The male is a good size (about one inch long) and is light brown to chestnut brown in color.
It is oval in shape, measuring about 12 – 30 mm in length. Positive identification of small nymphs is more difficult and usually requires microscopic examination.Wood roaches that have wandered into the house usually behave differently than the household roaches. This pest is light, yellowish brown in colour with pale colouration along the wing margin. They do not harm the house structure, furnishings or occupants.The sprays and dusts used with success against household cockroach species are of very limited benefit against wood roaches. The wood cockroach that is common in New Hampshire and Massachusetts is Parcoblatta pennsylvanica, sometimes known as the Pennsylvania wood cockroach. Adults and large nymphs of the wood roach can be recognized by a pale, creamy white or transparent stripe on the outer edge on the thorax. They often end up in a bathroom or other room that has a night light. Both sexes have wings but it is only the male that is a strong flyer. Also, they will wander about the house without congregating in any particular location.Wood roaches do not thrive and reproduce in homes because they require the consistently moist environment of their natural habitats such as under wood piles or loose bark and in decaying logs. Their normal habitat is moist woodland areas but they frequently become a household nuisance because they wander into or are carried into houses as "accidental invaders." Many females are wingless and rarely encountered. Please see our website for Like us at Department of Plant Pathology and Microbiology
Wood cockroaches are seldom seen except during their mating season which lasts from late May into June in our area.If they manage to get inside, male wood roaches usually hide during the day but will fly to lights at night. The adults, especially the males, appear tan because of the color of Adults and large nymphs of the wood roach can be recognized by a pale, creamy white or transparent stripe on their outer edge. Wood cockroaches inside need only be picked up discarded. The average lifespan of a wood cockroach is only a few months.
They are slightly smaller than the American Cockroach, about 3/4 to 1 1/4 inch long. Also, store firewood outdoors until you are ready to burn it. They have a flat oval body appearance and are brown in color. If a breeding site can be moved or modified (e.g., relocating a wood pile farther from the house) it might help. There are a total of 7 North American Cockroaches in the Insect Identification database. Wood roaches are very similar in appearance to the common household cockroach called the American roach; flat, oval body, long antennae, spiny legs, chestnut brown color. Exclusion techniques that prevent wood roach entry should be considered.