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American Cockroach
 
COMMON NAME: American cockroach
SCIENTIFIC NAME: Periplaneta amedcana (Linnaeus)
CLASS I ORDER I FAMILY: Insecta / Blattodea l Blattidae
METAMORPHOSIS: Simple
INTRODUCTION: The American cockroach is also called a "waterbug", the "Bombay canary", and the "Palmettobug". It can create fear in the eyes of many. Actually, the insect can carry many diseases and damages or soils much of what it comes in contact with. Despite its name, the American cockroach is not native to North America but was most probably introduced via ships from Africa. It is worldwide in distribution.
RECOGNITION: Adults about 1 3/8-2 1/8" long. color reddish brown except for a submarginal pale brown to yellowish band at the marginal edge of pronotal shield. Last segment of cercus at least 2 times longer than wide. Both sexes fully winged with wings of male extending beyond tip of abdomen whereas, female's do not; poor to moderately good fliers.
Nymphal early instars are uniformly grayish brown dorsally, paler ventrally, shiny; cerci slender, distinctly tapered from base with length about 5 times width. Later instars reddish brown with lateral and posterior margins of thorax and lateral areas (sides) of abdominal segments somewhat darker; cerci slender, distinctly tapered with length about 5 times greatest width, widest segments 2.5 times as wide as long. Antennae uniformly brown.
Qotheca or egg capsule is dark reddish to blackish brown; ranges in size from about 3/8" (8 mm) long, with length about 1.5 times width; sub-divisional furrows not extending to mid-width; weak terminal point; and usually with 8 eggs on each side.
BIOLOGY: The female deposits her ootheca within a very few hours or up to 3-4 days after it is formed. It is generally dropped or glued with a mouth secretion to a suitable surface, usually in a crack or crevice of high relative humidity near a food source. On the average, the female will produce about 9-10 (range 6-14; maximum 90) oothecae with each containing 14-16 eggs.
Developmental time (egg to adult) is greatly influenced by temperature, varying from 168-786+ days but averaging about 600 days under ordinary room conditions. During this time, they molt 10-13 times. Adult females live about 440 days; maximum 913) at ordinary room conditions, but at 840F/290c, adult females live about 225 days whereas, adult males live about 200 days.
HABITS: Although American cockroaches are found in residences, they are much more common in larger commercial buildings such as restaurants, bakeries, grocery stores, food processing plants, hospitals, etc., where they usually infest food-storage and food-preparation areas, basements, and steam tunnels. Actually, American Roaches are doomed to die in most cases inside the home. During summer months, they can be found outdoors in yards and alleys. In the United States this is the most common species found in city sewer systems.
They can enter structures by being brought in, coming up from the sewer system via drains, or occasional mass migration from other structures, dumps, etc., during warm weather. Many entry points are located as cracks around doors and windows. They can also enter under fascia boards and proceed primarily to the attic which is a more favorite place to hide and breed. Although they feed on many kinds of food, they show a particular fondness for fermenting food. They prefer to be upside down and on unpainted wood.
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