Galapagos Species Database
The Galapagos Species Database shares the information about the species from our Natural History Collections.
Pycnoscelus surinamensis
Cucaracha, Surinam cockroach
Scavenger; a parthenogenic species, often living near human habitation. Because it buries itself in soil, it can be carried in earth around plant roots. It is able to invade natural communities. Collected from January to June and from October to December in all vegetation zones from the littoral to pampa zone (600 m) in both disturbed and undisturbed habitats.
Domain
Eukaryota
Kingdom
Animalia
Phylum
Arthropoda
Class
Insecta
Order
Blattodea
Superfamily
Blaberoidea
Family
Blaberidae
Genus
Pycnoscelus
Species
surinamensis
Taxon category: Accepted
Origin: Introduced - established
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
Map of specimen collection localities or observation records for this species in our collections database.
Distribution: Camaño, Española, Fernandina, Floreana, Gardener (Floreana), Isabela, San Cristóbal, Santa Cruz, Santiago
- 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.
- Hebard, M. (1920) Expedition of the Calfornia Academy of Sciences to the Galapagos Islands, 1905-1906. 17. Dermaptera and Orthoptera. Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences, Fourth Series 2(17): 311-346.
- 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.
- Linsley, E.G. (1977) Insects of the Galápagos (Supplement). Occassional Papers of the Califoria Academy of Sciences 125: 1-50.
- 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.
- Bright, D.E. (1982) Scolytidae (Coleoptera) from the Cocos Islands, Costa Rica, with Description of one New Species. Coleopterists Bull. 36(1): 127-130.
- 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.
- Parkin, P. Parkin D.T., Ewing, A.W. & Ford, H.A. (1972) A report on the arthropods collected by the Edinburgh University Galapagos Islands Expedition, 1968. The Pan-pacific Entomologist 48: 100-107.
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This page should be cited as follows:
"Galapagos Species Database, Pycnoscelus surinamensis", dataZone. Charles Darwin Foundation, https://datazone.darwinfoundation.org/en/checklist/?species=6873. Accessed 30 April 2025.