The word cockroach is stemmed from the Spanish cucaracha. The cockroach is characterizable by a flat oval body, long hairlike antennae, and a shining black or brown leathery integument. The head is aimed downward, and the mouthparts point to the back instead of forward or downward as is the case with most other insects. The male frequently has two pairs of wings, but the female, who in some species, is wingless or has vestigial wings. The female creates eggs in egg cases (called oothecae). These are sometimes held protruding from her body or can be glued in protected locations. After the female generates an egg case, the soft, white nymphs emerge. As their exoskeleton hardens, it turns brown in hue. The shape and big size (particular species demonstrate a wingspan of over 12 cm [4.7 inches]) of cockroaches have made them objects of interest in the biological laboratory.

The cockroach enjoys a warm, humid, dark living and is usually found living in tropical and other mild areas. Only a small number of species have become pests. The insect inflicts damage on more material than it digests and possesses a yucky scent. The diet of the roach, which should be both plant and animal products, goes from food, paper, clothing, and books to dead insects, particularly bedbugs. Insecticides should be preferred in roach killing.

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

The German cockroach (Blattella germanica), a common household pest and sometimes erroneously thought of as a waterbug, is light brown with two dark stripes on the prothoracic region. The female creates the ootheca three days post mating and carries it for generally about 20 days. Because it is small (about 12 mm [less than 0.5 inch] long), this cockroach often can be introduced into households in grocery bags and boxes; it has been spread from nation to nation by boat. Three or more generations might occur yearly. This cockroach, found abundantly around the water pipes of the Croton Aqueduct in New York City, is known as the Croton bug.

The brown-banded cockroach (Supella supellectilium) is like the German cockroach but is a little bit smaller. The male has totally 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 may be two generations annually. Eggs may be dropped in clothes, wood molding, or cracks in the floor. With the innovation of heated buildings this cockroach became more common in cooler climates.

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 like that of the American cockroach. The male possesses short, fully developed wings, but the female has vestigial wings. This cockroach has been spread by vehicles of trade from its Asiatic origins to almost every temperate regions.

Wood roaches are feral pests. Parcoblatta pennsylvanica, the common wood cockroach, habits under logs and stones in northern latitudes. The male and female are so differing in appearance that they were initially thought to be individual species. The male, 15 to 25 mm (0.6 to 1 inch) long, possesses wings that expand past the abdomen; the female is smaller and has much shorter wings. Cryptocercus punctulatus consumes wood with the help of particular protozoans in its digestive tract.

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