usually between 1.7 and 9.5 centimeters. They love warm and humid conditions and during the day they hide under rocks, in cracks and other secluded places. And at night they go out to feed on organic matter left over from plants and animals. Cockroaches are resistant to radiation and able to survive even an atomic bomb explosion... It is believed that the lethal dose of radiation for cockroaches should be about 15 times higher than the human dose.

If you saw a cockroach at home, most likely it is a red cockroach (Blattella germanica)

Extinction of insects

You might think that there is no cockroachbenefits. But in fact, they are very important and if they are destroyed, we will face difficult times. A chain reaction will occur, where after the death of insects, the population of birds and rodents will first be reduced, and then larger animals. It is important to note that these creatures will not be completely erased from the face of our planet. It's just that without cockroaches, their lives will become much more difficult than they are now.

Birds are natural enemies of cockroaches

This is due to their food preferences. Cockroaches are food for many birds and rodents. If the insects disappear, some species of small animals will starve. Everything will depend on where they live. If there are other food sources like worms and edible vegetation, that's fine. But if animals live in places where they have nothing to eat except cockroaches, problems cannot be avoided. And if populations of birds and rodents decline, cats, wolves and birds of prey will experience hunger. Ultimately, their population will also decline.

Extinction of cockroaches may harm other animals

See also: Cockroaches can develop resistance to all types of chemicals

Wasp parasites

But who will completely disappear after extinctioncockroaches are parasitic wasps. The wasps of the species Ampulex compressa inhabiting the tropical forests of Africa and some islands of the Pacific Ocean reproduce using exclusively insect bodies. They attack cockroaches, let poison into their bodies, paralyze movements and drag them into their holes. There wasps lay eggs in the abdomens of cockroaches, from which the larvae hatch. They use the insides of insects as food and then pupate. After a while, adult wasps crawl out of the hole. So, if the cockroaches disappear, these creatures will also completely die out.

Cockroach and the wasp-parasite Blattella germanica

How do cockroaches affect plant growth?

Also, without cockroaches on our planet, plants will grow worse. The fact is that by eating and digesting organic matter, they release nitrogen into the soil... It is very important for plant growth becauseprovides metabolism. So, without cockroaches on our planet, plant growth would be very slow. And the lives of not only animals, but also people depend on plants. It is scary to imagine a world with a shortage of bread, potatoes and other products to which we have long been accustomed.

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As you can see, cockroaches are very important forof our planet by creatures. Despite their vitality, some species of cockroaches are still dying out. The species Margatteoidea amoena is already considered completely extinct, about 7 species are close to complete extinction, and 16 species are only threatened with extinction. Other insects are also on the verge of extinction, and you can read about what this threatens in this material.