What bug is this?
I live in the southern San Joaquin Valley in California, and I found these bugs under metal barrels and logs. They are about a half inch long. I’ve seen them crawl and "hop". After looking at your website, it seems to be a cockroach, but I haven’t been able to identify it for sure. Thanks for your help!
Kelvin Furgerson

hi Kelvin,
These are Desert Cockroaches in the genus Arenivaga according to images on BugGuide.

night of the roaches part 2 — heeeelllppp — now with photo
Hello, brave bug researchers!
I found your site looking for answers to a truly horrific experience!!! I live in South India, and am used to the odd roach, but last night my husband and I were awoken by roaches running ALL OVER our bed and us. When we put on the light, there were at least nine, all over the bedroom, and when we opened the door to shoo them out, we saw they were even flying in from other areas of the house, and came back as fast as we swept them out. They stopped coming when I showered and stripped the bed of (fresh) sheets for good measure. I only knew what to do because the same thing had happened to me once as a teenager — I woke up at night with something crawling on me, and when I turned on the light I saw cockroaches were flying at me from all corners of my (the same) bedroom. It was unbelievable, more were coming in all the time, and even though I ran around panicking they wouldn’t leave me alone until I showered AND washed my hair. My question is, what on earth do you think could be attracting them so incredibly? Did I smash one in my sleep maybe? We joked whoever figures out the secret behind the roach magnet could get rich quick LOL!! Seriously, has anyone ever had this happen to them before? I was sort of pleased it happened again when there was a witness…Roach Attack 1 was so horror movieish that I’ve always felt people thought I exaggerated it!! If it’s any help, it rained the night before, after a month of dry weather. I also saw a brown spot on the sheets, that looked a lot like the stains the stinkbugs leave that won’t wash out. We also have a bedside lamp that might be emitting some sort of frequency. I can’t identify which species these are (and I don’t want to find one to take a picture!!) but according to your site, I’d say they most resemble the American roach, but larger and they can fly. Thanks,
Terrified of a Repeat Episode
PS Got a photo!

Dear Terrified,
Try as we might, though we found numerous references to Flying Cockroaches in India, we could not locate a species name online. We suspect the rain probably is a critical factor in the roach invasion. Perhaps one of our readers will have an answer for you.

Update (02/10/2008) reply to Flying cockroach in India
Hey there Bugman,
Your cockroach there IS the American roach, Periplaneta Americana . They’ve travelled all over the world with us humans. And if the humidity is right, these guys will fly. So India is probably just right for it. As for what’s attracting them maybe it’s mating time. The males are incredibly sensitive to pheromones. There must be some female hanging out underneath the bed.
Caitlin, Ohio

Hi Caitlin,
We located a posting by the Urban Pantheist, and it states that: “The so-called American cockroach, like most other urban cockroaches, is thought to have originally come from Africa. When trade between that continent and North America was at its most notorious–when humans were a product to buy and sell–cockroaches stowed away in ships.”

Confirmation: (02/11/2008) From Eric Eaton
Daniel:
The “flying cockroaches in India,” or at least the specimen in the image, are American cockroaches, Periplaneta americana. Despite the common name, these domestic pests are native to tropical Africa, but have now spread globally. They do fly, very well! I remember the first time I saw them do that, when I was in Florida. Quite a shock!
Eric

bug id
Dear Bugman,
These bugs are all over my lawn in NorthEast Florida. Never seen one in the house but when I mow the lawn dozens of them scurry up the side of the house. I can’t figure out if they’re some kind of chinch bug or roach, or what. We do have some lawn damage consisting mostly of surfaced roots in random circular spots where no green grass grows. HELP ME PLEASE!!
Jacksonville, Florida

This is a Surinam Cockroach, Pycnoscelus surinamensis. It is native to the humid tropics but has been reported from Florida, Texas and Louisiana. It is also a greenhouse pest.

Tiny Kitchen-Loving Beetle
Dear Bugman,
My roommate and I have spotted several of these little beetles wandering around our kitchen area. We even found one in our microwave! At first I thought they were baby cockroaches, but they don’t act like any of the cockroaches I’ve encountered in Orange County, California. As we’ve only lived in our apartment about two months, I can’t tell you when they started appearing. The one I took a picture of is about .25cm in length and has a pretty flat profile. It’s antennae are about as long as he is and are in constant motion. I checked around on the web for other beetles but I have been unsuccessful in finding out about this one. Any help you can lend us would be appreciated. Thanks! Sincerely,
Marlene in Orange, California

Hi Marlene,
This is an immature Cockroach. We will see if Eric Eaton can provide a species name for us. Eric quickly wrote back: “The immature cockroach is probably a brown-banded cockroach, Supella longipalpa. They tend to be found in electric appliances that, even when not running, are warm and cozy:-) Look for them behind picture frames as well. More information can be found searching on the scientific name and then visiting .edu and .gov websites for the most accurate facts. Eric”

Unknown cockroach species
Hi, Bugman!
I love your site! Fascinating and one of my most frequent references. I wish there were a Bug Guide type site for Central America because that’s where I live and find my little beauties. I did send you one photo of a strange new cockroach, but haven’t heard anything from you. Is this because cockroaches are just too boring (not to me!) or because you can’t find a reference. Because of the transparent shield (part of the oddly shaped pronotum) over the head of the cockroad, the creature reminds me of a space man or astronaut. If you can’t ID it, can you suggest some reference sites on the web? I live in an isolated area and there are no libraries or book stores or universities within at least a day’s travel, so I
depend on the Internet. Thanks for any help. I’m attaching several more photos of this roach just in case the first one got lost.
Mary Thorman

Hi Mary,
Sorry to have been negligent. We can’t even recall seeing your previous images, so they might be in the jumble of letters that is clogging up our in box. Sadly, we cannot recommend any good sources online for your question, nor do we recognize your species. It is difficult enough to identify “flashy” exotic species like butterflies in less traveled parts of the world. Your Cockroach is indeed fascinating. Good luck putting a name to it. Eric Eaton quickly wrote in with this information: ” The cockroach is something in the Blaberinae, maybe even a Blaberus sp, but probably a related genus.”

Should I kill myself now, or what?
Dear Bugman,
Having just moved to Florida from the north I am TERRIFIED of getting a cockroach infestation in my apartment. Having said that, I moved down here and lived in a place where I saw two German Cockroaches on separate occasions. I moved into a new place about two months ago. Your web site helped greatly. Now this series of events has happened: a) found a cockroach slightly bigger than a German Cockroach but a dark red like an American Cockroach near my patio door, and killed it, this was after I had moved some boxes and while the lights were on; b) found some roach crap near my microwave days later; and c) caught the big dark red cockroach in this photo sneaking out from under the microwave tonight. I think the Intenet helped me identify this ugly bastard as an "Australian Cockroach." Evidently they aren’t as bad at infestations as Germans or Americans since they don’t get nearly the same press coverage. I haven’t seen any other evidence of roach activity anywhere in my apartment. Please help me if you can. What kind of cockroach is this? Do I have an infestation or just an annoying visitor or two? Can I expect a huge sack of eggs to break inside the outer walls of my microwave, unleashing a torrent of cockroaches I will never fully destroy? What should I do to prevent cockroaches from entering my home?
Floridian In Need

Dear Needy Floridian,
We agree with your identification. The Australian Cockroach, Periplaneta australasiae, is not as invasive as the German Cockroach. The pale stripes at the edge of the forewings are the distinguishing feature. According to BugGuide, they are a tropical or subtropical species that will feed on almost anything. We don’t really consider ourselves to be experts at intervention, but Don’t kill yourself.

Cockroaches will definetly outlive humans.
I found a large American Cockroach in my bedroom, as they tend to freak me out, I grabbed a large knife from my dresser and sliced it alongside the upper abdomen. Both parts continued to move. It laid still for a moment, but when I went to pick it up, the body made a run for it. It ran about 5 feet and stopped. I picked it up again and put it on my dresser, with the head. The head was moving it’s mouth and little mandible things quickly, it looked very mad. I took pictures of it, and a video so I could prove it was still moving. Then I started to feel bad for it and cut it’s head from it’s abdomen, thinking that would surely do it in. Of course it didn’t, because apparently the brain doesn’t have much to do with it. I packed it into a plastic bag, went on the internet to investigate (make sure it was really a cockroach). I found your site. Now, I read the cockroach page, the unnecessary carnage page, and the bug love page. I felt much worse for killing it. Then I got up to get a soda, walking past the plastic bag I noticed the one of the cockroach’s legs is still moving. It’s been at least 30 minutes now since I first killed it. Is this normal? I think I may have some super cockroach strain. I know the praying mantis males compulate without their heads, but how long can an insect go without a head?
Patrick

Hi Patrick,
I’m not sure I can answer your question accurately. Death of the Cockroach is imminent. The exact moment of death in any being is definitely a hot topic worth debating, and science and religion are often at odds. Chickens run about without heads but that is usually a matter of seconds or minutes at most. I think the Cockroach accomplished quite a feat by provoking both your sorrow, your pondering and your subsequent webwearch. We believe much of what you observed was reflex reaction. Our question to you is “What is a large knife doing on your bedroom dresser?”

Update (02/06/2006)
Hey Guys!
This is just a comment for the carny page. The decapetated roach that was still moving after 30 mins is quite normal. I read once that a roach is able to live for 7 days without a head and will thus eventually die of hunger. This was proven with a test I did, my headless roach lasted 5 days. I think the 30 min roach didn’t make it for that long cause of the fact that the knife took more that just the head. I’ll see if I can find the articel for you again. Nways, Great Site! Love it!
Hardus Swanepoel