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← Cockroaches of Poland
Periplaneta americana
adult. Photo:Alex Wild / Insects Unlocked, University of Texas at Austin · CC0 1.0 · Wikimedia Commons

synanthropic – in buildings occurrence in Poland confirmed

Periplaneta americana

(Linnaeus, 1758) · American cockroach

The largest cockroach found in Poland. Reddish-brown, with a paler ring around the pronotum. Both sexes have long wings.

Length
28–44 mm
Habitat
sewers, warm basements, zoos, palm houses
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How to recognise it

  • The largest synanthropic species in Poland (28–44 mm), reddish-brown.
  • Pronotum with a pale yellowish ring.
  • Both sexes are fully winged and can fly.

Similar species

P. australasiae – smaller, with a sharp yellow ring and a yellow streak at the base of the tegmina.

Distribution

Rare and local – heated buildings, zoos, glasshouses, ports; cosmopolitan in the tropics.

When to look

all year in buildings and glasshouses

Sources