American cockroach

American  

noun

1. a large, reddish-brown cockroach, Periplaneta americana, found originally in the southern U.S. but now widely distributed.

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Example Sentences

To complete their life cycles, they must first sting an American cockroach, and inject the much larger insect with mind-control toxins that turn it into a defenseless zombie.

From New York Times • Oct. 29, 2023

On the other hand, an American cockroach can live 1-2 years, he said.

From Salon • Jul. 3, 2022

Like many parasitoid species, the emerald jewel wasp is a specialist with only one option for a host—in this case, the American cockroach, Periplaneta americana.

From Scientific American • Feb. 16, 2021

The American cockroach can last for up to 40 days without water and a month and a half without food.

From The Verge • Jan. 17, 2016

If she had been in their Lagos kitchen, she would have found a broom and killed it, but she left the American cockroach alone and went and stood by the living room window.

From "Americanah" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie