German Cockroach (Blattella germanica) - With Egg Case
Pricing: Dead (dried, spread): $25
Geographic Range: Worldwide
View: Top View Sex: Female (pictured)
Size: Length: 10-14 mm
Perhaps the most abundant pest species of roach, Blattella germanica - otherwise known as the German Cockroach or "Croton Bug" - can be found almost everywhere on Earth that human dwellings exist. These roaches reproduce constantly and under ideal conditions the entire life cycle is completed in about 100 days. Eggs are contained in a case called an ootheca and are retained by the female until just before hatching occurs (an ootheca can be seen protruding from the posterior of the female in the photo). This ootheca is the beginning of an infestation and nymphs have been known to hatch from the ootheca while the female is still carrying it. A typical egg case contains 30 to 40 eggs and a female can produce up to eight of them during her 6-month lifespan. If you do the math you'll understand why infestations have been reported of tens of thousands of individuals living in a single apartment!