The smokey brown cockroach is a relative
of the american cockroach and resembles it in shape and size. These cockroaches
are more common in the southern United States, but we do get some immigrants
mostly coming in on plant material and fruit etc.
These beast are a little over 1inch long,
and both sexes have wings that are longer than the abdomen. Their very dark
mahogany colour is striking ; no light markings appear on the pronotum or
wings. Nymphs like adults are also dark brown. The antennal tips of young
nymphs are white, and the base segments of the older nymphs antennae are
white.
Life Cycle:
The egg capsule (oothecae) of the smokey brown cockroach
is large and brown. The female usually glues the oothecae to objects in
the harbourage. The oothecae holds an average of 17 eggs, but there have
been cases of them holding 24 - 26, but this is not common. The
Nymphs take between 6 - 12 months to develop, those that are nymphs
in the summer will over-winter. The adults live for 6-12
months during which time the female will produce about 17 oothecae.
Habitat:
Smokey brown cockroaches are suceptible to losing moisture through their
cuticle, and so are usually found in damp, dark and poorly ventilated environments.
They rarely infest the dwelling part of buildings, and are instead found
in sheds, wall and roof spaces, sub-floors, mulched areas, and in and around
grease traps and drains. They prefer food of a plant origin and are therefore
often a pest in greenhouses, nurseries and gardens. They can fly short distances
in warm weather and are often attracted to lights at night. In the U.S.
southern states, Texas, California this cockroach is a common pest; living
in gutters, eaves of the roof, under shingles and finding their way into
attics.
Treatment:
Normal application of dusts and sprays (preferably micro-encapsulated) into
harbourages is important as this cockroach spends its time in outside areas
hence this presents a risk to non-target species.
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