The word cockroach is a corruption of the Spanish cucaracha. The cockroach is recognizable by a flat oval body, long threadlike antennae, and a gloss black or brown leathery integument. The head is directed downward, and the mouthparts point backward instead of forward or downward as is the case in the majority of other insects. The male often has two pairs of wings, unlike the female, who in some species, is wingless or has vestigial wings. The female produces eggs in egg cases (known as oothecae). These are on occasion held protruding from her body or might be held in protected locations. After the female produces an egg case, the soft, white nymphs emerge. As their exoskeleton solidifies, it turns brown in shade. The form and large size (some species possess a wingspan measurement of upwards of 12 cm [4.7 inches]) of cockroaches have turned them into objects of area in the biological laboratory.

The cockroach enjoys a warm, humid, dark living environment and is more often than not found thriving in tropical and other mild temperatures. Only a small number of species have become pests. The insect harms more material than it eats and emits a disagreeable odour. The eating habits of the roach, which is both plant and animal products, ranges from food, paper, clothing, and books to dead insects, including bedbugs. Insecticides should be taken in roach removing.

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, a period of about 1.5 years, the female deposits 50 or more oothecae, each containing usually 16 eggs that hatch after 45 days. Nymphal life goes from 11 to 14 months. The American cockroach, originally from tropical and subtropical America, possesses well-developed wings. However, many species tend not to be good at flying.

The German cockroach (Blattella germanica), a common pest in the household and on occasion incorrectly thought of as a waterbug, is light brown with two dark stripes on the prothoracic region. The female deposits the ootheca three days post mating and carries it for around 20 days. Because it is small (about 12 mm [less than 0.5 inch] long), this cockroach often is carried into households in grocery bags and boxes; it has been spread from nation to nation by boat. Three or more generations can breed yearly. This cockroach, found abundantly around the water pipes of the Croton Aqueduct in New York City, is commonly called the Croton bug.

The brown-banded cockroach (Supella supellectilium) is similar to the German cockroach but is slightly smaller. The male possesses completely developed wings and is lighter in colour than the female, whose wings are stunted and nonfunctional. Both sexes have two light-coloured bands over the back. The adult life span is about 200 days, and there might be two generations in a year. Eggs may be dropped in clothes, wood molding, or cracks in the floor. With the introduction of heated buildings this cockroach became common in cooler locations.

The Oriental cockroach (Blatta orientalis) is held to be 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 similar to that of the American cockroach. The male has short, fully developed wings, and the female has vestigial wings. This cockroach has been carried in vehicles of trade from its Asiatic origins to all the temperate regions.

Wood roaches are not domestic pests. Parcoblatta pennsylvanica, the common wood cockroach, may be found beneath logs and stones in northern latitudes. The male and female are so varied in appearance that they were originally thought to be unique species. The male, 15 to 25 mm (0.6 to 1 inch) long, has wings that expand past the abdomen; the female is smaller and has much shorter wings. Cryptocercus punctulatus digests wood with the assistance of select protozoans in its digestive tract.

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