Florida woods cockroach
| Florida woods cockroach | |
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| Nymphs of Eurycotis floridana | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Blattodea |
| Family: | Blattidae |
| Genus: | Eurycotis |
| Species: | E. floridana |
| Binomial name | |
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Eurycotis floridana F. Walker, 1868 |
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| Synonyms | |
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The Florida woods cockroach (Eurycotis floridana), palmetto bug, is a large species of cockroach which typically grows to a length of 30–40 mm (1.2–1.6 in). When alarmed, adults can eject an extremely foul smelling directional spray up to one meter, which inspired several of its other common names: Florida skunk roach, Florida stinkroach, skunk cockroach, skunk roach, stinking cockroach, and stinkroach. Two other naming variations include Florida cockroach and Florida woods roach.
The Florida woods cockroach looks remarkably similar to the female Oriental cockroach (Blatta orientalis), and the two could be mistaken for each other by the casual observer. The American cockroach (Periplaneta americana), another common Florida insect, is sometimes mistakenly referred to as a palmetto bug.
The Florida woods cockroach is slower moving than many other cockroach species. It prefers damp locations, lots of moisture, and does well in warm, damp climates. It is found in its native habitats, such as Florida and the West Indies. The species wanders indoors at times, especially into damp locations, such as bathrooms; however, it prefers the outdoors and is not considered a major pest in the home. It is cold-intolerant and requires a warm, sub-tropical or tropical climate. It can be found in sheltered outdoor locations, such as under leaf litter, in tree holes, and under lumber and boards, and other crevices, as well as in bushes and wooded areas. Often it can be seen on palmetto trees, which gave it one of its early popular names, the Palmetto bug.
The Florida wood cockroach is a dark to blackish brown, or a reddish brown after recent molting.Tegmina (forewings) are very short, extending just past the mesonotum (the dorsal plate just behind the pronotum), and hind wings are absent.
Adults typically range from 30–40 mm (1.2–1.6 in). The winning specimen in a Florida cockroach size contest was a Florida wood cockroach which measured 62 mm (2.429 in).
The species' dark brown ootheca (egg case) is 14–16 mm (0.55–0.63 in) long, contains 21-23 eggs, and has indentations that show where the eggs are located.
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Wikipedia