German cockroach
The German cockroach is a small light brown cockroach with two dark stripes behind its head. It has wings but can hardly fly. It lives in houses, restaurants and hotels all over the world and comes out at night to look for crumbs.
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Fun facts
Even though it is called German, it first came from South or Southeast Asia.
A mother carries her eggs in a little case on the end of her body that changes from white to pink to brown like a chestnut.
It grows from egg to grown-up in only about 50 to 60 days, faster than any other house cockroach.
It can squeeze into tiny cracks, which makes it very hard to find.
When it is scared, it gives off a nasty smell.
Most asked questions about German cockroach
?Is the German cockroach dangerous?
It does not bite or sting, but it can make food dirty, so it is not welcome in kitchens.
?Where do German cockroaches come from?
Not from Germany. Scientists now think they first came from South or Southeast Asia.
?How big is a German cockroach?
About 11 to 16 millimetres long.
For bug experts
- Scientific name
- Blattella germanica
- Group
- Cockroaches and termites
- Family
- Ectobiidae
- Classification
- Insecta > Blattodea > Ectobiidae
- Lives on
- Europe, Asia, Africa, North America, South America, Australia and Oceania
- Also known as
- Croton bug
Where the facts come from
- German cockroach (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0): what it looks like, where it lives, what it eats, sizes and fun facts, retold in simple words.
- Picture by Bagous. CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons. The round sticker of this bug is cut from the same picture.
If we got something wrong, sorry, we are bug fans, not a science journal. Tell us at hello@bugwiki.app and we will fix it.
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