Genus Parcoblatta - Wood Cockroaches

Woods Cockroaches

Wood Roaches

male to 25 mm

female to 19 mm

mostly dark brown with pale whitish or yellowish margin on pronotum and anterior half of elytra; head concealed under pronotum

adult males can fly, and their wings cover all of the abdomen; adult females are flightless, and their wings cover half of the abdomen; nymphs are wingless or have stubby wingpads

eastern two-thirds of North America

hollow trees, stumps, under loose bark, wood piles, crevices of rural buildings; sometimes accidentally carried into homes on pieces of firewood, and may occasionally enter homes on their own in wooded areas, especially during mating season (May and June)

males are attracted to artificial light, and may accumulate in rain gutters of homes

adults from May to October

decaying organic matter

overwinters as a partially-grown nymph under bark of trees; life cycle usually takes one year but may take as long as two years; adult lifespan several months; mating occurs outdoors in May and June; an egg capsule (containing up to 32 eggs) is deposited in summer, eggs hatch in about a month, and nymphs mature the following May or June

Wood Roaches that enter homes wander aimlessly during the day (rather than congregating in a particular room and being active at night); they do not breed indoors, and will die within a few days due to insufficient moisture.