Roaches

 

Cockroaches are insects of the Order Blattodea. The name of the order is derived from Greek for "cockroach," blatta. There are roughly 3,500 species in 6 families. Cockroaches exist worldwide, with the exception of the polar regions and in elevations above 2,000 m (6,500 ft). Cockroaches are also simply known as "roaches".

The English word cockroach is derived from the Spanish cucaracha, meaning "chafer, beetle".

Among the most well-known species are the American cockroach, Periplaneta americana, which is about 3 cm long, and the German cockroach, Blattella germanica, about 1½ cm long, and the Asian cockroach, Blattella asahinai, also about 1½ cm in length. Tropical cockroaches are often much bigger, and in turn prehistoric forms such as the Carboniferous Archimylacris and the Permian Apthoroblattina were several times as large as these. When infesting buildings, cockroaches are considered pests; out of the thousands of species, however, only a handful fall into this designation.

 

For more information go to:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cockroach