What is an American cockroach?
The American cockroach, Periplaneta americana, occurs both outdoors and indoors . Adults are reddish-brown, edges of pronotum are light colored and is the largest of the common roaches (1 to 1 1/2 inches in length at maturity). Because they undergo simple metamorphosis the nymphal instars resemble the adult. A gravid female carry the egg cases around for about 6 days and then cement them to a protected surface where they incubate for about 2 months or longer. Each egg capsule contains as many as 16 eggs inside. Immature cockroaches emerge from egg cases in 6 to 8 weeks and require 6 to 12 months to mature.
