Eastern Forktail vs Brown Cockroach

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Eastern Forktail Brown Cockroach
Scientific Name Ischnura verticalis Periplaneta brunnea
Order Odonata Blattodea
Family Coenagrionidae Blattidae
Size 21-33 mm 25-35 mm
Habitat Ponds & Lakes Underground
Diet Omnivores Omnivores
Regions North America Pantropical, southeastern United States
Conservation Least Concern Not Evaluated

Eastern Forktail

A small damselfly where males are green and black with a blue tail tip. Young females are bright orange but turn olive-grey with age.

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Did You Know?

Young females are striking bright orange, a color they lose completely as they mature.

Brown Cockroach

A glossy reddish-brown cockroach often confused with the American cockroach. It is slightly smaller with a more uniform color.

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Did You Know?

It glues its egg cases to surfaces rather than dropping them, unlike the American cockroach.