Oriental cockroach
Description
A dark brown cockroach, Blatta orientalis, that is distributed worldwide. Both the Oriental cockroach nymphs and adults feed on almost anything, such as starchy, sugary, and proteinaceous foods. They will eat cloth that is sized with Starch or Glue. The adult insects grow up to 26 mm long and can live almost 2.5 years. The female lay about 8 sausage-shaped capsules containing approximately 16 eggs that hatch into nymphs in 42 to 81 days. These light-sensitive cockroaches are nocturnal and tend to stay in moist areas. Common desiccating powders such as Borax, Dri-die, and Sulfur are used along with pesticides to exterminate cockroaches.
Synonyms and Related Terms
oriental roach; black beetle, mill beetles, shad roaches; waterbug
Physical and Chemical Properties
Distribution: worldwide -household pest in Midwest, South, and Northwest parts of the US. Likes damp locations.
Resources and Citations
- MuseumPests.net: Oriental Cockroach
- Lynda A. Zycherman, J.Richard Schrock, A Guide to Museum Pest Control, FAIC and Association of Systematics Collections, Washington DC, 1988 Comment: adults can live up to 1.5 years
- Random House, Webster's Encyclopedic Unabridged Dictionary of the English Language, Grammercy Book, New York, 1997
- University of Florida, Dept. of Entomology at http://entomology.ifas.ufl.edu/creatures/urban/roaches/oriental_cockroach.htm (accessed June. 2014) adult life span is 34 to 180 days