What the sources say
American CockroachPeriplaneta americana
Every figure, record and mechanism on the American Cockroach profile was written from a source, and this is the working table behind it: 38 claims checked word for word against these sources. The left column is what the page says. The right column is the source's own words, copied, not paraphrased; a ... marks a cut and[brackets] an insertion. Open any source and check it yourself.
Profile updated
Source
01
Full & Tu 1991
Full & Tu (1991). Mechanics of A Rapid Running Insect: Two-, Four-and Six-Legged Locomotion. Journal of Experimental Biology.
- The page saysA cockroach that switches to running on four legs, and on two, at up to 50 body lengths per second.
- The source says
At the highest speeds (1.0-1.5 ms-1 or 50 body lengths per second), P. americana switched to quadrupedal and bipedal running.
Note: tagline - The page saysSwitches from six-legged to four-legged and two-legged running at up to 50 body lengths per second
- The source says
At the highest speeds (1.0-1.5 ms-1 or 50 body lengths per second), P. americana switched to quadrupedal and bipedal running.
Note: stats.superpower; six-legged from the title and the tripod gait - The page saysis built for speed
- The source says
one of the fastest invertebrates ever studied
- The page saysIn a 1991 study, scientists measured its running on a miniature force platform
- The source says
we used a miniature force platform to measure the ground reaction forces of the smallest and, relative to its mass, one of the fastest invertebrates ever studied, the American cockroach Periplaneta americana
Note: 1991 is the reference year field - The page saysThe study calls it, relative to its mass, one of the fastest invertebrates ever studied
- The source says
relative to its mass, one of the fastest invertebrates ever studied
- The page saysgives that mass as 0.83 grams.
- The source says
the American cockroach Periplaneta americana (mass = 0.83 g)
Note: Mass the 1991 abstract gives for the animals it measured; the body scopes it to the study, not the species, and does not say how many animals. - The page saysBetween 0.44 and 1.0 metres per second, it ran with an alternating tripod stepping pattern.
- The source says
From 0.44-1.0 ms-1, P. americana used an alternating tripod stepping pattern.
- The page saysAt the highest speeds, 1.0 to 1.5 metres per second or 50 body lengths per second, it switched to running on four legs and on two.
- The source says
At the highest speeds (1.0-1.5 ms-1 or 50 body lengths per second), P. americana switched to quadrupedal and bipedal running.
- The page saysIts stride frequency came close to the 27 beats per second of its wings in flight.
- The source says
Stride frequency approached the wing beat frequencies used during flight (27 Hz).
Note: Hz = beats per second. - The page saysswitches to running on four legs and on two at up to 50 body lengths per second
- The source says
At the highest speeds (1.0-1.5 ms-1 or 50 body lengths per second), P. americana switched to quadrupedal and bipedal running.
Note: vibe.reason, animal half
Source
02
Sabree, Kambhampati & Moran 2009
Sabree, Kambhampati & Moran (2009). Nitrogen recycling and nutritional provisioning by Blattabacterium , the cockroach endosymbiont. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
- The page saysCockroaches, unlike most terrestrial insects, excrete waste nitrogen within their fat bodies as uric acids.
- The source says
Cockroaches, unlike most terrestrial insects, excrete waste nitrogen within their fat bodies as uric acids
- The page saysIn most cockroaches a bacterium called Blattabacterium lives in those fat bodies
- The source says
The fat bodies of most cockroaches are inhabited by Blattabacterium
Note: Source: most cockroaches; the genome sequenced was from P. americana. - The page saysthe genome of the one from P. americana indicates it can recycle nitrogen and make all of the essential amino acids.
- The source says
We have sequenced completely the Blattabacterium genome from Periplaneta americana ... Metabolic reconstruction indicates that it lacks recognizable uricolytic enzymes, but it can recycle nitrogen from urea and ammonia ... Blattabacterium can produce all of the essential amino acids
- The page saysThe authors say this ancient partnership has allowed cockroaches to subsist on nitrogen-poor diets.
- The source says
The ancient association with Blattabacterium has allowed cockroaches to subsist successfully on nitrogen-poor diets
Source
03
Barbara
Barbara. American Cockroach, Periplaneta americana (Linnaeus) (Insecta: Blattodea: Blattidae). University of Florida IFAS Extension, Featured Creatures (EENY-141).
- The page saysMainly basements, sewers, steam tunnels and drainage systems, worldwide
- The source says
The American cockroach has spread throughout the world by commerce. It is found mainly in basements, sewers, steam tunnels, and drainage systems
Note: stats.habitat - The page saysAn omnivorous scavenger that will eat almost anything
- The source says
The American cockroach is an omnivorous and opportunistic feeder. It consumes decaying organic matter but is a scavenger and will eat almost anything.
Note: stats.diet - The page saysA University of Florida guide calls it an omnivorous, opportunistic feeder that will eat almost anything.
- The source says
The American cockroach is an omnivorous and opportunistic feeder. It consumes decaying organic matter but is a scavenger and will eat almost anything
- The page saysIt prefers sweets, but has been seen eating paper, boots, hair and dead insects.
- The source says
It prefers sweets, but has also been observed eating paper, boots, hair, bread, fruit, book bindings, fish, peanuts, old rice, putrid sake, the soft part on the inside of animal hides, cloth, and dead insects
- The page saysthe species was introduced to the United States from Africa as early as 1625.
- The source says
The American cockroach ( Periplaneta americana ) was introduced to the United States from Africa as early as 1625
- The page saysIt has spread throughout the world by commerce.
- The source says
The American cockroach has spread throughout the world by commerce.
- The page saysIt is found mainly in basements, sewers, steam tunnels and drainage systems.
- The source says
It is found mainly in basements, sewers, steam tunnels, and drainage systems
- The page saysMore than 5,000 are sometimes found in individual sewer manholes.
- The source says
They can develop to enormous numbers, greater than 5,000 sometimes being found in individual sewer manholes
- The page saysOutdoors, it lives in moist, shady places such as hollow trees, wood piles and mulch.
- The source says
Outdoors, American cockroaches are found in moist, shady areas such as hollow trees, wood piles, and mulch.
- The page saysIt responds negatively to light, and by day it rests near water pipes, sinks, baths and toilets.
- The source says
During the day the American cockroach, which responds negatively to light, rests in harborages close to water pipes, sinks, baths, and toilets
Note: 'so' links two facts the sentence gives in one clause. - The page saysIt is the largest of the common peridomestic cockroaches, meaning the ones living around people, at an average of 4 centimetres long.
- The source says
is the largest of the common peridomestic cockroaches measuring on average 4 cm (1.5 in) in length
Note: 'living around people' is the gloss of peridomestic. - The page saysA female lays her eggs in a hardened, purse-shaped egg case called an ootheca.
- The source says
Females of the American cockroach lay their eggs in a hardened, purse-shaped egg case called an ootheca.
- The page saysOn average she makes one a month for ten months, with 16 eggs in each
- The source says
The females on average produce one egg case a month for ten months, laying 16 eggs per egg case.
- The page saysand produces about 150 young in her lifetime.
- The source says
an adult female will produce an average of 150 young in her lifetime
- The page saysGrowing from egg to adult averages about 600 days, and the adult life span may be another 400 days.
- The source says
The life cycle from egg to adult averages about 600 days, and the adult life span may be another 400 days.
- The page saysA University of Florida guide says it was brought into the United States from Africa as early as 1625.
- The source says
was introduced to the United States from Africa as early as 1625
- The page saysIt counts 47 species in the genus Periplaneta, and not one of them is endemic to the US.
- The source says
Forty-seven species are included in the genus Periplaneta , none of which are endemic to the US
Note: Forty-seven = 47. - The page saysSeveral parasitic wasps. They deposit their own eggs in the cockroach egg case, which prevents the cockroach nymphs from emerging.
- The source says
These parasitic wasps deposit their eggs in the cockroach ootheca preventing the emergence of cockroach nymphs.
- The page saysOne of them is Aprostocetus hagenowii.
- The source says
Aprostocetus hagenowii (Ratzeburg) is one of several parasitic wasps that attack American cockroach
- The page saysThe guide adds that insecticides may kill off these wasps.
- The source says
When insecticides and sprays are used to manage cockroach populations, they may ultimately kill off the parasitic wasps.
Source
04
Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan
Periplaneta americana (American cockroach). Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan.
- The page saysNot Evaluated
- The source says
No special status
Note: Prefetch found no Red List assessment DOI and GBIF holds no category for this name. ADW's IUCN Red List line reads "No special status". - The page saysAnimal Diversity Web lists it as worldwide in distribution.
- The source says
It is currently worldwide in distribution.
- The page saysAnimal Diversity Web says adult females live about 440 days at ordinary room conditions of around 20°C, but about 225 days at 29°C, where adult males live about 200 days.
- The source says
Adult females live about 440 days (range 102-588; maximum 913) at ordinary room conditions(e.g. 70°F/20°C), but at 84°F/29°C, adult females live about 225 days (range 90-706), whereas adult males live about 200 days (range 90-362) at 84°F/29°C.
Note: faq 2. Replaces the IFAS "Adults can live up to one year", which contradicts the same page's "adult life span may be another 400 days".
Source
05
Sutherland, Choe & Rust 2019
Sutherland, Choe & Rust (2019). Pest Notes: Cockroaches. UC Statewide IPM Program, UC ANR Publication 7467.
- The page saystags: nocturnal
- The source says
During the day, roaches hide in warm, dark, moist areas like cracks, water meter boxes, sewers, and crawl spaces. They come out at night to feed.
Note: Pest note covering the five California pest cockroaches, the American cockroach among them; it adds 'Almost all cockroaches are nocturnal.' EDIS's species page has the day half: harborages 'During the day'.
How the table was made: a writer drafted the profile from these sources and logged each claim with its quote, a reviewer with nothing but this table checked every sentence said no more than its quote, and a script confirmed each quote appears word for word in the source. The method is in the site'sAbout page.