Smokybrown Cockroach
Periplaneta fuliginosa
A large, uniformly dark mahogany-brown cockroach that lives in trees, roof voids and gutters and is a strong flyer attracted to lights.
- Size
- 30–38 mm
- Colour
- Uniform dark mahogany
- Flies
- Yes, towards lights
- Lives
- Trees, roofs, gutters
Questions about the Smokybrown Cockroach
How to identify a Smokybrown Cockroach
Identification
- Adults about 30–38 mm.
- Uniform dark brown to mahogany colour with no pale markings.
- Long wings; flies readily on warm nights.
Where it lives
- Tree holes, palms, gutters, roof voids, eaves and woodpiles.
Behaviour
- Very sensitive to drying out, so it seeks humid shelter.
- Often flies to lights and enters through open doors and windows.
Why it matters
Common in humid parts of Queensland and NSW; often the cockroach seen flying on summer nights.
Commonly confused with
American Cockroach
Periplaneta americana
One of the largest household cockroaches in Australia. Lives in drains, sewers and sub-floors and wanders inside on warm nights.
Oriental Cockroach
Blatta orientalis
A dark, glossy cockroach that prefers cool, damp places such as drains and basements. Less common in Australian homes than other large species.
More questions about cockroaches
All cockroach questions →Other cockroach species
German Cockroach
Blattella germanica
A small, light-brown cockroach that lives and breeds indoors, mostly in kitchens and bathrooms. It reproduces faster than any other household cockroach and is the species most often behind persistent indoor infestations.
Australian Cockroach
Periplaneta australasiae
A large outdoor cockroach, despite its name probably not native to Australia. Common in gardens, mulch and around houses in warmer parts of the country.
Cockroach guides
The Australian Guide to Cockroaches
Everything an Australian household needs to know about cockroaches: which species you are seeing, why they are there, how they get in, the health implications, and how to prevent and manage them.
GuideHow to Pest-Proof Your Home
A practical, room-by-room approach to reducing pests without relying on chemicals: remove what attracts them, close the ways in, and make your property less comfortable for them.
GuideCommon Brisbane Household Pests
A Brisbane-specific overview of the pests residents meet most often, when they are active, and what the subtropical climate, storms, creeks and Queenslander homes mean for pest pressure.
Cockroaches by location
More about cockroaches
Cockroaches
Fast, flat-bodied insects that hide in warm, damp gaps and come out at night to feed. A few introduced species cause most household problems in Australia.
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Sources & further reading
- Australian Museum — insects and spiders — Australian Museum
- Queensland Museum — insects, spiders and animals of Queensland — Queensland Museum
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