Galapagos Species Database

The Galapagos Species Database shares the information about the species from our Natural History Collections.

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Periplaneta americana (Linnaeus, 1758)

Cucaracha americana, American cockroach

Scavenger; frequently occurring around houses; collected February-May, July, and September-December. It is now known from the littoral zone to the humid forest at 380 m, and in the agriculture zone and in caves on Santa Cruz at Bellavista and El Chato.

Taxonomy

Domain
Eukaryota

Kingdom
Animalia

Phylum
Arthropoda

Class
Insecta

Order
Blattodea

Superfamily
Blattoidea

Family
Blattidae

Genus
Periplaneta

Species
americana

Taxon category: Accepted

Origin: Introduced - established

Introduction

Year of first record: 1877

Mode of introduction: Accidental

Introduction Pathway: Stowaway

Subpathway: Hitchhiker on transport vehicles/cargo

Introduced status: Naturalized

Invasive status: Unlikely to become invasive

Distribution

Map of specimen collection localities or observation records for this species in our collections database.

Distribution: Floreana, Genovesa, Isabela, San Cristobal, Santa Cruz

References

  • Peck, S.B. (2001) Smaller Orders of Insects of the Galápagos Islands, Ecuador: Evolution, Ecology, and Diversity. NRC Research Press, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, 278 pp.
  • Peck, S.B. Heraty, J., Landry, B. & Sinclair, B.J. (1998) Introduced insect fauna of an oceanic archipelago: The Galápagos Islands, Ecuador. Am. Entomol. 44: 218-237.
  • Peck, S.B. Roth, L.M. (1992) Cockroaches of the Galápagos Islands, Ecuador, with descriptions of three new species (Insecta: Blattodea). Canadian Journal of Zoology 70(12): 2202-2217.
  • Peck, S.B. (1996) Diversity and distribution of the orthopteroid insects of the Galápagos Islands, Ecuador. Canadian Journal of Zoology 74: 1497-1510.
  • Linsley, E.G. Usinger, R.L. (1966) Insects of the Galápagos Islands. Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences Fourth Series 33(7): 113-196.
  • Peck, S.B. Peck, J. (1986) The Galapagos Islands. Volcanic caves and cave fauna of the Galapagos Islands. The Canadian Caver 18(1): 42-49.
  • Peck, S.B. (1996) The arthropods of the allobiosphere (barren lava flows) of the Galapagos islands, Ecuador Noticias de Galápagos 56: 9-12.
  • Peck, S.B. Kukalova-Peck J. (1986) Preliminary summary of the subterranean fauna of the galapagos islands, Ecuador. Part II. The insects, evolution, and biogeography. Proc. 9th Intnl. Congr. Speleology, Barcelona 2: 166-169.
  • Jaramillo, P. Reyes, D. & Yánez, P. (2005) Arthopods in the Charles Darwin Research Station herbarium, Galápagos, during 1999-2001. GALAPAGOS RESEARCH. Noticias de Galápagos. 63: 23-25.

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This page should be cited as follows:

"Galapagos Species Database, Periplaneta americana", dataZone. Charles Darwin Foundation, https://datazone.darwinfoundation.org/en/checklist/?species=6778. Accessed 21 June 2025.