Australian cockroach
Encyclopedia
The Australian cockroach (Periplaneta australasiae) is a large species of cockroach
, winged, and growing to a length of 30–35 mm (1.2–1.4 ). It is brown in colour. It is very similar in appearance to the American cockroach
and may be mistaken for it easily. However, it is slightly smaller than the American cockroach, has a yellow margin on the thorax
, and yellow streaks at its sides near the wing base.
Despite its name, the Australian cockroach is a cosmopolitan species, and an introduced species
in Australia
. P. australasiae may have originated in Asia. It is very common in the southern United States
and in tropical climates, and can be found in many locations throughout the world due to its travels via shipping
and commerce
between locations. It can be found in Florida
, California
, and other coastal states.
The insect can travel quickly, often darting out of sight when someone enters a room, and can fit into small cracks and under doors despite its fairly large size. It is known to be very mobile; it also has wings which allow it to be quite a capable flier.
It prefers warmer climates and is not cold tolerant, however, it may be able to survive indoors in colder climates. It does well in moist conditions but also can tolerate dry conditions as long as water is available. It often lives around the perimeter of buildings, and it is one of the most common species outdoors in Florida. It appears to prefer eating plants more than its relatives do, but can feed on a wide array of organic (including decaying) matter. Like most cockroaches, it is a scavenger
.
It may come indoors to look for food and even to live, however, in warm weather it may move outdoors and enter buildings looking for food.
Cockroach
Cockroaches are insects of the order Blattaria or Blattodea, of which about 30 species out of 4,500 total are associated with human habitations...
, winged, and growing to a length of 30–35 mm (1.2–1.4 ). It is brown in colour. It is very similar in appearance to the American cockroach
American cockroach
The American cockroach , also known as the waterbug, or misidentified as the palmetto bug , is the largest species of common cockroach, and often considered a pest. None of the Periplaneta species are endemic to the Americas; despite the name, P...
and may be mistaken for it easily. However, it is slightly smaller than the American cockroach, has a yellow margin on the thorax
Thorax
The thorax is a division of an animal's body that lies between the head and the abdomen.-In tetrapods:...
, and yellow streaks at its sides near the wing base.
Despite its name, the Australian cockroach is a cosmopolitan species, and an introduced species
Introduced species
An introduced species — or neozoon, alien, exotic, non-indigenous, or non-native species, or simply an introduction, is a species living outside its indigenous or native distributional range, and has arrived in an ecosystem or plant community by human activity, either deliberate or accidental...
in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. P. australasiae may have originated in Asia. It is very common in the southern United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and in tropical climates, and can be found in many locations throughout the world due to its travels via shipping
Shipping
Shipping has multiple meanings. It can be a physical process of transporting commodities and merchandise goods and cargo, by land, air, and sea. It also can describe the movement of objects by ship.Land or "ground" shipping can be by train or by truck...
and commerce
Commerce
While business refers to the value-creating activities of an organization for profit, commerce means the whole system of an economy that constitutes an environment for business. The system includes legal, economic, political, social, cultural, and technological systems that are in operation in any...
between locations. It can be found in Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, and other coastal states.
The insect can travel quickly, often darting out of sight when someone enters a room, and can fit into small cracks and under doors despite its fairly large size. It is known to be very mobile; it also has wings which allow it to be quite a capable flier.
It prefers warmer climates and is not cold tolerant, however, it may be able to survive indoors in colder climates. It does well in moist conditions but also can tolerate dry conditions as long as water is available. It often lives around the perimeter of buildings, and it is one of the most common species outdoors in Florida. It appears to prefer eating plants more than its relatives do, but can feed on a wide array of organic (including decaying) matter. Like most cockroaches, it is a scavenger
Scavenger
Scavenging is both a carnivorous and herbivorous feeding behavior in which individual scavengers search out dead animal and dead plant biomass on which to feed. The eating of carrion from the same species is referred to as cannibalism. Scavengers play an important role in the ecosystem by...
.
It may come indoors to look for food and even to live, however, in warm weather it may move outdoors and enter buildings looking for food.