Parcoblatta virginica, the Virginia wood cockroach blog (updated 6/15/25)

Info on this species: Parcoblatta virginica is a species of North American wood cockroach, commonly found under rocks and logs, throughout the eastern US.

I collected a group of 1 male, 3 females, and an unsexed nymph on 5/26/25. The adult male only lived for around 2 weeks; probably dying due to their short life spans, males only live for a couple of months after reaching maturity.

Jun 15, 2025

The other 3 females are quite large at roughly 1.3-1.5cm or 0.5-0.6in long. And the nymph is probably around 0.5cm or 0.2in long. One of the adult females has a chewed-off tegmina, but is otherwise doing fine. The adult females are quite plump, so I am really hoping they are fertile and will lay oothecae soon.

Parcoblatta spp. are generalists, like most other roaches, and will feed on almost any organic matter. As I only have a few individuals, I haven’t been feeding much to prevent mold; however, occasionally I drop in a piece of apple or fish foods (flake, pellets).

I house these P. virginica in a 13 x 9 x 5in clear plastic bin, which is more than enough room for these small roaches. I have them on an inch of coco fiber substrate, a small mix of leaf litter, and many bark flats that they hide under. I keep one side of the enclosure humid with a patch of sphagnum moss on top of the coco fiber, and the other side has a more ventilated lid. There is a small colony of springtails feeding on any excess food and mold that cleans up for the roaches. I keep this colony in a dark environment (8 hours of dim indirect artificial light) as well as heated to around 78°F.

one of the adult female P. virginica