Appearance

• Color: Adult Madeira cockroaches are pale brown to tawny-olive in color.
• Size: These cockroaches are about 1 1/2 to 2 inches long.
• Characteristics: These pests have a mottled appearance on their front wings that have a fishnet-like pattern and fully cover their abdomen.

Behavior

If startled, these pests emit a foul odor from their abdomens, which is unpleasant for residents dealing with an infestation. Madeira cockroaches are commonly used as research animals in many research laboratories.

Habitat

Despite their preferences for environments with high temperatures, they can adapt to sheltered lives in temperate climates. These pests have also proven that they can survive in climates outside their native habitats.

Some preferred Madeira cockroach habitats include:

• Atriums
• Greenhouses
• Imported goods
• Indoor plantscapes
• Nurseries

Geographical Range

This species has been reported in the United States from the Puerto Rico section of New York City and Hawaii, but can occur sporadically in other parts of the country.

Life Cycle

Madeira females cockroaches can produce egg cases with about 35 eggs that are initially carried by the females. Their egg cases are about 1/2 to 3/4 inches long and are bright yellow in color.

This trait is not unusual for cockroaches , except Madeira females will carry their egg cases, extrude them, and rotate these cases. Finally, they draw the egg cases back into the body and incubate them internally for about two months.

Lifespan

In ideal conditions, Madeira cockroaches live relatively long for insects and can live up to 2 1/2 years. Their life cycle is quite long, so they are around long enough to infest food items if they become an indoor pest.