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The word cockroach is a corruption of the Spanish cucaracha. The cockroach is recognizable by a flattened oval body, long hairlike antennae, and a shiny black or brown leathery integument. The head is aimed downward, and the mouthparts are aimed rearward instead of forward or downward as is the case with many other insects. The male frequently has two pairs of wings, whereas the female, who in some species, is wingless or has vestigial wings. The female generates eggs in egg cases (labeled oothecae). These are at times held protruding from her body or could be stuck in protected locations. After the female generates an egg case, the soft, white nymphs emerge. As their exoskeleton toughens, it turns brown in appearance. The geometry and remarkable size (certain species possess a wing spread measurement of higher than 12 cm [4.7 inches]) of cockroaches have made them a keen study in the biological laboratory.

The cockroach likes a warm, humid, dark living and is often found in tropical or other mild climates. Only a few species have become pests. The insect inflicts damage upon more material than it consumes and has a disagreeable odour. The nutrition of the roach, which includes both plant and animal products, goes from food, paper, clothing, and books to dead insects, especially bedbugs. Insecticides are used in roach removing.

The American cockroach (species Periplaneta americana) is 30 to 50 mm long (up to about 2 inches), reddish brown, and inhabits out of doors or in dark, heated indoor locations (e.g., basements and furnace rooms). During its adult life, lasting about 1.5 years, the female generates 50 or more oothecae, each holding about 16 eggs that hatch after 45 days. Nymphal life lasts from 11 to 14 months. The American cockroach, a native of tropical and subtropical America, possesses well-developed wings. However, most species are not good flyers.

The German cockroach (Blattella germanica), a common pest in the household and is often erroneously thought of as a waterbug, is light brown with two dark stripes on the prothoracic area. The female creates the ootheca three days post mating and carries it for around 20 days. Because it is tiny in size (about 12 mm [less than 0.5 inch] long), this cockroach generally is taken into households in grocery bags and boxes; it has spread through the globe by ship. Three or more generations may occur yearly. This cockroach, abundant throughout the water pipes of the Croton Aqueduct in New York City, has become known as the Croton bug.

The brown-banded cockroach (Supella supellectilium) closely resembles the German cockroach but is even smaller. The male possesses fully developed wings and is lighter in shade than the female, whose wings are short and nonfunctional. Both sexes have two light-coloured bands along the back. The adult life span is generally around 200 days, and there could be two generations annually. Eggs can be dropped in clothes, wood molding, or cracks in the floor. With the advent of heated buildings this cockroach became more common in cooler locations.

The Oriental cockroach (Blatta orientalis) is held as 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 similar to that of the American cockroach. The male has short, fully developed wings, while the female has vestigial wings. This cockroach has been distributed by vehicles of commerce from its Asiatic origins to all the temperate regions.

Wood roaches are feral pests. Parcoblatta pennsylvanica, the common wood cockroach, may be found below logs and stones in northern latitudes. The male and female are so different in appearance that they were once seen as unique species. The male, 15 to 25 mm (0.6 to 1 inch) long, has wings that extend beyond the abdomen; the female is smaller and possesses much shorter wings. Cryptocercus punctulatus consumes wood with the aid of certain protozoans in its digestive tract.

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