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Pycnoscelus surinamensis
nymph. Photo:Piterkeo · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

alien species occurrence in Poland confirmed

Pycnoscelus surinamensis

(Linnaeus, 1758) · Surinam cockroach

Stocky, dark and glossy, with paler wings. European populations are mostly parthenogenetic females, so males are rarely seen.

! Data on this species still need verification.

Length
18–25 mm
Habitat
glasshouses and palm houses – burrows in potting soil
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How to recognise it

  • Stocky, glossy, dark brown to black; tegmina paler.
  • Nymphs: glossy black at the front, the abdomen matte and rough.
  • Burrows in potting soil; reproduces without males (parthenogenesis).

Distribution

Glasshouses and palm houses, where it breeds; IOP PAN lists it as potentially invasive. Pantropical.

When to look

all year in buildings and glasshouses

Sources