Subject: Roach or what?
Location: Georgetown Texas
July 16, 2015 9:46 pm
We found this in our house in Texas. Any ideas?
Signature: Jen
Dear Jen,
While this is a Cockroach, the good news is that it is not a species that infests homes. This female Boll’s Sandroach, Arenivaga bolliana, is basically an outdoor species and she must have accidentally wandered into your home. We would urge you to relocate her outside. You can compare your image to this image on BugGuide. According to BugGuide: “The downy females have no wings and burrow in the dust under houses and in natural rock shelters where they feed on packrat droppings. This large roach is also present in abandoned Atta texana [Texas leaf-cutter ant] tunnels and in chambers filled with nest refuse.” Your female Boll’s Sandroach is carrying an ootheca or egg case.
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