Australian Cockroaches In South Florida

Australian cockroaches are similar in appearance to the American cockroach, but they are slightly smaller, have a yellow margin on the thorax, and yellow stripes along the top edge of the forewings.

The adults are 1 ¼ inch long. Both sexes have well developed wings that cover the abdomen and can fly. Females drop the egg capsules in protected areas right after they are formed. The capsules are not glued to surfaces. Each capsule contains 24 eggs that hatch 30 days after the capsule is dropped. Every 10 days a new egg capsule is dropped. The Australian cockroach nymphs have noticeable yellow markings on the dorsal side of the abdomen.

Australian cockroaches share similar habitats to the American cockroach but are less tolerant of cold. For this reason, they are more common in tropical areas like Florida. The Australian cockroach is also a peridomestic species so they will adapt to any environment that provides adequate heat, humidity, and food supply. In northern states Australian cockroaches have been found in large institutional buildings, greenhouses, zoo buildings, and steam tunnel system.