The word cockroach is stemmed from the Spanish cucaracha. The cockroach is recognized by a flattened oval body, long thin antennae, and a gloss black or brown leathery integument. The head is aimed downward, and the mouthparts are directed rearward instead of forward or downward as is the case for the majority of other insects. The male usually has two pairs of wings, while the female, who in some species, is wingless or holds vestigial wings. The female creates eggs in egg cases (called oothecae). These are occasionally held away from her body or could be glued in protected locations. After the female generates an egg case, the soft, white nymphs emerge. As their exoskeleton toughens, it turns brown in hue. The shape and big size (particular species have a wing measurement of over 12 cm [4.7 inches]) of cockroaches have become a particular study in the biological laboratory.

The cockroach prefers a warm, humid, dark living and is usually found in tropical and other mild climates. Only a few species have become pests. The insect harms more material than it eats and has a disgusting scent. The food of the roach, which includes both plant and animal product, goes from food, paper, clothing, and books to dead insects, particularly bedbugs. Insecticides should be preferred in roach destroying.

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 areas (e.g., basements and furnace rooms). In its adult life, lasting about 1.5 years, the female creates 50 or more oothecae, each containing around 16 eggs that hatch after 45 days. Nymphal life lasts from 11 to 14 months. The American cockroach, indigenous to tropical and subtropical America, possesses well-developed wings. However, the majority of species are unlikely to be good at flying.

The German cockroach (Blattella germanica), a common pest in households and is often incorrectly labeled a waterbug, is light brown with two dark stripes on the prothoracic area. The female produces the ootheca three days post mating and carries it for about 20 days. Because it is tiny (about 12 mm [less than 0.5 inch] long), this cockroach generally can be introduced into houses in grocery bags and boxes; it has gone across the world by boat. Three or more generations can live yearly. This cockroach, found abundantly around the water pipes of the Croton Aqueduct in New York City, became known as the Croton bug.

The brown-banded cockroach (Supella supellectilium) is like the German cockroach but is even smaller. The male possesses wholly developed wings and is lighter in shade than the female, whose wings are undeveloped and nonfunctional. Both sexes have two light-coloured bands across the back. The adult life span is generally about 200 days, and there might 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 thought to be one of the dirtiest 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 in vehicles of trade from its Asiatic origins to almost every temperate regions.

Wood roaches are non-domestic pests. Parcoblatta pennsylvanica, the common wood cockroach, can be found in logs and stones in northern latitudes. The male and female are so different in appearance that they were originally seen as separate 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 assistance of select protozoans in its digestive tract.

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