Family Blattellidae - Blattellid Cockroaches
Comparing with other cockroach families, species in this family are usually smaller in size. In some species, the females are wingless. Most are active at night. There are many beautiful cockroaches in the family, however, the well known pest - the German Cockroaches are also in this family.
- Austral Ellipsidion Cockroach
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- Ellipsidion australe, nymph, adult, body length 18mm
- Not all cockroaches are ugly. Those Austral Ellipsidion Cockroaches look beautiful. Their body is brown to dark brown with a white pattern. Although most other cockroaches are active at night, this cockroach forages on foliage of shrubs during the daytime. They are believed feed on pollen, honeydew and mould fungus. They run away very fast when disturbed. They can be found in our backyards and bushlands in Brisbane. We have more information in the Austral Ellipsidion page.
- Bush Cockroach
- Ellipsidion humerale, body length 12mm
- This is a small size cockroach. The bottom of its abdomen is black with white strips. There is also a white line between its thorax and its wings. More information and pictures please click on here.
- Bush Cockroach
- Ellipsidion sp., body length 18mm
- This cockroach looks like the German Cockroach. It has the distinct eye pattern on its thorax. It is pale brown in colour . Its wings are transparence. We found them easily in the bush on Moreton Island in mid-summer. The second picture shows a Bush Cockroach look similar to the first one except darker in colour.
- German Cockroach
- Blattella germanica, body length 15mm
- This is a well known household pest species which is resistant to many chemicals. They are pale brown in colour with two dark bars running along their thorax. They are widely spread in the world. In Germany it is called the 'Russian cockroach' and in Russia called 'German cockroach', but it is believed to have originated from Asia. The second picture shows a nymph cockroach look like a German Cockroach, but not so sure.
- Two mating German Cockroach
- Drab Cockroach
- Megamareta phaneropyga, body length 18mm
- This cockroach is pale brown in colour and almost transparent, active on bushes during night and day. It looks like the German Cockroach except it does not have the dark bars on its thorax.
- Black Cockroach
- ? sp., length 10mm
- This small winged cockroach is in dark brown colour found running on the wall outside my house on early summer.
