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American Cockroach
Len Worthington, CC BY-SA 4.0, via iNaturalist

Cockroaches & termites

American Cockroach

Periplaneta americana (Linnaeus, 1758)

Introduced by people

Names

EnglishAmerican Cockroach
DutchGrote kakkerlak
SpanishCucaracha americana
Chinese美洲大蠊
Sranan Tongokakalaka (general name for the group)
Scientific namePeriplaneta americana (Linnaeus, 1758)

About this species

The American cockroach (Periplaneta americana) is the largest species of cockroach routinely found in homes, and often considered a pest. In certain regions of the U.S. it is colloquially known as the waterbug, though it is not a true waterbug since it is not aquatic, nor a Hemipteran. It is also known as the ship cockroach, kakerlac, and Bombay canary. It is often misidentified as a palmetto bug.

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 onward as a result of human commercial patterns, including the Atlantic slave trade.

Read more on Wikipedia · Text: Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Classification

KingdomAnimalia
PhylumArthropoda
ClassInsecta
OrderBlattodea
FamilyBlattidae
GenusPeriplaneta

In Suriname

11Records in Suriname
6iNaturalist observations
1938First record
2026Latest record

Where it has been recorded

  • Paramaribo5
  • Commewijne2
  • Wanica1

Districts with at least one record that has coordinates. Shaded districts have records.

Sources & credits

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