Pennsylvania woods cockroach
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| iPennsylvania woods cockroach | ||||||||||||||
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| Parcoblatta pennsylvanica (De Geer, 1773) |
The Pennsylvania woods cockroach (Parcoblatta pennsylvanica) is a species of cockroach, measuring about 1" long. Parcoblatta virginica and Parcoblatta fulvescens may also at times be grouped together with this species under this name since they are similar. It is dark chestnut or chocolate brown, with lighter brown wings. The thorax appears shiny dark brown or black. The male has wings that cover the abdomen, while the female has wing pads, which do not entirely cover the abdomen. The female tends to be shorter in length, about 3/8". The males and females look so different they were once considered two different species.
The Pennsylvania woods cockroach has a fairly wide distribution, being found in the northeastern, southern, and midwest regions of the United States quite commonly. They are usually found outdoors, but they can wander indoors, although they are not as common indoors as many of the other roach species. They may be found indoors more often in houses near woods. They are reported to be quite strong fliers and the males can be seen flying around outdoors. The males can be attracted to light, and if they come indoors at night, the females may follow. They can also be found wandering around in the day if they do wander indoors. They particularly like wood, such as trees, log, timber, and wood piles and may be brought inside with firewood. They survive in the bark of trees during the winter in cold climates as partially grown nymphs.
The Pennsylvania woods cockroach eats a wide variety of items. Cockroaches are usually scavengers, and thus can eat a wide array of items, often almost anything organic, including decaying matter.
