The word cockroach is stemmed from the Spanish cucaracha. The cockroach is recognizable by a flat oval body, long threadlike antennae, and a shining black or brown leathery integument. The head is directed downward, and the mouthparts are directed backward instead of forward or downward as is the case of many other insects. The male often has two pairs of wings, but the female, who in some species, is wingless or possesses vestigial wings. The female produces eggs in egg cases (called oothecae). These are occasionally held away from her body or may be adhered in protected places. After the female generates an egg case, the soft, white nymphs emerge. As their exoskeleton solidifies, it turns brown in colour. The shape and remarkable size (some species demonstrate a wingspan measurement of higher than 12 cm [4.7 inches]) of cockroaches have become a particular interest in the biological laboratory.

The cockroach takes a warm, humid, dark habitat and is frequently found living in tropical or other mild climates. Just a small number species have become pests. The insect damages more material than it eats and possesses a yucky odour. The nutrition of the roach, which includes both plant and animal product, ranges from food, paper, clothing, and books to dead insects, particularly bedbugs. Insecticides can be utilized in roach removal.

The American cockroach (species Periplaneta americana) is 30 to 50 mm long (up to about 2 inches), reddish brown, and lives outdoors or in dark, heated indoor areas (e.g., basements and furnace rooms). In adult life, a period of about 1.5 years, the female generates 50 or more oothecae, each holding around 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 unlikely to be good at flying.

The German cockroach (Blattella germanica), a common pest in houses and occasionally erroneously referred to as a waterbug, is light brown with two dark stripes on the prothoracic region. The female creates the ootheca three days from mating and carries it for generally around 20 days. Because it is miniature (about 12 mm [less than 0.5 inch] long), this cockroach frequently can be introduced into residences in grocery bags and boxes; it has gone through the world by ship. Three or more generations can occur yearly. This cockroach, found abundantly in the water pipes of the Croton Aqueduct in New York City, is known as the Croton bug.

The brown-banded cockroach (Supella supellectilium) closely resembles the German cockroach but is slightly smaller. The male has completely developed wings and is paler in shade than the female, whose wings are undeveloped and nonfunctional. Both sexes have two light-coloured bands over the back. The adult life span is roughly 200 days, and there may be two generations annually. Eggs may be dropped 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 dirtiest 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 like that of the American cockroach. The male possesses short, fully developed wings, and the female possesses vestigial wings. This cockroach has been spread by vehicles of commerce from its Asiatic origins to almost all the temperate regions.

Wood roaches are wild pests. Parcoblatta pennsylvanica, the common wood cockroach, is found beneath logs and stones in northern latitudes. The male and female are so unlike in appearance that they were initially seen as separate species. The male, 15 to 25 mm (0.6 to 1 inch) long, has wings that extend past the abdomen; the female is smaller and possesses much shorter wings. Cryptocercus punctulatus eats wood with the help of certain protozoans in its digestive tract.

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