# German cockroach (*Blattella germanica*)

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

The german cockroach (Blattella germanica) is an insect in the order Blattodea and the family Blattellidae. It is also called the Crotonbug, and its scientific name carries the authority (Linnaeus, 1767). Checklists record it in Chile, Germany, Egypt, Iran and Poland. It is a living species placed in the superfamily Blaberoidea, the tribe Blattellini and the genus Blattella.

## Quick facts

| Fact | Value |
|---|---|
| Weight | Not recorded |
| Length | 1.1 cm – 1.6 cm |
| Lifespan | Not recorded |
| Diet | Omnivore |
| Main food | Not recorded |
| Habitat | Not recorded |
| Young per litter or clutch | Not recorded |
| Reproduction | Eggs |
| Conservation status | Not recorded |
| Countries on record | 5 countries |

## Introduced range

The Global Register of Introduced and Invasive Species lists it as introduced in 18 countries, and flagged as invasive in 6 of them. Introduced: Belgium, Canary Islands, China, Costa Rica, Cyprus, Denmark, Ecuador, Estonia, Ireland, Israel, Japan, Latvia, Poland, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, United Arab Emirates, United States. Invasive: Canary Islands, China, Japan, Latvia, Sweden, United Arab Emirates. Source: https://griis.org/ (CC BY 4.0).

## Classification

- kingdom: Animalia
- phylum: Arthropoda
- class: Insecta
- order: Blattodea
- family: Blattellidae
- genus: Blattella
- species: *Blattella germanica* (Linnaeus, 1767)

Synonyms: *Blatta asiatica*, *Blatta bivittata*, *Blatta daurica*, *Blatta germanica*, *Blatta obliquata*, *Blatta parallela*, *Blatta transfuga*, *Blattella cunei-vittata*, *Blattella germanica subsp. shuguroffi*, *Ectobia germanica*, *Ectobia germanica*, *Eublattella cuneivittata*, *Ischnoptera bivittata*, *Ischnoptera paralella*, *Ischnoptera parallela*, *Phyllodromia cuneivittata*, *Phyllodromia germanica*, *Phyllodromia magna*, *Phyllodromia niitakana*

## 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.

Chile, Egypt, Germany, Iran, Poland

## Common questions

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

The german cockroach is an insect in the order Blattodea and the family Blattellidae.

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

Its scientific name is Blattella germanica.

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

Checklists record it in Chile, Germany, Egypt, Iran and Poland.

### What is another name for the german cockroach?

It is also called the Crotonbug.

### Is the german cockroach extinct?

No, the german cockroach is a living species and is not extinct.

### Is the german cockroach an invasive species?

In some places. The Global Register of Introduced and Invasive Species flags the german cockroach as invasive in 6 countries, including Canary Islands, China, Japan, Latvia and Sweden. It lists it as introduced in 18 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: German cockroach (Blattella germanica). Retrieved from https://creaturedata.com/animals/german-cockroach