Wood-cockroach
Guides
Ectobius
wood cockroaches, field cockroaches
Ectobius is a genus of small, cool-adapted cockroaches in the family Ectobiidae. Adults measure 6–12 mm in length with brown to yellowish coloration and pale margins. The genus has a complex biogeographic history: fossil evidence from the 49-million-year-old Green River Formation in Colorado indicates Ectobius originated in North America, despite its long absence from the continent until recent reintroductions. Species are primarily distributed across Europe, Africa, the eastern Palearctic, and the Near East. Several species have been introduced to northeastern North America within the last 65 years, where Ectobius lapponicus has become synanthropic.
Ischnoptera deropeltiformis
Dark Wood Cockroach, Dark Wood Roach
Ischnoptera deropeltiformis, commonly known as the dark wood cockroach, is a species of wood cockroach in the family Ectobiidae. It is native to the United States and has been recorded as a host for the pinworm nematode Protrellus browni. The species is part of the diverse wood cockroach fauna associated with forest floor habitats.
Parcoblatta americana
Western Wood Cockroach
Parcoblatta americana, the western wood cockroach, is a species native to Mexico and the western United States. The species exhibits significant sexual dimorphism in wing development: males possess fully developed tegmina and wings, while females have greatly reduced tegmina and lack hind wings entirely. Both sexes display considerable color variation, ranging from dark brown or blackish to pale yellowish or reddish tan in males, and from reddish orange to dark brown or black in females. The species has been documented in association with harvester ant nests and pack rat houses.
Parcoblatta bolliana
Boll's Wood Cockroach, Boll's Wood Roach
Parcoblatta bolliana is a small wood cockroach species native to the United States, measuring approximately 11 mm in length. Males are slender with long, functional wings, while females are stouter with reduced tegmina and no functional hindwings. First-instar nymphs have been documented living in ant nests of Cremastogaster lineolata in Kansas, though adults are not found in these associations. The species occupies diverse habitats including pine woods, grasslands, and decaying wood debris.
Parcoblatta caudelli
Caudell's wood cockroach, Caudell's wood roach
Parcoblatta caudelli is a small, pale-colored wood cockroach native to the eastern and central United States. Males exhibit distinctive clay-yellow and brownish-yellow coloration with fully developed tegmina. The species occupies forested habitats and has been recorded from sawmill refuse. Females were historically described as capable of flight, though subsequent observations have questioned this trait.
Parcoblatta divisa
Southern Wood Cockroach
Parcoblatta divisa, the southern wood cockroach, is a native North American species found in diverse woodland habitats across the eastern and southeastern United States. Previously treated as a subspecies of P. pensylvanica, it was elevated to species status based on male genitalic differences. The species exhibits unusual color polymorphism, with a pale morph restricted to Alachua County, Florida. It is considered the most adaptable member of its genus, occasionally entering homes near wooded areas.
Parcoblatta lata
Broad Wood Cockroach
Parcoblatta lata, the broad wood cockroach, is one of the largest species in the genus Parcoblatta. It is native to the eastern United States and is particularly notable as a primary food source for the endangered red-cockaded woodpecker, comprising more than half the biomass of this bird's diet. The species has been studied for its unusual macrocyclic lactone sex pheromone, parcoblattalactone, which has potential applications in monitoring cockroach populations for conservation purposes.