You'd surely grab a bottle of insecticide if you saw a cockroach-like figure walking in front of you. And you're starting to wonder, are there any insects that look like roaches but aren't?
There are insects that resemble cockroaches. Here are some of the good examples:
1. You refuse
2. Bug palm
3. Giant water beetle
4. termites
5. The grill
6. Asiatic longhorn beetle
June 7 bug
8. Ground Beetle
9. Wood borer beetle
10. Palo Verde Beetle
Now that we have identified the insects that closely resemble cockroaches, let's find out more interesting facts about them by knowing their characteristics and classifications, including the distinguishing features and behaviors of the insects they mimic.
Index
What is a cockroach?
Cockroaches are insects belonging to the orderBlattodeaand classinsects.They are reddish brown to black in color while their bodies are oval and flat.
They also have long, thin antennae and six strong legs built for intense running. Because their wings don't fully grow until they reach adulthood, immature cockroaches often have smaller wings or no wings at all.
The females lay their eggs in egg cases. Each of these egg cartons can hold 30 to 40 eggs. The roaches that hatch from these eggs are known as nymphs and are more common than the adult species.
Since most of these insects thrive in places where there is plenty of human activity, they are most commonly considered pests. This is due to its ability to contaminate kitchen utensils and food, give off unpleasant odors, and transmit diseases such as cholera, dysentery, and typhoid.
Related:What is a cockroach? | information and facts
How to tell if an insect is a cockroach?
To know if an insect is a cockroach, the following characteristics must be obvious:
- Color: Should be reddish brown to black.
- Body: Should appear flat and oval.
- Antennae: Must be long and thin.
- Measurement: Their bodies should be at least ¾ to 3 inches tall.
- They must be very fast runners.
Can you get cockroaches in a clean house?
Cockroaches can live in clean houses.Even if you constantly clean your surroundings, roaches still invade your home because they spend most of their time foraging for food and water resources. Therefore, the presence of these pests is not a clear indication of an unhealthy or unsanitary lifestyle.
Related:
Bugs that look like a cockroach | Identification, habitat and behavior
Insect
Identification: adult bed bugsThey are reddish to brown in color, 3/16 inch long, and have flat, oval bodies.
Habitat:They can be present in houses, hotels or apartments. They are also good hitchhikers, making them easy to attach to clothing, shoes, and luggage. They can also sneak from one room or floor to another, crawling through gaps and holes.
Behave:They are nocturnal. But during the day they prefer to hide near places where people sleep. They can travel long distances in search of food.
Compared to cockroaches:Most bed bugs are misidentified as German cockroach nymphs. This is due to their similarity in color (light to dark brown), size (about 0.25 inches long), and lack of wings. However, they differ in body shape and length of antennae, as bed bugs' body structure looks more oval and their antennae are shorter.
Related:How big are bed bugs? A useful guide to size and identification
Heart of the palm insect
Identification: mature palmettesThey are reddish to brown in color but have a yellow band on the pronotum. They range in length from 1 3/8 to 2 1/8 inches. Its abdomen is protected by its wings.
Habitat:They prefer dark, damp places and can also be outdoors, e.g. B. in palm trees, sewers and dead trees.
Behave:They are very nocturnal. During the day they hide in dark, secluded places.
Compared to cockroaches:Both are the same. "Palmetto Bug" is just a fancy term coined by people in Florida because these roaches love to hide behind palmetto leaves.
giant water bug
Identification:The bodies of giant water bugs are oval with claw-like structures on the front. You can also extend up to 4 inches.
Habitat:They live in slow-moving water bodies, swamps and freshwater ponds.
Behave:They hunt small fish, tadpoles and insects, completely grabbing them and bringing poisonous substances on them. They are also strongly attracted to light.
Compared to cockroaches:Most people think that water bugs belong to the cockroach family. But that's not true. Water bugs thrive in water most of the time, while roaches do not. However, they may prefer humid conditions.
Related:Natural Ways to Get Rid of Water Bugs | home remedies
termites
Identification:Termites are off-white in color and at least 3 to 4 millimeters long. However, the swarms are dark brown to black in color and measure 4 millimeters.
Habitat:They live in underground areas but can also thrive in humid places above ground.
Behave:They regularly damage or feed on wooden structures, paper, insulation materials, pool liners, books, and live trees and shrubs.
Compared to cockroaches:Termites are related to the class of cockroaches. However, they are not that similar in terms of habits and appearance. Also, termites are small as their length is only 0.16 to 0.59 inch while cockroaches have larger physique. Termites are also social creatures, while cockroaches crave a solitary environment.
The grill
Identification:Crickets have flat, cylindrical bodies with long antennae and rounded heads. The largest species of crickets can measure up to 2 inches.
Habitat:They are widespread in shrubs, herbs, grasses and tree canopies. But they can also be seen in caves and rotten trees.
Behave:Most of them are very nocturnal. During the day they hide under stones or tree bark, crevices and leaves.
Compared to cockroaches:At first glance, crickets can be thought of as cockroaches because they are both the same color (dark brown to black) and have long antennae. However, if you look closely, you'll notice that crickets have a more tubular body and their hind legs are longer. Crickets can also jump, while roaches can only run, crawl, or climb.
asian beetle
Identification:They appear glossy black and are about 0.7 to 1.6 inches long. Their elytra have 10 to 20 white or yellow-orange spots.
Habitat:They come from Korea, China, Japan and the island of Hainan. Also, they are attracted to hardwood trees.
Behave:They regularly attack healthy trees such as blackberry, elm, apple, pear, and citrus. But they can also infest tree trunks, roots and branches.
Compared to cockroaches:Both Asian beetles and roaches share the same body structure (oval shape) and size (1 to 3 inches). They can vary in color, however, as Asiatic longhorned beetles have a glossy black appearance with white spots scattered across their bodies.
June Bug
Identification:June beetles are brown, black, or rusty in color and their bodies have hair underneath them. Adult insects measure ½ to 1 inch, while larvae can be ¾ to 2 inches.
Habitat:They are usually seen circling around porch lights while their larvae usually burrow into the ground.
Behave:They are very attracted to light and tend to destroy crops. But they cannot harm or harm people.
Compared to cockroaches:Both June beetles and cockroaches are reddish-brown to black in hue, but the former has a round body structure and typically lives in trees. June beetles are slow herbivores, but cockroaches are fast omnivores.
ground beetle
Identification:Ground beetles have flat, dark bodies with numerous bumps on the elytra. They can vary in size from 1/8 to 1 inch.
Habitat:They are usually found under bark, logs, and rocks.
Behave:They like lights and hunt prey at night. When confronted with a dangerous situation, they react quickly.
Compared to cockroaches:Both have the same reddish-brown color and oval body structure, but their distinguishing feature lies in the character of their wings. The forewings of ground beetles are strong and powerful, while those of cockroaches are typically soft. Additionally, ground beetles are considered herbivores and, unlike roaches, are not generally considered a nuisance.
boring bug
Identification:Wood borers have brown to black oval bodies. They have long antennae and six legs.
Habitat:They spend most of their time in trees and wooded areas.
Behave:They like to damage wooden structures by poking holes in them.
Compared to cockroaches:Because of their similar color, antenna size, number of legs, and oval body shape, you can compare wood beetles to cockroaches. But these bugs mainly rest in wood and wooden structures, while cockroaches can hide in non-wooden areas.
Related:Bore beetle control: How to get rid of borer beetles in trees?
Palo Verde Beetle
Identification:Palo Verde beetles are dark brown in color and 3 to 3.5 inches long. Its antennae are slightly curved.
Habitat:Named for the Palo Verde tree that grows in the Sonoran Desert, these beetles are often spotted in their vicinity.
Behave:They grow under trees. As they mature, they leave their habitat to fly and seek mates.
Compared to cockroaches:Cockroaches and palo verde beetles share a similar appearance. But if you look closely at their appearance, the former have a darker brown color, longer bodies (0.5 to 3 inches), thicker antennae, and harder shells. Since Palo Verde beetles prefer the outdoors, they cannot survive long indoors either.
What types of cockroaches are there?
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Related:Different types of cockroaches: identification table
1. Cheap American
The American cockroach has a yellow lining on the underside of its head.They measure 1 3/8 to 2 1/8 inches when fully grown and rarely fly, although they have fully developed wings.
Also, they prefer moist, dark places like floor drains, basements, sewers, laundry rooms, and steam tunnels, although they move outside when the warm season arrives. They can also travel great distances from areas where they normally congregate.
Related:How to get rid of American cockroaches? | information and facts
2. Cockroach with brown bands
Brown-banded cockroaches have black stripes behind their heads and yellow linings on their wings.They are often seen in homes, especially in closets, ceilings, closets, walls, trim, decorations, or behind furniture. Females also lay their eggs on closed, covered surfaces such as dressers and cupboards.
3. German cockroach
The German cockroach is the most common breed of cockroach as it thrives in areas where human activity is widespread.They are about ½ inch tall and are usually light brown with two dark stripes behind the shield figures on their heads.
Plus, they thrive in moist, warm environments. Their favorite breeding grounds are areas near ovens, toasters, and other heat-producing appliances, in pantries and cupboards, under toilets and sinks, and behind dishwashers, refrigerators, and stoves. They migrate from one facility to another, connecting pipes, ceilings, cables, walls, and other open structures.
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4. Barata Hiss
A hissing cockroach, also known asCheap panting from Madagascar, measures 2 to 4 inches long and weighs at least 1/4 to 7/8 ounces.The bodies of these insects are covered with a brown to black sclerotic coating, but during the molting phase, hissing cockroaches can appear white. They are cold-blooded and generally live in dark, humid environments.
5. Cheap Orient
Oriental cockroaches appear in shades of dark brown to black and are typically an inch in length.They are typically found in damp, dark places like basements and sewers.
But they can also be seen in garbage and under plant debris and stones. Because of this, they are considered the dirtiest species of cockroach, as they happily feed on human or animal waste, garbage, and decaying materials.
Related:How to get rid of oriental cockroaches? | information and facts
Summary
There are many insects that look like them, and the similarity in color, size, and behavior can mislead and confuse you. Therefore, it would be beneficial to know how to distinguish them from other insects.
So the next time you try to punch or spray a roach-like creature, make sure what you're trying to kill is actually a roach.
List of fonts
Hahn, J., Ascerno, M. (2019).cockroaches. Extension of the University of Minnesota.
Mulder, P., Shufran, A. (2017).Madagascar hissing cockroaches: information and care. State University of Oklahoma.
Potter, MF (2020).bed bugs. University of Kentucky.
Comerciante, M. (2018).cheap american. Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Entomologie.