The word cockroach is stemmed from the Spanish cucaracha. The cockroach is characterized by a flat oval body, long threadlike antennae, and a shiny black or brown leathery integument. The head is directed downward, and the mouthparts are pointed to the rear instead of forward or downward as is the case of most other insects. The male frequently has two pairs of wings, but the female, who in some species, is wingless or possesses vestigial wings. The female creates eggs in egg cases (known as oothecae). These are at times held away from her body or might be stuck in protected locations. After the female produces an egg case, the soft, white nymphs emerge. As their exoskeleton toughens, it turns brown in appearance. The structure and huge size (certain species have a wing span of higher than 12 cm [4.7 inches]) of cockroaches have made them a singular interest in the biological laboratory.

The cockroach likes a warm, humid, dark living environment and is frequently located in tropical or other mild temperatures. Only a small number species have become pests. The insect damages more material than it consumes and possesses a disgusting scent. The food preference of the roach, which should be both plant and animal products, can be from food, paper, clothing, and books to dead insects, including bedbugs. Insecticides are preferred in roach killing.

The American cockroach (species Periplaneta americana) is 30 to 50 mm long (up to about 2 inches), reddish brown, and inhabits outdoors or in dark, heated indoor places (e.g., basements and furnace rooms). During its adult life, lasting about 1.5 years, the female generates 50 or more oothecae, each holding about 16 eggs that hatch after 45 days. Nymphal life takes from 11 to 14 months. The American cockroach, indigenous to tropical and subtropical America, possesses well-developed wings. However, most species are often not good flyers.

The German cockroach (Blattella germanica), a common pest in the house and is often erroneously labeled a waterbug, is light brown with two dark stripes on the prothoracic region. The female creates the ootheca three days post mating and carries it for around 20 days. Because it is tiny in size (about 12 mm [less than 0.5 inch] long), this cockroach frequently can be carried into households in grocery bags and boxes; it has been spread throughout the globe by ship. Three or more generations might breed yearly. This cockroach, abundant in the water pipes of the Croton Aqueduct in New York City, is commonly labeled the Croton bug.

The brown-banded cockroach (Supella supellectilium) is similar to the German cockroach but is even smaller. The male possesses fully developed wings and is brighter in hue than the female, whose wings are stunted and nonfunctional. Both sexes have two light-coloured bands over the back. The adult life span is around 200 days, and there could be two generations in a year. Eggs can be deposited in clothes, wood molding, or cracks in the floor. With the invention of heated buildings this cockroach became established in cooler locations.

The Oriental cockroach (Blatta orientalis) is thought of as one of the most disgusting of household pests. It is oval, shiny black or dark brown, 25 to 30 mm (1 to 1.2 inches) long, with a life cycle resembling that of the American cockroach. The male has short, fully developed wings, but the female has vestigial wings. This cockroach has been distributed in vehicles of commerce from its Asiatic origins to almost all the temperate regions.

Wood roaches are not domestic pests. Parcoblatta pennsylvanica, the common wood cockroach, can be found under logs and stones in northern latitudes. The male and female are so unlike in appearance that they were once considered separate species. The male, 15 to 25 mm (0.6 to 1 inch) long, has wings that go past the abdomen; the female is smaller and possesses much shorter wings. Cryptocercus punctulatus digests wood with the help of select protozoans in its digestive tract.

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