Quick answer
American cockroach at a glance
The American cockroach (Periplaneta americana) is an invertebrate in the family Blattidae.
| Scientific name | Periplaneta americana |
|---|---|
| Indonesian name | Kecoa Amerika |
| Group | Invertebrates |
| Family | Blattidae |
| Range in Indonesia | Settlements, including in Central Sulawesi and Central Kalimantan |
| Linked habitats | Urban Habitats |
| Diet | Almost any organic matter, especially sweet or decaying food |
| Range in Indonesia | Settlements, including Central Sulawesi and Central Kalimantan |
| Key feature | Reddish-brown, with a yellowish band around the pronotum |
| Other names | Kecoa amerika, kecoak (Indonesian) |
| Risk to people | Contaminates food with germs; can trigger allergies and asthma |
In this guide (10)
What is the American cockroach?
The American cockroach (Periplaneta americana) is the largest common cockroach around homes, averaging 4 cm long according to the University of Florida. It is reddish-brown, with a pale yellowish band around the edge of its pronotum, the shield behind the head. Both sexes are fully winged, but only the male’s wings pass the tip of the abdomen.
Despite its name, it is not native to the Americas: Animal Diversity Web says it probably came from Africa on ships, reaching the United States by 1625 (University of Florida). It is now worldwide. It can be confused with the Australian cockroach (Periplaneta australasiae), which has a cream band along each forewing.
Evidence: University of Florida IFAS — American Cockroach, Periplaneta americana (EENY141/IN298) ↗ · Animal Diversity Web — Periplaneta americana (American cockroach) ↗ · UC Statewide IPM Program — Pest Notes: Cockroaches ↗
Where does the American cockroach live?
The American cockroach lives in warm, damp places, especially sewers, drains, basements and buildings where food is prepared or stored. The University of Florida notes that more than 5,000 have been found in a single sewer manhole. By day this light-shy cockroach hides near water pipes, sinks, baths and toilets.
It can migrate from sewers into homes through the plumbing. In Indonesia, researchers in Palu, Central Sulawesi, collected American cockroaches from hospital and residential areas, and researchers from Universitas Palangka Raya found them around settlements in Central Kalimantan.
Evidence: University of Florida IFAS — American Cockroach, Periplaneta americana (EENY141/IN298) ↗ · Proceeding Biology Education Conference (UNS) — Kundera & Bialangi (2018), Sensitivitas bakteri Gram negatif yang diisolasi dari kaki kecoa (Periplaneta americana) di area rumah sakit dan perumahan di Kota Palu ↗ · Journal of Biotropical Research and Nature Technology (Universitas Palangka Raya) — Mirna et al. (2023), Identifikasi parasit pada saluran gastrointestinal kecoa ↗
What does the American cockroach eat?
The American cockroach is an opportunistic omnivore that prefers sweet foods and decaying organic matter. The University of Florida lists bread, fruit, fish, peanuts, old rice, paper, hair, cloth, book bindings and dead insects among its foods. Animal Diversity Web adds that it is particularly fond of fermenting food.
It will even eat other cockroaches, dead or alive, and its own shed skins and egg cases. According to Animal Diversity Web, symbiotic bacteria in its gut help it digest tough material such as cellulose. These feeding habits are what make it a health risk, because it moves from contaminated material to people’s food.
Evidence: University of Florida IFAS — American Cockroach, Periplaneta americana (EENY141/IN298) ↗ · Animal Diversity Web — Periplaneta americana (American cockroach) ↗
How does the American cockroach breed?
The American cockroach lays its eggs in a hard, purse-shaped case called an ootheca, which holds about 16 eggs. The University of Florida says a female produces about one egg case a month for ten months and leaves it near food, sometimes gluing it down with a secretion from her mouth.
The nymphs hatch after about six to eight weeks and moult many times without complete metamorphosis. According to Animal Diversity Web, development from egg to adult averages about 600 days, depending on temperature and humidity. Adults can live about a year, and a female produces an average of 150 offspring in her lifetime, the University of Florida notes.
Evidence: University of Florida IFAS — American Cockroach, Periplaneta americana (EENY141/IN298) ↗ · Animal Diversity Web — Periplaneta americana (American cockroach) ↗
Is the American cockroach a health risk?
The American cockroach is a health concern because it can contaminate food with germs from sewers and waste. The University of Florida notes that at least 22 species of disease-causing bacteria, viruses, fungi and protozoa, and five species of parasitic worms, have been isolated from wild American cockroaches. Its droppings and regurgitated food also soil household items.
Indonesia’s Ministry of Health classes cockroaches as nuisance animals: not direct carriers of disease, but able to contaminate surroundings and food and to trigger allergies and asthma attacks. In Palu, researchers found bacteria including Escherichia coli, Salmonella and Klebsiella on the legs of American cockroaches from hospital and residential areas.
Evidence: University of Florida IFAS — American Cockroach, Periplaneta americana (EENY141/IN298) ↗ · Kemenkes (Direktorat Jenderal Kesehatan Lanjutan) — Pengendalian vektor dan binatang pengganggu ↗ · Proceeding Biology Education Conference (UNS) — Kundera & Bialangi (2018), Sensitivitas bakteri Gram negatif yang diisolasi dari kaki kecoa (Periplaneta americana) di area rumah sakit dan perumahan di Kota Palu ↗
How can you keep American cockroaches out of your home?
The key to preventing American cockroaches is removing their food, water and hiding places, not just spraying insecticide. UC IPM advises storing food in insect-proof containers, cleaning up spills and crumbs straight away, fixing leaking pipes, and sealing cracks and gaps where cockroaches enter or hide.
Because this species often comes from sewers, make sure drains are covered, drain water traps work and pipes are not damaged. The University of Florida recommends sealing gaps in walls at ground level, removing rotting leaves, and reducing damp areas in and around the house. For heavy infestations, UC IPM says professional pest control is often needed.
Evidence: UC Statewide IPM Program — Pest Notes: Cockroaches ↗ · University of Florida IFAS — American Cockroach, Periplaneta americana (EENY141/IN298) ↗
Explore related habitats
These habitat relationships are supported by species sources in this guide. This is not a complete range map.
Common questions about the American cockroach
What is the scientific name of the American cockroach?
The scientific name of the American cockroach is Periplaneta americana, in the family Blattidae. In Indonesian it is called Kecoa Amerika.
Where can the American cockroach be found in Indonesia?
In Indonesia, this guide records the American cockroach in: Settlements, including in Central Sulawesi and Central Kalimantan.
Source-supported habitats: Urban Habitats.
What does the American cockroach eat?
Diet of the American cockroach: almost any organic matter, especially sweet or decaying food.
Sources & references
- University of Florida IFAS — American Cockroach, Periplaneta americana (EENY141/IN298) ↗
- Animal Diversity Web — Periplaneta americana (American cockroach) ↗
- UC Statewide IPM Program — Pest Notes: Cockroaches ↗
- Kemenkes (Direktorat Jenderal Kesehatan Lanjutan) — Pengendalian vektor dan binatang pengganggu ↗
- Proceeding Biology Education Conference (UNS) — Kundera & Bialangi (2018), Sensitivitas bakteri Gram negatif yang diisolasi dari kaki kecoa (Periplaneta americana) di area rumah sakit dan perumahan di Kota Palu ↗
- Journal of Biotropical Research and Nature Technology (Universitas Palangka Raya) — Mirna et al. (2023), Identifikasi parasit pada saluran gastrointestinal kecoa ↗
References can change. Check dates and context in the original source.
Cite this page
PanduanHewan. (2026, 25 September). American cockroach (Periplaneta americana). PanduanHewan.org. https://panduanhewan.org/en/species/american-cockroach/