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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Cockroaches and Termites (Blattodea) » Blattoidea » Blattidae » Blattinae » Periplaneta

Genus Periplaneta

Classification · Identification · Remarks · Works Cited

Found a computer bug. - Periplaneta fuliginosa

Periplaneta americana - male

roach ? - Periplaneta

Cockroach nymph - Periplaneta australasiae

Insect found on Hatteras Island NC. Body is about 1 1/2 inch long with antenna about 2.inches long semi hard shell brown and bl - Periplaneta fuliginosa

ID? - Periplaneta fuliginosa

Periplaneta japonica

Classification

Kingdom Animalia (Animals)

Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)

Subphylum Hexapoda (Hexapods)

Class Insecta (Insects)

Order Blattodea (Cockroaches and Termites)

Superfamily Blattoidea

Family Blattidae

Subfamily Blattinae

Genus Periplaneta

Identification

Adults

P. americana (American Cockroach) is the most common Periplaneta in the US:

P. australasiae (Australian Cockroach) has a more contrasting pronotal pattern and white bands on the outsides of the wings:

P. fuliginosa (Smoky Brown Cockroach) has pronotum uniformly dark (no pattern):

P. brunnea (Brown Cockroach) may be difficult to differentiate from P. americana but the cerci are more stout

Early Instar Nymphs

P. americana: usually solid brown with minimal variation in the hue over the body:

[the image that was here, 207381, was later reidentified as P. fuliginosa.]

P. fuliginosa: black, with white antennal base and tips; a band on the thorax; and two lateral marks on abdomen:

P. australasiae and P. brunnea nymphs have similar yet less contrasting white markings on antennae, throax and abdomen

Late Instar Nymphs may be difficult to separate, with the exception of P. australasiae which have developed the more contrasting colors seen in the adults:

late-instar P. brunnea show variable markings:

late-instar P. americana vary from light brown with little markings to light brown with darker markings

Remarks

The Japanese cockroach P. japonica was discovered in Manhattan, NY in 2013. It is cold tolerant and has the potential to spread in the wild.

Adult males have about 250,000 sensilla on each antenna(1)

Works Cited

1.	The Insects : Structure and Function R. F. Chapman. 1998. Cambridge University Press.

Contributed by Lynette Elliott on 15 September, 2005 - 3:55pm
Additional contributions by Vox Sciurorum, John Schneider, v belov, John Carlson, Marci Hess, Hisserdude
Last updated 24 September, 2023 - 9:18am

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