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How can I tell a cockroach from a beetle?

Hi

I posted 3 pics in the ID Request, but I'm really curious after searching through this site. If I have beetles hanging around, I do not mind....cockroaches will scare me though! And, if it is a ground beetle and it's in my house will it leave it's feces behind so that I would see it-like roaches do?

What I found was in my bathroom once, and in my lanai(screened in porch) this morning. Dark-black fairly shiny, short antenae(sp?)and did not seem to have wings. It is maybe 1/2 inch and has no other markings on it. I'm in southwest Florida (charlotte county) if that helps. I'm still trying to decide if it has 4 or 6 legs, but I'm pretty squeemish.

Thank you!

Cat

A couple of simple things:
A beetle generally has two hard wing cases (elytra) that meet in a straight line down the middle of its back. If a roach has wings, they overlap on its back. You may see immature roaches (called nymphs) with no wings, plus adults of some roach species are wingless. An immature beetle is a grub (like a maggot) and looks nothing like the adult.

They both have six legs, and as mothers of preschoolers know, "everybody poops". :)

 
Thank You!
Thank you :) That was very helpful!

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