Cockroach nymph (likely German or Smokybrown)
Scientific Name: Blatellidae / Blattidae species
Order & Family: Order: Blattodea; Family: Blattidae or Ectobiidae
Size: 3mm to 15mm depending on the nymphal stage (instar)
Natural Habitat
Typically found in warm, moist, and dark areas. Indoors, they occupy kitchens, bathrooms, basements, and crawl spaces. Outdoors, they live in mulch, leaf litter, or sewers.
Diet & Feeding
Omnivorous scavengers. They eat almost anything including food scraps, grease, starch, paper, glue, and decaying organic matter.
Behavior Patterns
Nocturnal and highly photophobic (avoids light). They undergo incomplete metamorphosis (egg, nymph, adult). Nymphs lack fully developed wings and are capable of running very quickly.
Risks & Benefits
Risks include being a significant household pest, contaminating food, and carrying pathogens like Salmonella. Their droppings and shed skins are known allergens that can trigger asthma. They offer little benefit in an indoor human environment.
Identified on: 1/8/2026