American Cockroach

American Cockroach

Periplaneta americana

Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible
at Xiamen City

In 3 days ~40% in a week ~70%

10 Verified sightings at Xiamen City
321 In all 20 parks From 2019 to 2026
June Best month
☀️🌙 Day & Night When it's spotted

About the American Cockroach

The American cockroach (Periplaneta americana) is the largest species of cockroach routinely found in homes, and often considered a pest. In certain regions of the U.S. it is colloquially known as the waterbug, though it is not a true waterbug since it is not aquatic, nor a Hemipteran. It is also known as the ship cockroach, kakerlac, and Bombay canary. It is often misidentified as a palmetto bug.

Despite their name, American cockroaches are native to Africa and the Middle East. They are believed to have been introduced to the Americas only from the 17th century onward as a result of human commercial patterns, including the Atlantic slave trade.

Despite the name, none of the Periplaneta species is native to the Americas; P. americana was introduced to what is now the United States from Africa as early as 1625. They are now common in tropical climates because human activity has extended the insects' range of habitation, and are virtually cosmopolitan in distribution as a result of global commerce.

Of all common cockroach species, the American cockroach has the largest body size, and has the longest life cycle, up to about 700 days... Wikipedia →

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Bahía de Loreto National Park 🇲🇽 Mexico
~20%
2 Ostional Wildlife Refuge 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~20%
3 Braulio Carrillo National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~10%
4 Las Baulas Marine National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~10%
5 Everglades National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
6 Taroko National Park 🇹🇼 Taiwan
~10%
7 Death Valley National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
8 Galápagos Islands 🇪🇨 Ecuador
~10%
9 Soberanía National Park 🇵🇦 Panama
~10%
10 Parque Natural Metropolitano 🇵🇦 Panama
~10%
11 Tortuguero National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~10%
12 Tijuca National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
~10%
13 Manuel Antonio National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~10%
14 Big Bend National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
15 Table Mountain National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
~10%
16 iSimangaliso Wetland Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
~10%
17 Cumbres de Monterrey National Park 🇲🇽 Mexico
~10%
18 Arenal Volcano National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~10%
19 Saguaro National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
20 La Amistad International Park (Panama) 🇵🇦 Panama
<5%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Davao City 🇵🇭 Philippines
~40%
2 Đà Nẵng 🇻🇳 Vietnam
~40%
3 Kuwait City 🇰🇼 Kuwait
~40%
4 São Luís 🇧🇷 Brazil
~30%
5 Santo Domingo 🇩🇴 Dominican Republic
~30%
6 Antalya 🇹🇷 Turkey
~30%
7 Zhuhai [Macau] 🇨🇳 China
~30%
8 Casablanca 🇲🇦 Morocco
~30%
9 Tasikmalaya 🇮🇩 Indonesia
~30%
10 Cebu City 🇵🇭 Philippines
~30%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing an American Cockroach in Xiamen City?

Possible

About 20% of wildlife watchers report an American Cockroach sighting in Xiamen City on a given day, based on 10 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 18th most-seen of the 59 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 40%, and over a week to about 70%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see an American Cockroach in Xiamen City?

June

In that month about 40% of wildlife watchers report an American Cockroach in Xiamen City on a given day, against under 5% in January–April and August–November, the lowest months. That is one of Xiamen City's wettest months, with about 220 mm of rain against 40 mm in October.

What time of day is best to see an American Cockroach?

Between 8 and 11 pm

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most American Cockroach sightings with a recorded time, and about 6 in 10 of them come between 6 pm and 6 am: it is seen both by day and at night.

Is Xiamen City the best place to see an American Cockroach?

42nd of 140

Of the 140 cities where we can rate American Cockroach sightings, Xiamen City ranks 42nd at about 20%. The best odds are in Davao City (Philippines, about 40%), Đà Nẵng (Vietnam, about 40%) and Kuwait City (Kuwait, about 40%).

Where does the American Cockroach sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the American Cockroach is recorded against all the insects logged in Xiamen City (10 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.

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