The smokybrown cockroach (Periplaneta fuliginosa) is a large species of cockroach, winged, and growing to a length of .
Characteristics
Although closely related to the American cockroach (Periplaneta americana), the smokybrown cockroach is readily distinguishable from it by its uniformly light to dark brown–mahogany coloration. Furthermore, unlike the P. americana, which possesses a light-rimmed pattern on its thorax, the smokybrown cockroach's thorax is dark and shiny.
Diet
The smokybrown cockroach is a detritivore and can feed off a wide array of organic (including decaying) matter. Like most cockroaches, it is a scavenger, whereby it feeds on many different types of foods including dry earthworms, pet food, pet waste such as feces and urine, paper, and many types of ripe fruits.
Habitat and distribution
The smokybrown cockroach is very common in Japan, as well as the southern United States and tropical climates; notably, it can be found in Florida, Eastern North Carolina, Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas, and other Gulf coastal states, and along the southern Mississippi River. The cockroach can also be found in Australia, such as in warmer cities like Sydney and Brisbane. Most notably in South America, these cockroaches are seen in Argentina to Paraguay geographical range. The cockroach has also been recently reported in Asia, Europe, Australia, and Northern America.
The smoky brown cockroach prefers warmer climates and is not cold-tolerant. It may, however, be able to survive colder climates by going indoors. It often lives around the perimeter of buildings especially places where these insects can feed and confine themselves.
Behavior and adaptations
The smokybrown cockroach may come indoors during daylight hours to look for food and even to live; generally, however, in warm weather, it will move outdoors. They tend to lose moisture twice as fast as their relative, Periplaneta Americana, therefore requiring environmental conditions with constant moisture to avoid drying out. Their activity patterns are mostly restricted to evening hours when humidity is highest. The movement to and from shelters is greatest when temperatures exceed and often becomes less when temperatures are lower than . Since adults are less susceptible than nymphs to the effects of higher temperatures, adults are more often found away from the perimeters of the house. Often during reproductive periods, females ready for egg dispersal infest homes to protect their offspring and find a convenient place to oviposit. This adaptation is advantageous to these cockroaches, as egg production often becomes limited when temperatures reach .
Reproduction
Oviposition
P. fuliginosa can reproduce through sexual reproduction and in some cases through parthenogenesis, which is a form of asexual reproduction. In cases where females do not have access to mates, females reproduce by parthenogenesis, however, this form of reproduction is not as commonly seen as sexual reproduction. Females can oviposit an average of 10 or more oothecae in favorable environments, but this is highly dependent on the cockroaches' body fat, thereby as her body mass decreases fewer ootheca are oviposited in a season. The oothecae, dark brown color, commonly ranges from in length. On average female cockroaches without mates live longer, than females with a mate. In a study done, it was found that on average adult females lived 117–174 days, whereas females without a mate lived to 131–236 days after reaching adulthood. The higher energy costs associated with oogenesis and the prevalence of oviposition point to a shorter lifespan. Furthermore, an extended oviposition period occurs, as a result, fewer eggs are formed. Sexual reproduction also leads to lower instances of oothecae defects without the presence of eggs compared to reproducing asexually.