Bugs That Look Like Cockroaches

Cockroaches threaten your home and your family.

They’re dangerous and must be removed from your living and working environment. Some species of cockroaches resemble cockroaches in English, such as German cockroaches, American cockroaches, and Japanese cockroaches.

So, what kinds of bugs look like cockroaches?

Let’s find out.

Bugs That Look Like Cockroaches

Contents

1 Bugs That Look Like Cockroaches
2 Conclusion
- 2.1 You may also like:

Crickets

Crickets are sometimes confused with roaches due to their similar shape and markings.

Crickets, like other cockroach species, are nocturnal insects that prefer to live outdoors in moist environments with organic materials.

They have lengthy antennae and four wings which they use for jumping and flying.

Cockroaches, on the other hand, have shorter antennae and three wings used for running or gliding rather than flying.

Crickets have unusually long back legs for an insect and are able to produce chirping sounds by rubbing their wings together.

Cockroaches utilize their six legs, which vary in length depending on the species, for walking and running quickly as well as climbing smooth surfaces.

Crickets, like beetles, are unlikely pests in homes.

Termites

Both termites and cockroaches are terrible news for homeowners.

Because both can damage homes and cause severe health problems if they become too numerous in a home.

Cockroaches eat on rubbish, leftover food particles and other organic matter while termites feast on wood and other cellulose-based materials.

Termites, on the other hand, live in colonies that can have thousands of members while most individual roaches live alone and rarely travel more than a few feet from their nest sites.

Termites have enormous jaws with chewing mouthparts while most cockroach species have small mouthparts and can’t chew wood as efficiently as termites can.

They’re also honey colored, as opposed reddish-brown in color like their termite cousins.

Most termites lack wings as they don’t have to fly to forage for food, whereas most species of cockroach can fly.

June Bug

June bugs are also known as shield bugs or stink bugs due to their strong-smelling defensive secretions used to ward off predators.

These huge beetles are named for their appearance which is more reminiscent of a cricket than of a roach.

Because these beetles are herbivores who like to feed on plants and vegetation they often enter homes to forage for plants rather than for food.

If one happens to stroll into your kitchen in search of food you can usually drive it out by banging pots and pans to scare it away.

They are reddish-brown to black in color with a body length of up to an inch and a half, although they can grow larger when feeding on plants.

June bugs will often fly from plant to plant as they feed but are usually unable to fly very far and usually just hop around on the ground looking for their next meal.

The distinctions between roaches and crickets may not be clear to the untrained eye, but understanding these key differences can help you get rid of cockroaches before they get out of hand in your home.

Bed Bugs

Unless closely examined, bed bugs often look like small, flattened grains of rice or dark specks of pepper at first glance.

One of the numerous reasons that might prompt you to call an exterminator is the presence of bed bugs in your home.

Not only that, but because of their blood-sucking habits, they can cause a great deal of discomfort and irritation as well.

Beg bugs, on the other hand, have a life cycle that’s different from that of other insects: They lay their eggs in the seams of mattresses and box springs and as the eggs hatch into nymphs they feed on the discarded skins of adults.

Silver Fish

Silverfish is an invading nuisance that is commonly mistaken for a roach.

It’s a little bug that resembles a fish in shape and color and has silvery scales along its body and sides.

It’s a bit smaller in size, though, compared to a brown recluse spider, measuring only about a half-inch in length.

Palmetto Bugs

Palmetto bugs are both beneficial and destructive pests since they feed on algae, fungi, moss and other organic materials that can decay your lawn or garden.

The Florida woods man’s term for palmetto bug is “palmetto-rat” and “palmetto-mouse” because the palmetto bug resembles a rat in its behavior and shape,.

And sometimes the insect is also called “blue crab” because of its color and the similarity of its appearance to a crab.

The Florida woods cockroach acquired its popular name due to its large size, measuring about 1 inch in length with antennae that measure over an inch and a half long.

Because polite southerners preferred not to acknowledge the existence of these creatures in their homes, people called them “Florida woods cockroaches” instead.

And the smokybrown cockroach got it because, well, you basically can’t see it since it only comes out at night to feed on household garbage and other decaying organic matters.

Water Bugs

Giant water bugs are somewhat bigger than roaches, yet smaller than most crickets, and have long legs similar to those of a cricket.

The giant water bug is an insect that has a life span of about 2 years and can breed throughout the year given the right environment.

The giant water bugs’ large, water-filled thorax and soft wings allow them to fly like dragonflies.

They do, however, have short wings, which means that they can’t fly for long periods of time.

Giant water bugs, on the other hand, can fly fairly well because they’re agile and fast in flight.

Beetles

Cockroaches and beetles are both considered pests, but according to entomologists, these two classes of insects aren’t as closely related as one might think.

While some cockroach species can fly, the beetles’ wings are too short and inflexible to allow for flight.

They also differ in their reproductive system: Cockroaches reproduce sexually with males producing sperm cases while beetles reproduce asexually by shedding their eggs and creating larvae from the hatched eggs.

You’ll notice that cockroaches have longer antennae than beetles.

Beetles conceal their eggs inside their bodies; roaches lay their eggs outside their bodies.

Cockroaches are defenseless, and because of their innate ability to tolerate a wide range of conditions including poor sanitation, they thrive in moist environments such as sewers and other damp places.

While beetles come in a myriad of shapes, sizes and colors, the most common type is the scarab beetle because it feeds on dry organic matters and animal remains.