What You Can Do

In the process of feeding on the tree’s branches and bark, they girdle the tree and cause dead areas in the tree’s crown. To manage this problem, remove leaf litter from the crown and below the tree – locations that serve as nesting areas for Pacific beetle cockroaches.

Appearance

• Size: Adult females are about 5/8 to an inch long, and the male is smaller than the female.
• Characteristics: This cockroach is also commonly called the cypress cockroach. and has a beetle -like appearance.
• Body: Adults and nymphs are both dark brown.
• Wings: Male and female adults have well-developed wings that are dark-brown and covered with small pits. The wings cover the abdomen up to the last abdominal segment.

Diet

These cockroaches are serious pests of:

• Cypress Trees
• Juniper Trees
• Norway Pine Trees

Life Cycle

The female Pacific beetle cockroach nurtures her offspring internally and gives birth to a brood of about 12 living young every 2-3 weeks. Females mate immediately after they become adults and are protected by the males.

Geographic Range

Pacific beetle cockroaches are commonly found in landscapes of Hawaii. This species may also show up in plant materials that are shipped from regions of the world where the populations are firmly established.