# Cucaracha marrón ahumada

*Periplaneta fuliginosa*

**Confianza en la identificación:** Identificable con cuidado

## Cómo reconocerla

- Uniform dark mahogany to near-black with a glossy sheen, and — importantly — no pale margin on the pronotum, which separates it from the American cockroach.
- Large at 25 to 38 mm, with wings extending beyond the tip of the abdomen in both sexes.
- Strong flier, readily attracted to lights at night.

## Qué rastros deja

- Insects around porch lights, in gutters, and in attics and soffits.
- Activity concentrated in the upper part of a structure rather than in basements.

## Por qué persiste una infestación

Loses moisture rapidly and so depends on consistently humid harbourage — tree holes, mulch, leaf litter, roof gutters, and attics. Entry is usually from above via the roofline rather than at grade, which is the opposite of the Oriental cockroach and changes where you look.


## Dónde se encuentra

Southeastern United States and Gulf Coast, extending up the Atlantic coast.

## Qué la previene

- Clear gutters and correct roofline drainage, which is the principal harbourage.
- Screen attic and soffit vents and seal gaps at the roofline.
- Reduce mulch depth and move woodpiles away from the structure.
- Switch exterior lighting to fixtures that attract fewer insects, or reposition them away from doors.

## Se confunde con

- **Cucaracha americana** (*Periplaneta americana*) — Very large at 34 to 53 mm, the largest cockroach commonly found in US homes.
- **Cucaracha oriental** (*Blatta orientalis*) — Very dark, almost glossy black to deep reddish-brown, noticeably darker than any other common house cockroach.

**Verdict:** prevention-first. Habitat and roofline entry govern this species; gutter, vent, and moisture work addresses it directly.

Source: https://againstpest.shop/es/identificar/cucarachas/cucaracha-marron-ahumada/