Blatta

Classification

Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Hexapoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Blattodea
Superfamily: Blattoidea
Family: Blattidae
Subfamily: Blattinae
Genus: Blatta

Pronunciation

How to pronounce Blatta: /ˈblæ.tə/

These audio files are automatically generated. While they are not always 100% accurate, they are a good starting point.

Images

Blatta orientalis male from Botevgrad, Bulgaria 04 by Dimitǎr Boevski. Used under a CC BY-SA 4.0 license.

Blatta orientalis male from Botevgrad, Bulgaria 05 by Dimitǎr Boevski. Used under a CC BY-SA 4.0 license.

Blatta orientalis cdc by wikipedia. Used under a Public domain license.

Blatta orientalis male from Botevgrad, Bulgaria 03 by Dimitǎr Boevski. Used under a CC BY-SA 4.0 license.

Blatta orientalis male from Botevgrad, Bulgaria 02 by Dimitǎr Boevski. Used under a CC BY-SA 4.0 license.

Blatta orientalis Trento 01 by Syrio. Used under a CC BY-SA 4.0 license.

Summary

Blatta is a genus of cockroaches known for its light-shunning behavior. The most notable species in North America include the Oriental Cockroach (Blatta orientalis) and Turkistan Cockroach (Blatta lateralis).

Physical Characteristics

Adult males have wings that cover about 2/3 of the abdomen; adult females have very small wings that do not meet in the middle.

Identification Tips

Females of Blatta orientalis have small, non-touching wings, while Blatta lateralis females have white stripes along the side of the thorax. Males of Blatta lateralis also have lateral white stripes.

Distribution

Two species found in North America: Blatta orientalis and Blatta lateralis.

Similar Taxa

Eurycotis floridana (Florida Woods Cockroach)

Misconceptions

Blatta orientalis is often confused with the Florida Woods Cockroach, which has wings that touch in the middle of the back and are very small like Oriental Cockroach females.