Question

Write about labium in cockroaches.

Answer 1

Labium in cockroaches:

1. It represents the lower lip of the cockroach and covers the mouth from the ventral side.
2. It is also known as the second maxillae as it is supposed to be formed by the fusion of two maxillae.
3. It is made of two basal chitinous plates, mentum and sub-mentum.
4. They are connected to the head capsule by the submentum.
5. The free end of the mentum consists of three structures on each side.
6. The outermost structure is the labial palps.
7. They have three segments.
8. Inner to the labial palps are two leaf-like structures.
9. The outer one is larger and also known as para glossa and the inner one is smaller and known as the glossa.
10. The prementum is at the base of paraglossa and glossa; it is formed by the conjunction of bases of paraglossa and glossa of both sides.