Most cockroaches, including saw palmetto, are 1 to 2 inches long.
But interestingly, the largest cockroaches occur in the wild and are too big to believe.
The world’s largest cockroach ever seen is Megaloblatta longipennis at 4.5 inches long with an estimated wingspan of 8.6 inches, reported by Facebook user Locutor O.
It belongs to the Ectobiidae family.
Megaloblatta is a genus of cockroaches in the family Ectobiidae.
It includes the largest living species of cockroach, Megaloblatta longipennis, which can grow up to 11.5 centimeters (4.5 in) in length and have a wingspan of up to 22 centimeters (8.6 in).
Some of the largest cockroaches are found in South American countries, including Peru and Ecuador.
Surprisingly, the largest cockroach belongs to the Ectobiidae family.
Ectobiidae also include other small roaches, including German cockroaches.
I was fascinated by giant cockroaches and gathered information and fun facts about them that I will share in the blog below.
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Contents[Open][Close]Reasons why you see cockroaches in front of your house at night! Reason 1: Bright lights in your porch or yard Reason 2: Loss of sewers surrounding your garden Reason 3: Uncovered trash cans Reason 4: Infestation of neighbors Reason 5: Piles of rotting garbage Leaves and clutter Reason 6: MoistureTypes of cockroaches on the porch at night American cockroachWood cockroachAsian cockroachOther grass cockroachesWhat to do with outdoor cockroaches?Step 1: Analyze the type and level of infestation in your yardStep 2: Remove cockroach attractants outside your homeStep 3: Kill cockroaches in the grass Step 4 : Use natural roach repellents
Top 6 largest cockroaches in the world
Some cockroaches are so large that they are often mistaken for giant water bugs, which usually measure up to 3.9 inches.
Most of the largest cockroaches are found outside the United States, with the exception of the American cockroach, which measures 2.1 inches.
The world’s largest cockroach is not necessarily the most contagious.
For example, German cockroaches measure just 0.5 inches, but are the most contagious for homes.
The 6 largest cockroaches are:
The largest Megaloblatta on record was 4.5 inches long, and an estimated wingspan of 8.6 inches was reported by Facebook user Locutor O.
This is the largest cockroach in the world ever found.
Megaloblatta is a combination of the Greek and Latin words Megalo means giant, and Blatta means an insect that reflects light.
This roach belongs to the family Ectobiidae and is found in many countries, including Peru, Mexico, Costa Rica, Panama, Ecuador and Nicaragua.
Megaloblatta is the largest species of cockroach.
The megaloblatta is dark brown to black in color and lives in the wild and never attacks homes.
This cockroach is omnivorous and usually feeds on green leaves.
The roach has the ability to fly, but rarely does so.
The life cycle is similar to other cockroaches.
An interesting fact about the Megaloblatt
The largest cockroach reported by Guinness World Records is smaller than the one reported by Locutor O.
Did you know that some people have an extreme fear of cockroaches called katsaridaphobia?
Blaberus giganteus measures 3 to 3.9 inches long and 0.95 inches wide.
The female Blabaerus giganteus is usually larger than the male cockroach by an average of 0.75 inches.
Blaberus giganteus is also known as the Mexican, Brazilian, Central American giant cave cockroach or simply the giant flying cockroach.
Blaberus giganteus has large wings that make it a good flier, although females tend to fly less.
Blaberus giganteus is an outdoor species and prefers to live in a dark, shady, green environment with plenty of moisture.
That is why they are also called Central American giant cockroaches.
An interesting fact about Blaberus giganteus
Bleberus giganteus, or the giant flying cockroach, has a beautiful color that makes it an ideal house cockroach
3. A giant burrowing cockroach
The giant burrowing cockroach is 3.5 inches or 8.89 cm long.
The giant burrowing cockroach is also known as the rhinoceros due to its weight.
The roach belongs to the Blaberidae family and is native to southern Australia and Queens Land.
The giant burrowing cockroach is light brown in color and has no wings.
As the name suggests, these cockroaches love to live in burrows and never attack houses.
They are omnivorous, but usually feed on rotting leaves and plants.
The giant burrowing cockroach is most active during the rainy season around dusk.
The life cycle is similar to other cockroaches with distinctive nymphal stages.
An interesting fact about a giant burrowing cockroach
4. Madagascar hissing cockroach
Madagascar hissing cockroach measures 7.62 cm long and 2.54 cm wide.
The Madagascar hissing cockroach is also the most beautiful cockroach in the world with vibrant black and light brown colors.
As the name suggests, these cockroaches are native to the island of Madagascar in Africa and make a sharp, hissing sound.
The Madagascar Hissing Cockroach belongs to the Blabiridae family.
The Madagascar cockroach is light brown in color with many stripes down its back, resembling a staircase.
These cockroaches are most active at night when they mate, fight and feed.
These cockroaches are a wild species and rarely attack homes.
In the lowland rainforests of Madagascar, these cockroaches feed on fallen leaves and fruits and help break down the soil, hence they are called living fossils.
Fun facts about Madagascar hissing cockroach
5. American cockroach
The American cockroach is 5.4 cm long and 1.27 cm wide.
The American cockroach belongs to the Blattidae family
These cockroaches are most active at night and love to invade homes in search of food and warmth.
American cockroaches are reddish brown and have a yellowish margin on the thorax.
They don’t have wings, so they can’t fly.
American cockroaches feed on decaying matter, including dirt, garbage, and rotting fruit.
Interesting facts about the American cockroach
They are among the fastest insects, reaching speeds of up to 5.4 km/h. Their life cycle is 700 days, the longest of any cockroach.
6. Death Cockroach
Death’s Cockroach is 5 cm long and 2 cm wide.
When viewed from above, their headboard has a skull-like mark, hence the name Death Cockroach.
The Death’s Head Cockroach has a low wingspan to body weight ratio.
They are most active at night and rarely attack the house.
They also belong to the Blaberidae family.
Fun facts about the Death’s Head cockroach