While not all cockroaches can fly, certain species are capable of flight. Understanding what these flying insects look like can help in identifying them.
General Characteristics of Flying Cockroaches
Flying cockroaches typically have a flattened, oval-shaped body. Their coloration usually ranges from shades of brown to dark black. They possess two pairs of wings: hardened forewings and membranous hindwings used for flight. When at rest, the forewings fold flat over the abdomen, covering the hindwings.
Adults generally measure 1 to 2 inches long. Their antennae are long and thin, serving as important sensory organs. While equipped for flight, their aerial movement is often erratic or clumsy. They tend to glide short distances, particularly when startled or seeking to escape.
Key Species Known to Fly
The American cockroach (Periplaneta americana) is a common flying species, measuring about 1.5 to 2 inches long, making it one of the largest household cockroaches. It has a reddish-brown body with a distinctive yellowish band or figure-eight marking on the shield-like area behind its head, called the pronotum. Its wings extend slightly beyond the tip of its abdomen, and while both sexes have fully developed wings, males are more prone to gliding. They often glide from elevated positions, especially in temperatures above 85 degrees Fahrenheit.
The Australian cockroach (Periplaneta australasiae) is slightly smaller than the American cockroach, typically 1.25 to 1.5 inches long. This reddish-brown to dark brown species has prominent yellow markings on its head and the front edges of its forewings. Its wings extend beyond the abdomen, and they are known to be proficient flyers.
The Smokybrown cockroach (Periplaneta fuliginosa) is a notable flyer, characterized by its uniform dark brown to mahogany coloration and shiny appearance. Adults usually grow to 1 to 1.5 inches long. Both sexes have long wings that extend past their bodies, and they are strong fliers. They are often attracted to light and can fly towards light sources, especially at night.
Telling Them Apart From Other Insects
Distinguishing flying cockroaches from other insects like beetles or June bugs involves visual cues. Cockroaches typically have a flat, oval-shaped body, contrasting with the rounder, more robust bodies of many beetles and June bugs. Cockroach antennae are long and thin, whereas beetles often have shorter, sometimes clubbed or segmented antennae.
The wings also provide clear distinctions: cockroaches have leathery forewings that lie flat over their backs, covering the delicate hindwings. Beetles possess hardened wing covers called elytra, which meet in a straight line down their back. June bugs are stockier with shorter antennae and their wings fold neatly under a hard shell. Cockroaches are known for their rapid, erratic scuttling and gliding flight, while beetles may move more slowly or fly clumsily.