Giant Burrowing Cockroach vs Pennsylvania Wood Cockroach

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Giant Burrowing Cockroach Pennsylvania Wood Cockroach
Scientific Name Macropanesthia rhinoceros Parcoblatta pensylvanica
Order Blattodea Blattodea
Family Blaberidae Ectobiidae
Size 60-80 mm 15-25 mm
Habitat Woodlands Woodlands
Diet Herbivores Wood Feeders
Regions Oceania North America
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Giant Burrowing Cockroach

The worlds heaviest cockroach species at up to 35 grams and 80 mm long. Native to Australia, it digs permanent burrows up to 1 meter deep and cares for its young.

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Did You Know?

Unlike the pest cockroaches people dread, this species is a devoted parent — mothers carry live young on their backs and raise them in underground burrows for nine months.

Pennsylvania Wood Cockroach

A native North American cockroach that lives outdoors in forests and woodlands. Males are strong fliers attracted to lights, while females are nearly wingless.

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Did You Know?

Unlike pest cockroaches, wood roaches do not infest homes and will actually die within a few days if trapped indoors due to insufficient humidity.