COMMON NAME: SCIENTIFIC NAME: CLASS/ORDER/FAMILY: METAMORPHOSIS:

Oriental cockroach Blatta orientalis Linnaeus Insecta/Blattodea/Blattidae Simple

INTRODUCTION. Contrary to its common name, the oriental cockroach is thought to be of north African origin.  It is also commonly called a black beetle or waterbug or shad roach.  This species has worldwide distribution.

RECOGNITION. Adult males about 1in (25 mm) long whereas, females about 1 1/4in (32 mm) long.  Color usually shiny black but may vary to dark reddish brown.  Males wings cover about 75% of abdomen, leaving 3 to 5 abdominal segments exposed.  Female with much reduced wings which resemble nymphal wing pads but have veins.  Adults do not fly.

     Nymphal early instars shiny reddish brown, cerci rounded laterally and broadly tapering to tip, widens near center.  Later instars dark reddish brown to black, cerci rounded laterally and broadly tapering to tip, widest near center with middle segments about 3 times as wide as long, and length about 3 times greatest width.

     Ootheca or egg capsule reddish brown when deposited, then changing to black; about 3/8in (8-10 mm) long, with length about 1.5 times width; subdivisional furrows extending from less than midwidth to beyond midwidth but are not entire; prominent terminal point; and usually with 8 eggs on each side.

HABITS. In many areas, the oriental cockroach survives quite well outdoors and spends considerable time there.  It is typically found under debris, stones, and leaf litter, but also in wall and porch voids.  It has been observed to survive outdoors during 13 weeks of almost continuous freezing weather.

     They usually enter buildings via door thresholds, under sliding glass doors, along utility pipes and air ducts, through unscreened ventilators, and from floor drains.  Indoors, they are typically found in crawl spaces, cellars, basements, and on the first floor but at times on higher floors, especially around water pipes which they typically climb.

     They feed on all kinds of food and decaying organic matter, but prefer to feed on starchy foods.  They are much despised because of their strong roachy odor and because they feed on filth.

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