Genus Blatta

Classification · Identification · See Also

Cockroach with ootheca - Blatta orientalis - female

Possible Oriental Cockroach? - Blatta orientalis

very long reddish roach found in daylight - Blatta orientalis

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 Blatta

Identification

Only one species from this genus is found in North America, the Oriental Cockroach (Blatta orientalis). As adults, the male has wings that cover about 2/3 of the abdomen:

The Oriental Cockroach adult females have very small wings that do not touch in the middle:

See Also

The Turkistan cockroach Shelfordella lateralis:

Adult females can be easily differentiated by the presence of white stripes along the side of the thorax:

The males do not look much like Oriental Cockroach males, but also have the lateral white stripes:

Florida Woods Cockroach Eurycotis floridana:

Has very small wings (like Oriental Cockroach females) but these wings touch in the middle of the back:

Contributed by Hannah Nendick-Mason on 7 October, 2005 - 9:49am
Additional contributions by John Carlson, Nathaniel Green
Last updated 28 January, 2025 - 6:08pm

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