Question

Describe the parts of the mouth of a cockroach.

Answer 1

The mouthparts of the cockroach include labrum, mandibles, maxillae and labium.

1. Labrum or the upper lip is a broad and roughly rectangular shaped structure. It hangs from the front edge of the head on the lower side. Hypo pharynx is a tongue like structure in the floor of the mouth.
2. Mandibles are a pair of hard, strong, large, dark colored structures found one on either side with jagged inner edges. They move in horizontal motion and crush the food present in-between them.
3. Maxillae are a pair of structures which lie outside and behind the mandibles. Each consists of three parts known as protopodite, exopodite and endopodite.
4. Labium is said to be formed by the fusion of the second pair of maxillae. It forms the broad median lower lip and has a pair of 3-segmented labial palps on either side which is sensory in nature.