Brown-Banded Cockroach vs Western Drywood Termite

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Brown-Banded Cockroach Western Drywood Termite
Scientific Name Supella longipalpa Incisitermes minor
Order Blattodea Blattodea
Family Ectobiidae Kalotermitidae
Size 10-14 mm 4-11 mm
Habitat Underground Caves
Diet Omnivores Wood Feeders
Regions North America, Europe, Africa, Asia Western United States, Northern Mexico
Conservation Least Concern Not Evaluated

Brown-Banded Cockroach

A small cockroach with two distinctive light brown bands across its wings and abdomen. Unlike most cockroach pests, it prefers warm, dry locations high on walls.

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Did You Know?

Brown-banded cockroaches are unique among indoor pest species in preferring warm, dry areas like behind electronics rather than the moist kitchens and bathrooms other species favor.

Western Drywood Termite

A common drywood termite of the western United States that infests structural timbers and furniture. Unlike subterranean species, they require no soil contact.

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Did You Know?

Their dry fecal pellets, pushed out of tiny kick-out holes, are often the first visible sign of an infestation.