Western Wood Cockroach

The native Western Wood Cockroaches prefer the great outdoors, enjoying arid environments while avoiding homesteads.

This species of cockroach prefers to live in the open wilderness. Western Wood Cockroaches can be found in woods, grasslands, dried-up riverbanks, and chaparral. They hide under rocks and leaf litter by day, and forage on plant or animal matter at night. It is wide-bodied, brown, and glossy with long, thin antennae. Males are winged and females lack wings. Males may be attracted to lights at night. Females lay eggs in a protective capsule. Tiny versions of adults called nymphs hatch in spring. Adults are most active from spring to late autumn.

Taxonomic Hierarchy

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Arthropoda

Class: Insecta

Order: Blattodea

Family: Blattellidae

Genus: Parcoblatta

Species: americana

Identifying Information

Scientific Name: Parcoblatta americana

Category: Cockroach

Size (Adult; Length): 8mm to 15mm (0.31in to 0.59in)

Colors: brown

Descriptors: fast, flying

Territorial Map

Alaska

Hawaii

Prince Edward Is.

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Territorial Reach (A-to-Z)

Newfoundland and Labrador

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Western Wood Cockroach (Parcoblatta americana)

The native Western Wood Cockroaches prefer the great outdoors, enjoying arid environments while avoiding homesteads.