Question

The total number of podomeres in the legs of cockroach is
A. Five
B. Six
C. Seven
D. Eight

Answer 1

Hint: The cockroaches have long and spiny legs that help them to run quickly along any surface. The specialized pads situated at their tarsi are used for scaling surfaces and even helps them for walking on walls and ceilings.

Complete answer: Each leg of cockroach is made up of five podomeres which include coxa, trochanter, femur, tibia and tarsus.
i. Coxa: It is the upper portion of the cockroach leg which helps to attach the leg to the thorax.
ii. Trochanter: It is the second segment in the leg of cockroach and is located between the coxa and the femur. It acts as a knee and helps the cockroach to bend its leg.
iii. Femur: It is the third segment in the leg of a cockroach. It is the thickest segment in the leg.
iv. Tibia: It is the fourth segment in the leg of a cockroach and it is situated between the femur and the tarsus. Mostly all species of insects, the tibia is covered in the spines and hairs.
v. Tarsus: It is the final segment in the leg of the cockroach. It contains five sections called the tarsomeres and usually ends with one or two claws.
Therefore, the correct answer is option A.

Note: The blood vascular system of cockroach is very poorly developed and it is of open type since the blood vessels do not open into capillaries but into the spaces so that the blood comes in contact with the tissues directly, therefore the rate of the circulation is low. The digestive gland of cockroach includes the salivary glands, the glandular cells and the hepatic caeca.