The word cockroach is rooted in the Spanish cucaracha. The cockroach is recognized by a flat oval body, long threadlike antennae, and a shining black or brown leathery integument. The head is bent downward, and the mouthparts are directed backward instead of forward or downward as is the case for almost all other insects. The male generally has two pairs of wings, whereas the female, who in some species, is wingless or possesses vestigial wings. The female generates eggs in egg cases (labeled oothecae). These are sometimes held coming from her body or may be held in protected places. After the female generates an egg case, the soft, white nymphs emerge. As their exoskeleton solidifies, it turns brown in shade. The geometry and remarkable size (some species demonstrate a wing span of over 12 cm [4.7 inches]) of cockroaches have made them a significant objective in the biological laboratory.

The cockroach takes a warm, humid, dark living environment and is usually found living in tropical and other mild locations. Only a small number of species have become pests. The insect inflicts damage upon more material than it consumes and emits a disgusting scent. The nutrition of the roach, which should be both plant and animal products, can be from food, paper, clothing, and books to dead insects, particularly bedbugs. Insecticides can be utilized in roach killing.

The American cockroach (species Periplaneta americana) is 30 to 50 mm long (up to about 2 inches), reddish brown, and lives outdoors or in dark, heated indoor spaces (e.g., basements and furnace rooms). In its adult life, a period of about 1.5 years, the female drops 50 or more oothecae, each holding around 16 eggs that hatch after 45 days. Nymphal life takes from 11 to 14 months. The American cockroach, indigenous to tropical and subtropical America, possesses well-developed wings. However, most species are unlikely to be great at flying.

The German cockroach (Blattella germanica), a common pest in the household and on occasion erroneously referred to 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 around 20 days. Because it is tiny (about 12 mm [less than 0.5 inch] long), this cockroach frequently can be introduced into residences in grocery bags and boxes; it has been taken from nation to nation by boat. Three or more generations may live yearly. This cockroach, abundant throughout the water pipes of the Croton Aqueduct in New York City, is commonly called the Croton bug.

The brown-banded cockroach (Supella supellectilium) closely resembles the German cockroach but is a bit smaller. The male has completely developed wings and is brighter in shade than the female, whose wings are short and nonfunctional. Both sexes have two light-coloured bands over the back. The adult life span is around 200 days, and there could be two generations annually. Eggs may be dropped in clothes, wood molding, or cracks in the floor. With the invention of heated buildings this cockroach became established in cooler climates.

The Oriental cockroach (Blatta orientalis) is thought to be 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 similar to that of the American cockroach. The male possesses short, fully developed wings, but the female possesses vestigial wings. This cockroach has been distributed by vehicles of trade from its Asiatic origins to all the temperate regions.

Wood roaches are not domestic pests. Parcoblatta pennsylvanica, the common wood cockroach, lives in logs and stones in northern latitudes. The male and female are so varied in appearance that they were first thought to be unique species. The male, 15 to 25 mm (0.6 to 1 inch) long, has wings that go past the abdomen; the female is smaller and has much shorter wings. Cryptocercus punctulatus digests wood with the aid of select protozoans in its digestive tract.

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