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Latin Name: Scapteriscus vicinus
Common Name: Tawny mole cricket
Other Names: Puerto Rican mole cricket
Pest Details
Origin:Native to Puerto Rico and the West Indies, but now found commonly in the southeastern United States.
Biology:
The tawny mole cricket is a common species in the southeastern U.S. It is an extremely destructive mole cricket in landscape turf, where they spend nearly all their time within the soil digging tunnels and feeding on the roots of turf and landscape plants. Dry soils may be preferred. They are able to fly and will be attracted to lights at night. Eggs are deposited in a chamber in the soil, and begin hatching in late spring. A life cycle is completed in about 1 year.
Identification:Mole crickets are so named not only because of their burrowing, subterranean existence, but also because of the widely expanded front legs and claws that are used for digging. They are about
Latin Name: Periplaneta americana
Common Name: American Cockroach
Latin Family Name: Blattidae
Other Names: Palmetto bug, Bombay canary
Pest Details
Origin:Possibly from northern Africa or Asia, but found worldwide for many centuries now. It occurs throughout the United States as a common indoor and outdoor cockroach, and in some areas may be more common than the German roach.
Biology:
This species is common outdoors in landscape plantings, in sewers or storm drain systems, and in lower areas of buildings where moisture may be greater. It may inhabit storm drains in huge numbers, emerging though man-hole covers at night to invade buildings. They will feed on most carbohydrate or protein based materials, including human hair or finger and toenails. Each female produces around 10 egg capsules, carrying the capsule for a day or two and then carefully placing it in a protected location. Each egg capsule
Latin Name: Blattella asahinai
Common Name: Asian Cockroach
Latin Family Name: Blattellidae
Other Names: N/A
Pest Details
Origin:Native to Asia, but introduced into Florida in the early 1980’s, where it has spread widely in the state, as well as into Georgia. It is believed it is capable of surviving in virtually all coastal states on both the east and west coasts.
Biology:
This is primarily an outdoor roach species that looks very similar to the German roach. It differs in that it flies readily and is attracted to lights and light-colored surfaces. Outdoors it may breed in huge numbers, and readily invades structures as well, although it generally does not breed within a structure. Outdoors it can be very common in shaded areas of thick vegetation, such as wooded areas or thick grassy habitats. There are estimates of up to 100,000 individuals per acre being found.
Identification:The Asian roach is almost identical
Latin Name: Periplaneta australasiae
Common Name: Australian Cockroach
Latin Family Name: Blattidae
Other Names: N/A
Pest Details
Origin:Despite its common name this species actually is native to northern Africa, but now it is found throughout the world. It is a tropical species, and while it is found throughout the United States it has become established outdoors only in the more hot and humid areas. It may be found, though, in greenhouses or areas of structures in all states, and is established in Florida and much of California.
Biology:
This cockroach needs warmth and humidity, and greenhouses commonly are infested. In a structure they may be found in areas of high moisture, and in a commercial food account this could be around dishwashing areas or in potted plants and plantings, such as interiorscapes. Where it can survive outdoors it may enter structures on its own, causing damage in homes by chewing
Latin Name: Periplaneta brunnea
Common Name: Brown Cockroach
Latin Family Name: Blattidae
Other Names: N/A
Pest Details
Origin:Possibly from northern Africa, and now established in the southeastern states of the United States, from Texas to Florida and in Hawaii. It is occasionally found in other states as a possible transient carried in packages.
Biology:
Under laboratory conditions this species is shown to have a huge potential for reproduction. In natural conditions in the U.S., so far, this has not happened, and it remains a minor species. It is capable of parthenogenesis, or reproduction without males, although sexual reproduction with males is normal. The female can produce up to 30 egg capsules in her lifetime, which may be almost 2 years long. Each capsule contains an average of 24 eggs, and is almost twice the size of the capsule of the American roach, and the female carefully glues
Latin Name: Supella supellectilium
Common Name: Brownbanded Cockroach
Latin Family Name: Blattellidae
Other Names: N/A
Pest Details
Origin:Considered to be African in origin, but found in the United States around 1900 and now spread into all states. It is more common in warmer southern states than in the northern areas.
Biology:
This roach species is found primarily indoors, where it may be as common in dry areas of the structure as it is in the kitchen or bathrooms. It has a low moisture requirement, allowing it to survive in many locations, and the females deposit their egg capsules within about one day of its development, sticking them to hidden surfaces in closets, behind drawers, within corrugated cardboard, or behind objects on the walls. Each capsule contains an average of 15 eggs, and development from egg to mature adult takes about 6 months. Males have wings that completely cover the abdomen,
Latin Name: Nauphoaeta cinerea
Common Name: Cinereous (Lobster) Cockroach
Latin Family Name: Blaberidae
Other Names: Cinereous cockroach
Pest Details
Origin:Not mentioned, but it is a tropical species currently found in Africa, Europe, Asia, Australia and the United States, where it is a resident in Hawaii and Florida, and it occurs in other southern states. It also has been found in California as a possible import from Asia in food packaging.
Biology:
The name “lobster” is derived from a lobster-like design on the prothorax. It is an outdoor dwelling species that has even been found as a predator on other cockroaches in Hawaii. It may be transported in commodities such as grain, fruit, or vegetables.
Identification:Adults are about 1.3 inches long and are ashy gray in color. The males and females are both winged, with the wings shorter than the abdomen.
Characteristicts Important to Control:
Latin Name: Panchlora nivea
Common Name: Cuban Cockroach
Latin Family Name: Blaberidae
Other Names: Green Cuban roach
Pest Details
Origin:Native to Latin America this species has been introduced to Florida, where it now is a resident. It occasionally may occur in other states as a transient species carried in packages or vehicles.
Biology:
This is primarily an outdoor species that is capable of flight and is attracted to lights, drawing it to structures where it may invade as a nuisance pest.
Identification:Adults are about 1 inch long and are a light green color. They have fully developed wings that are much longer than the abdomen, and they are somewhat narrow in appearance. Nymphs are dark brown.
Characteristicts Important to Control:
Control involves primarily preventing it from entering a structure, and reducing the attraction of lighting will help keep them away. Perimeter treatments
Latin Name: Blattella vaga
Common Name: Field Cockroach
Latin Family Name: Blattellidae
Other Names: Vaga cockroach
Pest Details
Origin:Presumed to have originated in Asia, but found in the United States in Arizona in 1933. It now inhabits a wide range from Texas to the west coast and north through California.
Biology:
The Field roach is primarily an outdoor cockroach species, and when it is found indoors it may be treated as an occasional invader that will not take up residence indoors. It is very similar in appearance to the German roach, but differs in its habits. In addition to its outdoor habitat, the Field roach flies readily and is attracted to lights. Females produce an egg capsule with an average of around 30 eggs in it, although as she continues producing capsules this number decreases. The interval from egg to adult is around 3 months, and adult insects normally do not survive cold winters.
Latin Name: Eurycotis floridana
Common Name: Florida Woods Cockroach
Latin Family Name: Blattidae
Other Names: Stinking cockroach, Palmetto bug
Pest Details
Origin:Native to the Southeast of the U.S., where it may occur in Florida as well as the West Indies.
Biology:
When disturbed this roach gives off a foul smelling liquid that gives it its popular name of “stinking” cockroach. Typically it will be found outdoors under materials on the ground such as lumber or thick leaf mulch or in thick vegetation, but occasionally makes its way inside structures where it may migrate to lower areas such as a basement. It is essentially a tropical species that cannot survive cold climates, and it will be found where moisture is available. It often will be found on roofs where it is able to get under roofing materials.
Identification:Adults are up to 2 inches in length and are a shiny black to deep mahogany