# Oriental cockroach (*Blatta orientalis*)

Canonical page: https://creaturedata.com/animals/blatta-orientalis  
Data as of: 2026-11-14

The oriental cockroach (Blatta orientalis) is an insect in the order Blattodea and the family Blattidae. It was named by Linnaeus, 1758, and belongs to the suborder Solumblattodea, the subfamily Blattinae and the genus Blatta. Checklists record it in Germany, Georgia, Iran and Poland. Other English names for it include Shad cockroach, Asian cockroach, Common cockroach and Asiatic cockroach.

## Quick facts

| Fact | Value |
|---|---|
| Weight | Not recorded |
| Length | 1.8 cm – 2.9 cm |
| Lifespan | Not recorded |
| Main food | Not recorded |
| Habitat | Not recorded |
| Young per litter or clutch | Not recorded |
| Conservation status | Not recorded |
| Countries on record | 4 countries |

## Introduced range

The Global Register of Introduced and Invasive Species lists it as introduced in 14 countries, and flagged as invasive in 2 of them. Introduced: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canary Islands, Denmark, Estonia, Germany, Ireland, Israel, Latvia, Netherlands, Poland, Sweden, United States. Invasive: Latvia, Sweden. Source: https://griis.org/ (CC BY 4.0).

## Classification

- kingdom: Animalia
- phylum: Arthropoda
- class: Insecta
- order: Blattodea
- family: Blattidae
- genus: Blatta
- species: *Blatta orientalis* Linnaeus, 1758

Synonyms: *Blatta badia*, *Blatta culinaris*, *Blatta ferruginea*, *Blatta hemialata*, *Blatta lucifuga*, *Blatta secunda*, *Blatta tertia*, *Kakerlac castanea*, *Kakerlac orientale*, *Kakerlac pallipes*, *Kakerlac platystetho*, *Periplaneta orientalis*, *Stylopyga gracilis*, *Stylopyga orientalis*, *Stylopyga spontanea*

## Countries on record

Countries where Catalogue of Life checklists list the species. Many checklists carry no country data, so the list is often incomplete. It is not a range map.

Georgia, Germany, Iran, Poland

## Common questions

### What kind of animal is the oriental cockroach?

The oriental cockroach is an insect in the order Blattodea and the family Blattidae.

### What is the scientific name of the oriental cockroach?

Its scientific name is Blatta orientalis, in the genus Blatta.

### Who named the oriental cockroach?

The oriental cockroach was named by Linnaeus, 1758.

### Which countries is the oriental cockroach recorded in?

Checklists record it in Germany, Georgia, Iran and Poland.

### What other names does the oriental cockroach have?

It is also called the Shad cockroach, Asian cockroach, Common cockroach and Asiatic cockroach.

### Is the oriental cockroach extinct?

No, the Catalogue of Life lists it as living, not extinct.

### Is the oriental cockroach an invasive species?

In some places. The Global Register of Introduced and Invasive Species flags the oriental cockroach as invasive in 2 countries: Latvia and Sweden. It lists it as introduced in 14 in all.

## Sources

- [Catalogue of Life eXtended Release](https://www.checklistbank.org/dataset/316691), CC BY 4.0, 2026-10-16 XR. Catalogue of Life (2026). Catalogue of Life eXtended Release, version 2026-10-16 XR. Catalogue of Life Foundation, Amsterdam, Netherlands. https://doi.org/10.48580/dgzlf
- [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org), per file (CC0 / public domain / CC BY green, CC BY-SA amber, anything else not displayed), 2026-11-11. Wikimedia Commons contributors. Wikimedia Commons. https://commons.wikimedia.org (each file credited to its author under its own licence).
- [Global Register of Introduced and Invasive Species (GRIIS)](https://griis.org/), CC BY 4.0, 2026-11-13. Pagad, S., Genovesi, P., Carnevali, L., Schigel, D. & McGeoch, M.A. (2018) Introducing the Global Register of Introduced and Invasive Species. Scientific Data 5: 170202. https://doi.org/10.1038/sdata.2017.202. Country checklists published through GBIF by the IUCN SSC Invasive Species Specialist Group.
- [Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org), CC0 1.0, 2026-11-11. Wikidata contributors. Wikidata. https://www.wikidata.org (data retrieved via the Wikidata Query Service).
- [Wikipedia (English)](https://en.wikipedia.org), CC BY-SA 4.0, 2026-11-11. Wikipedia contributors. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. https://en.wikipedia.org (text under CC BY-SA 4.0; each block names its article and revision).

Cite as: Oriental cockroach (Blatta orientalis). Retrieved from https://creaturedata.com/animals/blatta-orientalis