Australian Cockroach Periplaneta australasiae

The Australian Cockroach lives mainly outdoors but is a household pest in tropical regions worldwide. It is not native to Australia and is thought to have originated in Africa. It looks like its relative, the American or Common Cockroach, but is a little smaller, has wider, more yellow borders on the pronutum and has a bold yellow stripe on the side edge of each wing.

It grows to 2-3cm long. It eats anything organic but mainly vegetable matter. Its job is to recycle debris, left overs or decaying matter. It is gregarious, living in large, multi-generational concentrations.