Brownbanded
Cockroaches
Order: Blattodae
Family: Blattellidae
Scientific Name: Supella longipalpa
Color: Brown, with pronounced banding across wings
Legs: Six
Shape: Oval
Size: 1/2"
Antennae: Yes
Flight: Yes
Brown banded cockroaches get their name from the two lighter bands
they have across their dark brownish bodies. In addition to the
distinctive banding, males have full wings, which reach beyond the
tip of their rather pointed abdomens, but females have underdeveloped
wings, much shorter than their broad, rounded abdomens. The lighter
band markings are much more distinct in nymphs than in adults of
either sex. Brownbanded Cockroaches can be found in All 50 States.
Habits
Male brownbanded cockroaches have been observed to fly indoors.
Among cockroach species, brownbanded cockroaches have the most distinctions
between sexes. Females have larger abdomen and shorter wings than
males. Brownbanded cockroaches often hide their egg cases in or
under furniture.
Habitat
Within a room, these roaches tend to prefer warmer, drier, and higher
locations than do any of the other urban pest roaches. They are
often found in upper cabinets or in other rooms than the kitchens
(food preparation areas) or bathrooms.
Threats
Cockroaches have been reported to spread at least 33 kinds of bacteria,
six kinds of parasitic worms, and at least seven other kinds of
human pathogens. They can pick up germs on the spines of their legs
and bodies as they crawl through decaying matter or sewage and then
carry these into food or onto food surfaces. Germs that cockroaches
eat from decaying matter or sewage are protected while in their
bodies and may remain infective for several weeks longer than if
they had been exposed to cleaning agents, rinse water, or just sunlight
and air. Recent medical studies have shown that cockroach allergens
cause lots of allergic reactions in inner city children. They were
even shown to cause asthma in children. These allergens build up
in deposits of droppings, secretions, cast skins, and dead bodies
of roaches.
Control
Good sanitation and habitat reduction, along with vacuuming, surveillance,
a baiting program, and some sealing of cracks can usually quickly
reduce or eliminate a cockroach population.
(Source: National Pest Management Association, et. al.)
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