Question

Ootheca cockroaches have __________fertilized eggs.
(a) 6
(b) 8
(c) 16
(d) 24

Answer 1

Hint: Mother cockroaches commonly lay their eggs within the ootheca which is an elongated protective structure such as the one seen extending from the abdomen in the female.

Complete answer: Ootheca cockroaches contain 16 fertilized eggs with a protective outer covering.
Cockroach reproduction relies on sperm from a male and eggs from a female. Certain cockroaches carry their egg cases, called an ootheca, under their abdomens until the eggs are ready to hatch.

Additional information:
1. Parthenogenesis is a form of asexual reproduction, allowing young insects to spawn from unfertilized eggs.
2. The pregnancy lasts between 60-70 days while the pregnant cockroach expands and holds 16 developing embryos.
3. The babies are born when their exoskeleton hardens and turns to the brown color of their species.
4. They can produce two egg cases in seven days, each containing up to 16 eggs, but after that, their reproductive capacity declines to about one case a month.
5. The eggs incubate for six to eight weeks. In her lifetime, one female cockroach gives birth to an average of 150 young ones.

So, the correct answer is ootheca cockroaches have ‘16 fertilized eggs’.

Notes:
1. Female cockroaches can reproduce their young ones for years without needing a mate and producing many generations of all-female offspring.
2. Without its head, a cockroach can live up to a week.
3. They are mainly nocturnal and will run away from light.
4. Cockroaches are tough- they can live up to three months without food and a month without water.
5. They live in and adapt to a variety of environments but prefer warm conditions indoors.