mm wrote:

On Mon, 05 Mar 2007 14:08:18 -0600, Lar wrote:


The size difference can be different things going on. If it were just
very small ones showing up then it is only hatchlings emerging from
dropped egg cases. If it is various sizes of the young ones, for the
German roaches they tend to stay hidden the younger they are so t


I've wondered about this for a long time. Will the same cockroach be
different sizes in its own lifetime? How many different sizes will it
have in one lifetime? How does it get bigger? Does it molt? I never
found any empty cockroach shells or skins, and I thought I would if it
shed its outer layer like a snake.

Depending on the species, will have an egg capsule that can have a
couple of dozen babies a bit larger than a BB. As they grow they go
through a number of instars and do molt. The American roach, the
largest will reach adulthood after a year or so. For most species you
can tell adults from immatures, even if they are the same size, by the
wing coverings. If you can see the body bands, like an armadillo, they
will be the immature nymphs. You probably have seen studies where
cockroach/insect allergens account for over 50% of child allergies in
inner cities. It is the molted skin that causes this. The skins just
break down into smaller pieces and never really totally go away.

Lar