American cockroach

American cockroach
An American cockroach in action - first in real time, then slowed down to one-tenth speed
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Blattodea
Family: Blattidae
Genus: Periplaneta
Species:
P. americana
Binomial name
Periplaneta americana
Synonyms
  • Blatta americana Linnaeus, 1758
  • Blatta ferrugineofusca Gronovius, 1764
  • Blatta kakkerlac De Geer, 1773
  • Blatta orientalis Sulzer, 1776 (Preocc.)
  • Blatta aurelianensis Fourcroy, 1785
  • Blatta siccifolia Stoll, 1813
  • Blatta heros Eschscholtz, 1822
  • Blatta domicola Risso, 1826
  • Periplaneta stolida Walker, 1868
  • Periplaneta colorata Rehn, 1901

The American cockroach (Periplaneta americana) is the largest species of common cockroach, and often considered a pest. In certain regions of the U.S. it is colloquially known as the waterbug,[1] though it is not a true waterbug since it is not aquatic. It is also known as the ship cockroach, kakerlac, and Bombay canary.[2] It is often misidentified as a palmetto bug.[3][4]

Despite their name, American cockroaches are native to Africa and the Middle East. They are believed to have been introduced to the Americas only from the 17th century AD onward as a result of human commercial patterns,[2] including the Atlantic slave trade.[5]

  1. ^ Cassidy, Frederic Gomes; Hall, Joan Houston (2002). Dictionary of American Regional English (illustrated ed.). Harvard University Press. p. 20. ISBN 978-0-674-00884-7.
  2. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference bell1981 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Poertner, Bo (10 December 1997). "Palmetto Bug - Roach Or Beetle? Quit Debating, We Have The Answer". Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved 9 December 2013.
  4. ^ Encyclopedia of Life. "Periplaneta americana - American Cockroach". Retrieved 2013-12-09.
  5. ^ Garcia, Lindsay. "American Cockroaches, Racism, and the Ecology of the Slave Ship." Environment & Society Portal, Arcadia (Autumn 2017), no. 29. Rachel Carson Center for Environment and Society. [doi.org/10.5282/rcc/8048]