Oriental cockroach, Blatta orientalis
(Blattodea: Blattidae)

The adult male oriental cockroach is about 1 inch (25 mm) long, while the adult female is about 1 1/4 inch (32 mm) long. This species is shiny black, and has no distinctive markings. The female has wing pads or lobes that can be seen behind the pronotum, and the male has wings that cover only about 3/4 of the abdomen.

An oriental cockroach female produces about eight egg cases (oothecae) in her lifetime. Each ootheca contains aobut 16 eggs. Early nymphs are a shiny reddish-brown in color, while older instars are dark reddish-brown to black. Developmental time from egg to adult is greatly dependent upon temperature and ranges from 200 to 800 days. However, under average conditions the range decreases to 575 to 600 days. Adults can live from 160 to 180 days.

This cockroach, while worldwide in distribution, is not commonly found in Florida. However, it is one of the more important pest cockroach species in the U.S. It is usually found in damp basements, sewers and crawl spaces beneath structures or in structural voids. It can also survive outside in freezing weather.

Images

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Adult female oriental cockroach, Blatta orientalis.
(Photographer: R.W. Baldwin, University of Florida)

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Adult male oriental cockroach, Blatta orientalis.
(Photographer: R.W. Baldwin, University of Florida)

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Oriental cockroach, Blatta orientalis, late instar nymph.
(Photographer: P.M. Choate, University of Florida)

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Oriental cockroach, Blatta orientalis, ootheca (egg case)
and nymph.
(Photographer: P.M. Choate, University of Florida)

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