Any entomologists or there that can identify this bug?
I live in north Florida, found this guy in my bedroom and thought it was a bedbug but I think it was too big, about half an inch long.
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2$\begingroup$ It looks like a cockroach. Not sure which species $\endgroup$– bondonkJul 25, 2016 at 5:39
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$\begingroup$ @bodonk agreed; definitely a cockroach. $\endgroup$– arboviralJul 25, 2016 at 12:26
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2 Answers
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It's a cockroach nymph. Unfortunately it's barely visible given the angle of the photo, but it looks like the pronotum (head shield) has a pale margin - which, coupled with the pale markings at the sides of the tergites, makes me think this is a late-instar nymph of the Australian cockroach (Periplaneta australasiae). This looks very similar to the American cockroach apart from the pale markings, and is found in the southern US as well as many greenhouses. Within the US, it is most abundant in Florida and the coastal southern states. It is found primarily outdoors, where it prefers to live under tree bark, in piles of firewood and other locations that are moist and sheltered, but it can also be found indoors (source). It is the most prevalent cockroach outdoors in south Florida.
It mostly eats vegetable matter but when it enters homes it may eat holes in clothing and feed upon book covers (source).
(image copyright J L Castner; source: University of Minnesota).
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This looks like a nymph of the American cockroach, Periplaneta americana. The nymphs differ from the adults in that they do not have wings. The egg sac (leftmost object) is approx. 8mm long.
(source)
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$\begingroup$ Not sure about this - the abdominal markings look different and the abdomen itself appears more flattened in OP's post. $\endgroup$ Jul 25, 2016 at 12:27
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$\begingroup$ @arboviral I agree regarding the markings at the sides of the abdomen, but I feel that the flatness is probably an artifact of the example images being mounted cockroaches. I found another photo which shows less bright abdominal markings, which makes it likely that it was due to intra-species variance. $\endgroup$– March HoJul 25, 2016 at 12:30
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$\begingroup$ Could be; I agree it's difficult to tell. On a separate note, could you add a scale bar or something to your photo? $\endgroup$ Jul 25, 2016 at 12:33
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1$\begingroup$ @arboviral Photos are not mine, but P. americana nymphs can range from 2mm-2cm long, which is within the range of ~1cm reported by OP. $\endgroup$– March HoJul 25, 2016 at 12:35
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1$\begingroup$ @yaymuffins I've added some more detail on distribution and behaviour to my answer. Basically, they're the most common outdoor cockroach in south Florida but prefer to stay outdoors. $\endgroup$ Jul 26, 2016 at 9:26