Currently viewing the category: "Cockroaches"
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Cockroach from Costa Rica

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Subject:  Armour-plated bug
Geographic location of the bug:  Southern Costa Rica rainforest
Date: 02/03/2019
Time: 09:47 AM EDT
Your letter to the bugman:  Sorry this picture is fuzzy. This bug is about 2” long, sitting on the floor at the exterior door jamb of the house we’re renting. Do we have to worry about it hurting us or our dog?  Thank you.
How you want your letter signed:  Sue

Cockroach

Dear Sue,
This is a Cockroach, probably a flightless female, and we are confident it is not a species that will infest homes (most species of Cockroaches prefer to live outdoors) nor will it pose any threat to you or your dog.  It looks similar to this individual pictured on BugGuide.

Wow! Thanks so much, Daniel. Fascinating! (and I’m glad it won’t infest the house)

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Cockroach

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Subject:  What’s this bug?
Geographic location of the bug:  Midwest (Chicago area)
Date: 02/02/2019
Time: 11:41 AM EDT
Your letter to the bugman:  I have seen a couple of these bugs throughout our apartment. I thought they have been cockroaches but my landlord thinks otherwise. Can you help?
How you want your letter signed:  BH

Cockroach

Dear BH,
Your landlord is wrong.  This is a Cockroach.

Cockroach

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Beautiful Cockroach Nymph from Australia

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Subject:  What’s this insect?
Geographic location of the bug:  Outer Eastern Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Date: 11/08/2018
Time: 06:38 PM EDT
Your letter to the bugman:  Hi bugman, just wondering what these are. They are swarming a chilli bush. I’m thinking they’re predatory, but I’m not sure.
How you want your letter signed:  Andy G

Beautiful Cockroach Nymph

Dear Andy,
This is a Beautiful Cockroach nymph, Ellipsidion australe, and though it is not a predatory species, it is also not a species that will infest homes.  According to the Brisbane Insect site:  “Not all cockroaches are ugly. This Austral Ellipsidion Cockroach looks beautiful. Its body is orange-brown to dark brown with white patterns. Its thorax is dark brown with a good looking yellow around the edge. The cockroach adult is winged, with brown forewings covered the black and white abdomen. Male and female look almost the same. Nymphs have the similar body structure except wingless. …They are very good runners.  This Cockroach  is active at day time, running openly on the leaves and flowers. Most other cockroaches are scavengers, they feed on almost everything. We are not exactly sure what this Austral Ellipsidion Cockroach feeds on, but they are always found on plants, seldom on the ground. They are believed feeding on pollen, honeydew and mould fungus. “

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Sand Cockroach

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Subject:  Reminds me of a trilobite
Geographic location of the bug:  Colorado
Date: 09/08/2018
Time: 10:56 AM EDT
Your letter to the bugman:  I found this bug crawling in a basement in northern Colorado,  it’s about as big as the tip of my thumb and reminded me of the ancient trilobite! Any idea as to what it really is?
How you want your letter signed:  Thank you

Sand Cockroach

This is a Sand Cockroach in the genus Arenivaga, a group that does not infest homes.  Here is a BugGuide image for comparison.

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German Cockroach Nymph

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Subject:  Changes around the house
Geographic location of the bug:  Northern New Jersey
Date: 08/26/2018
Time: 06:41 AM EDT
Your letter to the bugman:  Recently, we’ve been having a lot of construction done at our house and the house has been completely open to the outside. Over the past couple of days, we’ve seen some of these sharing our home with us. We haven’t seen them before. We live in a forested, semi-rural area.
It would be great to understand what these are so we can understand their habits.
Thank you.
How you want your letter signed:  Jim Jacobson

German Cockroach Nymph

Dear Jim,
As you can see from this BugGuide image, you have a German Cockroach nymph, Blattella germanica.  This is one of the species of Cockroaches that will infest homes and businesses.  It is possible that they were already in your home and the construction has caused them to flee into the open, as they are generally nocturnal feeders that shun light.  It is also possible that they were somehow transported to your home with construction materials or personal belongings of the construction workers, but if you are finding them in large numbers, they are likely reproducing in your home.

Dear Daniel,
Thank you very much for this information. I truly appreciate it. I would guess that somehow they were transported into the house. We’ve lived here 6 years and this is the first time we’ve seen any. We have only seen two.
Thanks again,
Jim Jacobson

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Green Banana Cockroach

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Subject:  Green Cockroach
Geographic location of the bug:  Tarpon Springs Florida
Date: 08/19/2018
Time: 05:46 PM EDT
Your letter to the bugman:  Saw two of these guys hanging around my compost pile. About an inch long and they fly. Didn’t gross me out like the brown ones present at the time. Is this the Panchlora Nivea? Sorry for the not great photo but he was moving pretty fast.
Thanks.
How you want your letter signed:  philm

Green Banana Cockroach

Dear philm,
We concur that this is a Green Banana Cockroach, Panchlora nivea, a species pictured on BugGuide where it states:  “nocturnal, comes to lights; does not breed indoors; popular as a pet”.

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