Cockroaches (or simply "roaches") are insects of the order Blattodea. This name derives from the Latin word for "cockroach", blatta.Among the most well-known species are the American cockroach, Periplaneta americana, which is about 3 cm long, the German cockroach, Blattella germanica, about 1½ cm long, the Asian cockroach, Blattella asahinai, also about 1½ cm in length, and the Oriental cockroach, Blatta orientalis, about 2½ cm. Tropical cockroaches are often much bigger, and extinct c