(Supella longipalpa)
Biology:
The brown-banded or furniture cockroach is approx. 11 mm long, medium brown with a round black spot on the pronotum and two light-colored characteristic horizontal stripes. Otherwise it is very similar to the German cockroach. The females have short wings and the males have long wings with two light-colored horizontal stripes. Unlike the males, the females are unable to fly. The animals are nocturnal and fast runners.
The egg packets with approx. 14 eggs are laid immediately after completion in cracks in furniture and the like. Depending on the temperature, it takes between 7 weeks and several months for the larvae to hatch. At temperatures around 28 °C, the subsequent larval development takes approx. 3 months. The brown banded cockroach is very fond of warmth and has been introduced to us in recent years, mainly from the Mediterranean region and the USA.
Compared to the German cockroach, brown-banded cockroaches require less moisture and are mainly found in homes, commercial kitchens and restaurants as well as in hospitals. They cannot overwinter outdoors under Central European climatic conditions.
Damage:
Their way of life and damage is similar to that of the German cockroach.
