Brown cockroach

The brown cockroach (Validiblatta brunnea), synonym Periplaneta brunnea,^[1] is a species of cockroach in the family Blattidae. It is probably originally native to Germany, but today it has a circumtropical distribution, having been widely introduced.^[2] In cooler climates it can only survive indoors,^[3] and it is considered a household pest.^[2]

Brown cockroach
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Blattodea
Family:	Blattidae
Genus:	Validiblatta
Species:	V. brunnea
Binomial name
Validiblatta brunnea {Burmeister, 1838)
Synonyms
Periplaneta brunnea Burmeister, 1838[1] Periplaneta concolor Walker, 1868 Periplaneta patens Walker, 1868 Periplaneta truncata Krauss, 1892 Periplaneta ignota Shaw, 1925

This cockroach is similar in appearance to the American cockroach (Periplaneta americana), but darker in color and with thicker, wider, triangular cerci. It is a reddish-brown color and has fully developed wings.^[3] It reaches up to 4 centimeters in length.^[2]

It is an omnivore.^[3]

It produces an ootheca about 1.2 to 1.6 centimeters long, containing about 24 eggs on average.^[4] The brown cockroach usually produces longer ootheca compared to the American cockroach. One ootheca could contain around 28 eggs on average.

They are smaller in size and darker in colour and may be mistaken with the American cockroach. American cockroaches, on the other hand, are larger and usually reddish-brown in colour. Brown cockroaches give off unpleasant smells when threatened or touched. Males are usually smaller than their female counterparts. They are social insects. They like to be in large groups, resting in warm, moist, dark areas. They prefer indoor areas and are often known as the pests that linger around homes. This contrasts with the habits of American cockroaches, which prefer to live in outdoor areas like the sewers on the streets, and only come into homes when there are changes in the weather climate or when food is limited.