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Florida Woods Roach
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COMMON NAME: Florida woods cockroach or Florida stinkroach
SCIENTIFIC NAME: Eurycotis floridana (Walker)
CLASS I ORDER I FAMILY: Insecta / Blattodea l Blattidae
METAMORPHOSIS: Simple
INTRODUCTION: The common name Florida relates to its being found primarily in Florida, and being found in wooded areas, and that of stinkroach because the adult sexes are capable of emitting an oily, vile-smelling fluid from an opening on its underside. It is known as the palmettobug as well because it hides under palmetto leaves on the ground. This is a native species. It is found along coastal Georgia, throughout most of Florida, and coastal Alabama and Mississippi.
RECOGNITION: Adults about 11/8-1 9/16 long and very broad, up to 1" wide. The color is from dark reddish brown to almost black, occasionally with a few yellowish areas on the sides. The front wings are the same in both sexes, hind wings are absent. Emits an oily, vile-smelling liquid when disturbed.
Nymphal early instars are usually uniformly pale brown on the dorsum. Later instars become reddish brown to almost black with conspicuous yellowish margins on pro-, meso-, and metathorax. The ootheca or egg capsule is from dark brown to black; 1/2~5/8" long, 1/4-5/16" high and usually with 10-12 eggs on each side.
BIOLOGY: Mating occurs approximately 18 days after the adult emergence. The 1st ootheca appears in around 55 days, and then a new one about every 8 days. The female drops her ootheca shortly after it is formed but often glues it to a surface. Ootheca average 20-24 eggs, with an unknown number being produced per female. Their reproductive capacity is very high.
Developmental time (egg to adult) generally requires about 150 days. At 86-970F, nymphs emerge in approximately 50 days. Nymphs molt 6-8 times which requires around 100 days at 86-970F. Adults are long-lived, but not known is the actual lifespan. This species can reproduce parthenogenetically (without fertilization by male).
HABITS: The Florida woods cockroach lives outdoors where it can be found under the bark of dead trees, under palmetto leaves, and in loose litter, stumps, woodpiles, etc. From time to time it gets into structures where it survives for only a short time. The Florida Roach does not fly, and for this reason it must crawl into structures or be brought in with firewood or other objects.
The vile-smelling oily liquid is ejected from a single gland on the underside of the abdomen and is apparently ejected only rearward. When placed in a closed container it may cause its own death due to this secretion.
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