How long before hatching does a female German roach drop her egg capsule?

• A. Immediately after laying
• B. One day before hatching
• C. At hatch
• D. One week before hatching

Answer: (B)

German cockroach reproduction hinges on when the egg capsule (ootheca) is released. The female carries the capsule as the embryos develop and then drops it in a sheltered spot just before the eggs are ready to hatch. This timing—about one day before hatch—places the emerging nymphs directly into the environment where food and shelter exist, often allowing them to disperse quickly. The other options don’t fit the typical development pattern: dropping immediately after laying would be too early for maturation inside the capsule, dropping at hatch would mean hatchery timing aligns with emergence from the capsule rather than just before, and dropping a week before would be far too early for the embryos to be ready to emerge.