Powder Post Termite vs Smokybrown Cockroach

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Powder Post Termite Smokybrown Cockroach
Scientific Name Cryptotermes primus Periplaneta fuliginosa
Order Blattodea Blattodea
Family Kalotermitidae Blattidae
Size 4-6 mm 25-38 mm
Habitat Woodlands Woodlands
Diet Wood Feeders Omnivores
Regions Northern and eastern Australia Asia, North America
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Powder Post Termite

An Australian drywood termite that infests dry structural timber in buildings across tropical and subtropical regions. Colonies are small and produce fine frass pellets that are ejected from the wood. The species rarely requires soil contact.

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Did You Know?

Infestations often go unnoticed for years until structural timber is so weakened that it collapses, because workers consume wood from the inside out.

Smokybrown Cockroach

A uniformly dark mahogany-brown cockroach that is an excellent flier and strongly attracted to lights at night. It requires high humidity to survive.

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Did You Know?

Smokybrown cockroaches are strong fliers attracted to light and are frequently found buzzing around porch lights on warm summer evenings.