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The word cockroach is stemmed from the Spanish cucaracha. The cockroach is recognizable by a flattened oval body, long thin antennae, and a glossy black or brown leathery integument. The head is aimed downward, and the mouthparts are aimed backward instead of forward or downward as is the case of almost all other insects. The male generally has two pairs of wings, while the female, who in some species, is wingless or holds vestigial wings. The female generates eggs in egg cases (called oothecae). These are occasionally held away from her body or could be adhered in protected areas. After the female deposits an egg case, the soft, white nymphs emerge. As their exoskeleton toughens, it turns brown in appearance. The structure and big size (particular species demonstrate a wingspread measurement of longer than 12 cm [4.7 inches]) of cockroaches have made them a keen interest in the biological laboratory.

The cockroach enjoys a warm, humid, dark habitat and is usually located in tropical or other mild climates. Just a few species have become pests. The insect inflicts damage on more material than it digests and has a disgusting smell. The diet of the roach, which is both plant and animal produce, can be from food, paper, clothing, and books to dead insects, particularly bedbugs. Insecticides are 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 areas (e.g., basements and furnace rooms). In adult life, a time of about 1.5 years, the female creates 50 or more oothecae, each holding about 16 eggs that hatch after 45 days. Nymphal life takes from 11 to 14 months. The American cockroach, originally from tropical and subtropical America, has well-developed wings. However, most species are usually not gifted at flying.

The German cockroach (Blattella germanica), a common pest in the house and sometimes incorrectly labeled 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 about 20 days. Because it is tiny in size (about 12 mm [less than 0.5 inch] long), this cockroach generally can be carried into households in grocery bags and boxes; it has moved across the world by boat. Three or more generations might occur yearly. This cockroach, found in abundance in the water pipes of the Croton Aqueduct in New York City, is commonly known as the Croton bug.

The brown-banded cockroach (Supella supellectilium) closely resembles the German cockroach but is even smaller. The male has fully developed wings and is lighter in colour than the female, whose wings are short and nonfunctional. Both sexes have two light-coloured bands along the back. The adult life span is around 200 days, and there could be two generations annually. Eggs might be deposited in clothes, wood molding, or cracks in the floor. With the introduction of heated buildings this cockroach became common 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 resembling that of the American cockroach. The male has short, fully developed wings, while the female has vestigial wings. This cockroach has been taken by vehicles of commerce from its Asiatic origins to every temperate regions.

Wood roaches are not domestic pests. Parcoblatta pennsylvanica, the common wood cockroach, habits under logs and stones in northern latitudes. The male and female are so different in appearance that they were first seen as different species. The male, 15 to 25 mm (0.6 to 1 inch) long, possesses wings that go past the abdomen; the female is smaller and possesses much shorter wings. Cryptocercus punctulatus eats wood with the help of some protozoans in its digestive tract.

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