American Cockroach
Periplaneta americana
Spanish: Cucaracha americana
The American cockroach is the largest species of cockroach routinely found in homes, and often considered a pest. In certain regions of the U.S. it is colloquially known as the waterbug, though it is not a true waterbug since it is not aquatic, nor a Hemipteran. It is also known as the ship cockroach, kakerlac, and Bombay canary. It is often misidentified as a palmetto bug. Most often recorded in Feb, Jan, Mar, Nov.
- 2026-02-17 — observation by iris1973
- 2026-02-12 — observation by axymoron
- 2026-01-06 — observation by thomas_hartt
- 2024-03-12 — observation by ted_goshulak
- 2023-11-12 — observation by zihuadean
Interactive card with more photos, sounds and similar species Insects guide iNaturalist Wikipedia
Cite as: “American Cockroach (Periplaneta americana) at La Saladita”, La Saladita Field Guide, lasaladita.com/species/periplaneta-americana/, updated 2026-09-26. Observation counts and months come from iNaturalist research-grade records within about 50 km of 17.8375°N, 101.7606°W (the survey box also takes in Zihuatanejo, Ixtapa and Troncones); summary text from Wikipedia where present.