The word cockroach is rooted in the Spanish cucaracha. The cockroach is recognized by a flat oval body, long hairlike antennae, and a glossy black or brown leathery integument. The head is held downward, and the mouthparts point backward instead of forward or downward as is the case in most other insects. The male frequently has two pairs of wings, whereas the female, who in some species, is wingless or holds vestigial wings. The female produces eggs in egg cases (labeled oothecae). These are sometimes held away from her body or could be held in protected parts. After the female produces an egg case, the soft, white nymphs emerge. As their exoskeleton solidifies, it turns brown in shade. The structure and big size (some species demonstrate a wing span measurement of more than 12 cm [4.7 inches]) of cockroaches have become a keen interest in the biological laboratory.

The cockroach likes a warm, humid, dark living habitat and is usually found thriving in tropical or other mild locations. Just a small number species have become pests. The insect inflicts damage upon more material than it consumes and emits a disgusting scent. The food preference of the roach, which can be both plant and animal product, goes from food, paper, clothing, and books to dead insects, especially bedbugs. Insecticides can be preferred 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 spaces (e.g., basements and furnace rooms). In its adult life, generally about 1.5 years, the female creates 50 or more oothecae, each holding around 16 eggs that hatch after 45 days. Nymphal life goes from 11 to 14 months. The American cockroach, a native of tropical and subtropical America, has well-developed wings. However, the majority of species are not usually great at flying.

The German cockroach (Blattella germanica), a common house pest and on occasion erroneously thought of as a waterbug, is light brown with two dark stripes on the prothoracic region. The female produces the ootheca three days from mating and carries it for about 20 days. Because it is small (about 12 mm [less than 0.5 inch] long), this cockroach often is carried into residences in grocery bags and boxes; it has been spread through the world by boat. Three or more generations could live yearly. This cockroach, found abundantly through the water pipes of the Croton Aqueduct in New York City, is labeled the Croton bug.

The brown-banded cockroach (Supella supellectilium) closely resembles the German cockroach but is a little bit smaller. The male has completely developed wings and is lighter in shade than the female, whose wings are short 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 a year. Eggs might be deposited in clothes, wood molding, or cracks in the floor. With the invention of heated buildings this cockroach became common in cooler areas.

The Oriental cockroach (Blatta orientalis) is considered 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 resembling that of the American cockroach. The male possesses short, fully developed wings, while the female has vestigial wings. This cockroach has been carried in vehicles of commerce from its Asiatic origins to every temperate regions.

Wood roaches are feral pests. Parcoblatta pennsylvanica, the common wood cockroach, lives below logs and stones in northern latitudes. The male and female are so varied in appearance that they were originally considered different species. The male, 15 to 25 mm (0.6 to 1 inch) long, has wings that go beyond the abdomen; the female is smaller and possesses much shorter wings. Cryptocercus punctulatus consumes wood with the assistance of certain protozoans in its digestive tract.

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