Black-waved Flannel Moth vs Field Cockroach

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Black-waved Flannel Moth Field Cockroach
Scientific Name Megalopyge crispata Blattella vaga
Order Lepidoptera Blattodea
Family Megalopygidae Ectobiidae
Size 25-35 mm wingspan 10-14 mm
Habitat Orchards Deserts & Drylands
Diet Herbivores Herbivores
Regions Eastern North America Southwestern United States, Mexico
Conservation Least Concern Not Evaluated

Black-waved Flannel Moth

A fluffy white to yellowish moth with wavy dark lines across the forewings. Like its relative the puss moth, its caterpillar is densely hairy and delivers a painful sting.

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Did You Know?

The adult moth's long curly wing scales make it look remarkably like a tiny Persian cat.

Field Cockroach

A small cockroach similar to the German cockroach but with a dark face. It lives outdoors in irrigated areas of the southwestern United States.

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Did You Know?

Its dark facial markings are the easiest way to distinguish it from the indoor-dwelling German cockroach.