Panchlora nivea

Panchlora nivea, the Cuban cockroach or green banana cockroach,[2] is a small species of cockroach found in Cuba and the Caribbean, and along the Gulf Coast from Florida to Texas, and has been observed as far north as Summerville, South Carolina. It is found in subtropical or tropical climates.

Cuban cockroach
Adults and nymphs
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Blattodea
Family: Blaberidae
Genus: Panchlora
Species:
P. nivea
Binomial name
Panchlora nivea
Synonyms
  • Blatta alba Strøm, 1783[1]
  • Blatta chlorotica Pallas, 1772
  • Blatta hyalina Stoll 1813
  • Blatta nivea Linnaeus 1758
  • Blatta virescens Thunberg 1826
  • Ischnoptera lucida Walker, F., 1868
  • Panchlora cubensis Saussure 1862
  • Panchlora hyalina (Stoll, 1813)
  • Panchlora luteola Saussure 1864
  • Panchlora poeyi Saussure 1862
  • Pycnosceloides aporus Hebard, 1919

The females can grow up to 24 mm and the smaller males are 12 to 15 mm long. It is winged and a strong flier, pale green to yellowish green in color, with a yellow line running up the sides. The nymphs are brown or black in color and are burrowers.

It is usually an outdoor species and is rarely found indoors, so is not considered a pest. The adults can often be found in shrubbery, trees, and plants. The young can be found under logs and other debris. It is often attracted to both indoor and outdoor lights and it is mainly a nocturnal species.

It is often a popular pet roach due to its relatively pleasant green color, and because it is not an invasive indoor species. It is also used as food for other pets.

The ootheca (egg case) is 3–4 mm (0.12–0.16 in) long, is curved, and has indentations that show where the eggs are located.[3] A study found that they contained 28 to 60 eggs (average 46).[4] The ootheca is carried internally by the female until the eggs hatch.[3] At 24 °C (75 °F) the eggs hatch in about 48 days, after which male nymphs mature in about 144 days, and female nymphs mature in about 181 days.[3]

References
  1. "Synonyms of Cuban cockroach (Panchlora nivea)". Encyclopedia of Life. Retrieved 2014-03-23.
  2. "Common names for Cuban cockroach (Panchlora nivea)". Encyclopedia of Life. Retrieved 2014-03-23.
  3. Robinson, William H. (2005). Urban Insects and Arachnids: A Handbook of Urban Entomology. Cambridge University Press. pp. 42–43. ISBN 978-0-521-81253-5.
  4. Roth, Louis M.; Willis, Edwin R. (1957). "The biology of Panchlora nivea, with observations on the eggs of other Blattaria" (PDF). Transactions of the American Entomological Society. American Entomological Society. 83 (4): 195–207.


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