The word cockroach is rooted in the Spanish cucaracha. The cockroach is characterizable by a flattened oval body, long threadlike antennae, and a shiny black or brown leathery integument. The head is aimed downward, and the mouthparts are pointed to the back instead of forward or downward as is the case of the majority of other insects. The male often has two pairs of wings, but the female, who in some species, is wingless or possesses vestigial wings. The female creates eggs in egg cases (labeled oothecae). These are on occasion held coming from her body or may be adhered in protected locations. After the female produces an egg case, the soft, white nymphs emerge. As their exoskeleton hardens, it turns brown in shade. The form and big size (particular species have a wing spread measurement of over 12 cm [4.7 inches]) of cockroaches have made them a particular interest in the biological laboratory.

The cockroach prefers a warm, humid, dark living environment and is frequently found in tropical or other mild locations. Just a couple of species have become pests. The insect inflicts damage on more material than it digests and emits a disgusting odour. The eating habits of the roach, which is both plant and animal product, ranges from food, paper, clothing, and books to dead insects, particularly bedbugs. Insecticides are utilized in roach removal.

The American cockroach (species Periplaneta americana) is 30 to 50 mm long (up to about 2 inches), reddish brown, and inhabits outside or in dark, heated indoor locations (e.g., basements and furnace rooms). During its adult life, a period of about 1.5 years, the female generates 50 or more oothecae, each holding around 16 eggs that hatch after 45 days. Nymphal life goes from 11 to 14 months. The American cockroach, originally from tropical and subtropical America, possesses well-developed wings. However, the majority of species are seldom great at flying.

The German cockroach (Blattella germanica), a common pest in households and occasionally incorrectly thought of as a waterbug, is light brown with two dark stripes on the prothoracic area. The female deposits the ootheca three days post mating and carries it for generally about 20 days. Because it is tiny (about 12 mm [less than 0.5 inch] long), this cockroach often is introduced into households in grocery bags and boxes; it has been taken between nations by ship. Three or more generations might breed yearly. This cockroach, found in abundance throughout the water pipes of the Croton Aqueduct in New York City, has become called the Croton bug.

The brown-banded cockroach (Supella supellectilium) closely resembles the German cockroach but is even smaller. The male possesses wholly developed wings and is lighter in shade than the female, whose wings are stunted and nonfunctional. Both sexes have two light-coloured bands across the back. The adult life span is generally about 200 days, and there can be two generations in a year. Eggs may be left in clothes, wood molding, or cracks in the floor. With the advent of heated buildings this cockroach became established in cooler locations.

The Oriental cockroach (Blatta orientalis) is considered one of the filthiest of household pests. It is oval, shiny black or dark brown, 25 to 30 mm (1 to 1.2 inches) long, with a life cycle resembling that of the American cockroach. The male possesses short, fully developed wings, and the female possesses vestigial wings. This cockroach has been taken by vehicles of trade from its Asiatic origins to almost all the temperate regions.

Wood roaches are non-domestic pests. Parcoblatta pennsylvanica, the common wood cockroach, lives under logs and stones in northern latitudes. The male and female are so different in appearance that they were originally considered individual species. The male, 15 to 25 mm (0.6 to 1 inch) long, possesses wings that go beyond the abdomen; the female is smaller and has much shorter wings. Cryptocercus punctulatus eats wood with the help of certain protozoans in its digestive tract.

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