COCKROACHES AND Common Cockroach or Black Beetle MANTIDS Walla "rimlatis ORDER DICTYOPTERA Females are squat, blackish, about 25mm long, with greatly reduced wings. Males are Cockroaches are broad, flattened, robust similar in size, but are browner, with longer insects, with long antennae. The broad pro• wings, although they are still flightless. The notum covers the thorax and most of the egg-case is white, darkening to black, and head. Hindwings leathery, usually shorter in the female carries it for the first few days. the female than the male. The mantids are Nocturnal. closely related, but look rather different, Habitat Native to tropical Asia or Africa, with slender bodies, a long neck, and but now widespread in houses, bakeries, enlarged front legs. They are highly preda• and anywhere warm but dirty. tory, and females often eat the males dur• Status and distribution Common in ing copulation. The eggs are laid in frothy suitable places throughout. masses which harden, and may often be Season At any time, depending on the Australian Cockroach found when the adults are no longer visible. warmth of the habitat. Similar species Cockroaches German Cockroach Blatella germanica is Suborder Blattodea paler and more slender, fully winged and able to fly, though rarely does so. Similar Several tropical species have become well habitats and distribution. established in N Europe in houses and other buildings, as pests. There are also Tawny Cockroach several native species, which have no asso• J-:cI,,/Jilis fil111idlls ciation with man. One of the native cockroaches, which are much smaller than the introduced species. Australian Cockroach This species reaches IOmm in length, is Peri/Jlallcla alislralasil1c fully winged in both of the sexes, and can A large, highly active insect, up to 40mm fly in warm weather. It is basically pale long, with long antennae. Brown, with yel• brown, with the pronotal disc edged with low markings on the wings, and a distinct yellow. yellow margin to the pronotum. Nocturnal Habitat In rough grassland, woods and in habits, fleeing rapidly from light. heaths. Habitat Usually confined to warm build• Status and distribution Widespread, ings, occasionally outside. local and more southern in the UK, and Status and distribution Widespread in throughout the Continent. suitable places throughout. Probably origi• Season 4-10. nally native to Africa, despite its name. Similar species Season Variable, depending on tempera• Dusky Cockroach E. lapponicus. The fe• ture regime. males are flightless, and both sexes are Similar species more slender. In similar habitats. American Cockroach P. americana is lesser Cockroach E. panzeri is smaller usually slightly larger, up to 45mm. The yel• (less than 9mm long) and variable in colour low markings on pronotum and wings are but usually speckled. Males can fly, and barely visible. Probably also African in ori• have narrow forewings; females are flight• gin, but now very widespread in similar less, squat, almost bug-like. Local and places to the Australian Cockroach. mainly coastal in the UK. 82 DICTYOPTERA Mantids EARWIGS Subarder Mantodea ORDER DERMAPTERA A southern, warmth-loving group of Slender, flattened cylindrical insects, with insects, of which only one representative pincer-like cerci, usually markedly curved I reaches N Europe. in males. Some species are wholly wingless, others have much-reduced forewings and * Praying Mantis very thin hindwings. The winged species r Mall/is rel(f;i()sa can fly, but rarely do. Generally nocturnal. A predominantly green species (rarely There are over 30 species in Europe. ...•... ".'f'! bmwn), long and slender - up to 60mm long excluding antennae - yet surprisingly Common Earwig " inconspicuous. Both sexes are winged and (()rficula auricularia can fly, but the male is more slender. The only earwig that is commonly seen. It Habitat Prefers rough grassy places and is 10-13mm long, shiny brown, with scrub. reduced forewings (elytra), and hindwings Status and distribution Throughout that project fmm below the elytra. The southern Europe, reaching northwards to male pincers are broad and flat at their the latitude of N France. base. Young are like miniature adults, and Season 7-1 I. The frothy egg-cases may the female guards them until they disperse. persist over winter, and indicate where Habitat In many habitats, wherever adults may be found. there is sufficient food, and some humid hiding places. Status and distribution Very common STICK INSECTS throughout. ORDER PHASMIDA Season Mainly summer, but may be seen A predominantly tropical group, number• in almost any month as the adults hibernate. ing thousands of species, but only just reaching into S Europe. One species, described below, is frequently kept in homes and laboratories, and occasionally naturalizes. These are well-camouflaged, slender insects, with stick-like bodies and tJf short to medium-length antennae. pincers of lesser Earwig laboratory Sticl<Insect pincers of Common Earwig CLlralfs;lls nlorOSliS A characteristic and well-known stick insect, almost always seen as the female, Similar species which can reproduce parthenogenetically lesser Earwig Labia minar is much (without the eggs being fertilized). Green smaller, about 6-7mm long, with gradually or brown, up to about 10cm long. curved tails. Common in rough places such Habitat Usually in laboratories, but may as nettle patches, especially near houses. e<;(~pe into gardens and waste ground, Nocturnal, occasionally coming to lights. though rarely lasting long. Originally native Apterygida media is intermediate in size; the to SE Asia. hindwings are completely reduced, and not Status and distribution Unpredictable. visible. Widespread throughout, most Season All year indoors, surviving out• commonly seen in flowers or under side only in warm weather. stones. 84 DICTYQPTERA· PHASM!DA DERMAPTERA PSOCIDS OR BOOK-LICE they usually only consist of a few segments ORDER PSOCOPTERA which are clearly visible. Ther'e are gener• ally 2 pairs of wings, with the forewings Tiny soft-bodied insects (not true lice), modified by hardening to a greater or lesser which live on plants or dried cellulose• degr'ce, though some species are wingless. based materials, Some are wingless, others The Hemipter-a are divided into two winged; these hold their wings over- the major- groups on the basis of their wing body in a mof-like structure, resembling characteristics, and some authors give each aphids, but distinguishable fmm them by the status of a separate order. The Het• their longer antennae, Numerous species eropteran Bugs have the forewings occur, with more yet to be descr-ibed, Only clearly divided into two separate areas - a the book-louse is at all familiar, through the tough, leathery basal ar'ea, and a membra• damage it causes. nous tip. The hindwings are always mem• branous, and both pairs are folded flat over Book-louse the body at rest. The heteropterans also TnJp)lflll!ni!sd!(Jrilt1ll have their rostrum arising from the front One of several similar species that occur in of the head, and the antennae never have books, stored paper, and food. They are more than 5 segments. The scutellum, wingless, about 2mm long, with antennae which is part of the thorax, is often pro• almost as long as the body. They eat the longed backwards as a triangle, occasion• paste from the binding of books, eventually ally covering the whole body. causing considerable damage. Habitat Old books, paper, stored food, insect collections and so on. Status and distribution Very common wherever there are Hawthorn Shield bug suitable conditions, throughout. SHIELD BUGS The following bugs on Season All year Heteropteran Bugs indoors. Suborder Heteroptera pages 87-91, from several families, are known collectively as shieldbugs because of Heteropteran bug Homopteran bug their shield-like shape, Most hibernate as Common Flat-bug adults, llradus defJressus Homopteran Bugs have forewings A small flat bug, about 6-8mm long, with a Hawthorn Shieldbug that are of the same texture throughout, Acallthosoma haemorrhoidale very narrow 'neck' just behind the head, whether membranous or leathery, and Book-louse Thorax dark brown, abdomen reddish. A large bug, about 15-17 mm long when they are commonly held roof-wise over adult, typically triangular in shape, Essen• the body rather than flat. The antennae The body shape is adapted for feeding under tree bark, living mainly on fungi. tially green in colou~cEut with a broad tri• have at least 4 segments, sometimes many TRUE BUGS Habitat Under bark of deciduous trees, angle of red on the back~ ORDER HEMIPTERA more. All homopterans are vegetarian, and Habitat Most common on the leaves and on stumps, and among leaf litter. many are slow-moving, passive species; in Status and distribution Widespread fruits of Hawthorn, though also on other A huge family of insects, covering a wide contrast, some heteropterans are animal deciduous trees. and frequent in the south, absent from fur• range of forms, but generally having the feeders, and may be highly mobile. ther north, Status and distribution A southern shared characteristic of mouthparts modi• All bugs pass through nymphal stages, Season Adults visible all year. species, common in England and over most fied into a beak (rostrum), with which they and there is no pupal stage. The young may Similar species of the Continent, but absent further to the suck their food from plants or animals. This resemble the adults, though in many cases Pine Flat-bug A. cinnamomeus is more north. is usually held horizontally under the body they are quite unlike them, Season Adult most of the year, most fre• when not in use. The antennae vary fmm There are about 1,700 species in Britain, orange-coloured, with narrow forewings. Occurs mainly under the bark of conifers. quently seen in spring and autumn. short to quite long, but even when long, and 4,000 or more in N Europe.