19 Bugs That Look Like Cockroaches (and some are worse!)

Are you jumping to conclusions and assuming every oblong bug you see is a cockroach? With as gross as they are, and how quickly they can become a serious problem, no one can blame you. But, the truth is that there are a lot of bugs that look like cockroaches out there, and most of them are completely harmless. 

We’ll discuss the majority of these roach look-alikes here so you can relax as much as possible while staring a roach-looking bug in the face. 

If you do have roaches, this guide on smells that cockroaches hate might help.

Types of Cockroaches

Before we go too far, it’s important to discuss the types of cockroaches that exist: American, German, Oriental, Smoky brown, brown-banded, and wood roach. It’s important to note that all of the following cockroaches have six limbs and long antennae. 

American Cockroach

American cockroaches are the largest of the common cockroach species. They measure very long, up to 53mm (or just over 2 inches) long, and they’re typically reddish-brown to brown in color, with light yellow bands around their heads. This species has wings and can fly for a short while. 

German Cockroach

German cockroaches are incredibly common and difficult to get rid of. They measure around 13 to 16 mm long, and they’re a shade of pale brown, with two stripes behind the head (those stripes are the dead giveaway). They produce a ton of eggs which makes their infestations spread quickly. 

Oriental Cockroach

Oriental cockroaches have a dark brown or black color with a glossy sheen and can grow to a little more than half the size (32mm) of the American cockroach. These roaches don’t fly, and they’re less interested in cupboard items and more decaying organic matter, which makes the woods their most common stomping grounds. 

Smoky Brown Cockroach

Smoky brown cockroaches are just slightly smaller than the American roach, measuring between 25 and 38mm long. They have a shiny brownish-black color. Both males and females are strong fliers. The roaches will usually enter a home to escape from harsh weather or for water sources in kitchens, bathrooms, basements, and utility rooms. 

Brown-banded Cockroach

Brown-banded cockroaches are complex creatures. The females are reddish-brown to dark brown, and the males are dark brown at the base of the wing but lighten gradually. Both males and females have light yellow bands across their bodies. Brown-bandeds only grow to about 13mm, and only the males can fly—but both can jump when disturbed. 

Pennsylvania Wood Cockroach

Pennsylvania wood cockroaches thrive in warm and wet conditions in forests. They’re generally about 25mm long and have light to dark brown coloring (that’s not terribly helpful, we know). The males in the wood roach species can fly short distances, while the females cannot. 

Bugs That Look Like Roaches

With that basic background on common cockroaches and what they look like, it’s time to check out some of the bugs that look like roaches. Below are 19 of the most common bugs confused for roaches. 

Bed Bugs

Bed bugs are often mistaken for cockroach nymphs, as they’re much smaller than adult roaches. They’re typically found around beds, headboards, dressers, box springs, and similar areas where they can hide during the day and sneak out for a snack at night. 

However, bed bugs are too small and too round, and their antennae are much shorter than a typical roach. It’s a toss-up as to which bug is worse, bed bugs or cockroaches, as both can be challenging to get rid of. 

Ground Beetles

Ground beetles are one of the bugs most commonly confused with cockroaches. This is probably because they have dark, oval-shaped bodies, but the similarities between the ground beetle and the roach really do stop there.

Ground beetles have hard cover over their wings, and cockroaches of any type do not. Also, beetle wheels settle next to each other in a line, whereas cockroach rings overlap. It’s also worth noting that ground beetles are slower-moving than the fast-scurrying cockroach, and the ground beetle’s antennae are too short.

Palmetto Bugs

Here’s a trick for you: Palmetto bugs are actually roaches. While some folks believe that there is a species of roach called the Palmetto bug, this is just a regional term used to describe almost any roach.

The roaches most commonly referred to as palmetto bugs are the same as the American cockroach and smokybrown cockroaches. 

Water Bugs

Giant water bugs get a bad wrap. Of all the insects on this list, though, we almost understand that these do resemble cockroaches. They have similar profiles and colors, and they’re somewhat similar in size. And, given that certain cockroaches enjoy standing water, the two could easily be mistaken.

But there are some things to look out for. First, giant water bugs are bigger than roaches. Water bugs also have a short pointed beak underside of the head. Also, water bugs prefer to spend their time in water, not infesting basements and cupboards. Water bugs’ antennas are also much shorter than cockroaches’ antennae.

June Bugs

Just to throw another wrench in the works, a June bug is one of over 100 species of beetle that come out in later spring and early summer. They’re generally small (around ½-inch) and feature hardened shell covers called elytra. 

June bugs probably shouldn’t get mistaken for cockroaches based on size and antennae differences alone. But, since both are creepy crawlers with a similar color palette, they’re often confused. 

Asian Longhorned Beetle

Probably the most impressive cockroach stunt double is the Asian Longhorned Beetle. Unlike most other bugs that resemble cockroaches, the ALB has not only the body length but also the antennae to match them (in fact, ALB antennae are actually longer). 

But, the colors are all wrong. Asian longhorned beetles are black or dark green with white specs all over their bodies. This is nothing like the generally smooth, consistent color seen with most cockroaches. 

Wood Boring Beetles

Wood-boring beetles are small beetles with oblong bodies. They’re generally reddish-brown, which could be part of the reason they’re continually mistaken for cockroaches. They dig into wood to build egg tunnels where they can deposit their legs. 

Wood-boring beetles are much smaller than cockroaches. They’re also thinner and cylindrical, while roaches are flatter and much larger. 

Drugstore beetles

Drugstore beetles are a nasty infestation in their own right, but they sure aren’t cockroaches. These beetles are small, reddish-brown to brown, and cylindrical in shape, with pronounced antennae with three clubbed sections. They infest stored food items and will spread quickly, but they aren’t known to spread diseases or bacteria as roaches do. 

The reasons why drugstore beetles are often taken for cockroaches are many. First, they’re often found in cabinets and pantries, which is most folks’ worst nightmare. Also, they have relatively long antennae, the right coloring, and the oblong shape so many folks associate with roaches. But, they’re much smaller, and their wing covers feature striations and deep pits, unlike roaches’ which are mostly smooth. 

You can often catch these pests with standard traps meant to catch a variety of other beetles, as well.

Cigarette beetles

Cigarette beetles are similar to drugstore beetles, but they have a vice: they infest tobacco. They’re small, reddish brown, and feature long antennae with serrated bumps that look like saw teeth. They are slightly round rather than cylindrical like the drugstore beetle, but they can easily be mistaken for a fat roach—what a visual.

One surefire way to tell the difference between a cigarette beetle and any roach is their antennae. Roaches have those long, wispy antennae, while cigarette beetles’ are shorter and segmented. 

Palo Verde beetle

Probably the mack-daddy of all bugs that look like roaches: The Palo Verde beetle. The Palo Verde beetle is a longhorn beetle with reddish dark brown to black coloring, long antennae, and a body eerily shaped like a roach. At first glance, they can be tough to tell apart, even for those among us with years of experience.

Here’s what we need to know to tell the Palo Verde beetle from a roach:

• Palo Verde beetle elytra (the hard covers over their wings) meet perfectly in the middle of their backs. Roaches’ wings overlap.
• Palo Verde beetles have long, segmented antennae. Roaches have longer, smoother antennae.
• Palo Verde beetles have easily visible mandibles (jaws) on their heads. Roaches have mandibles, but they’re hard to see.

Crickets

Plenty of crickets are mistaken for cockroaches, and it’s extremely easy to see why. Both crickets and cockroaches have long bodies and long, wispy antennae. They’re also common in a variety of sizes, depending on the type, and crickets can be dark brown or black in color. This is another situation where a common backyard insect looks just a bit too much like a cockroach for most folks’ sake. 

There are some telltale signs that a cricket is not a roach, however. Crickets’ bodies are thinner than cockroaches, and their bodies are more elongated (not flat like a roach’s). Also, crickets jump and chirp, while roaches fly (some) and don’t make any audible noises. 

Click beetles

Speaking of audible noises, it’s time to talk about the click beetle. These bugs are long and flat like cockroaches, and they’re mostly dark in color. They have very pronounced (notice we didn’t say long) and ornate antennae and they’re small. They also don’t pose any of the same threats to humans that roaches do (but their larvae can decimate crops). 

It’s the click beetle’s long, flat appearance that causes the issue. It does look somewhat roach-like. However, keep in mind that click beetles are usually half the size of roaches, and their antennae look more like antlers than a roach’s wisp. Plus, the loud clicking noise should give these bugs away.  

Earwigs

We’re big fans of earwigs here, and they get a bad rap. These are small, cylindrical bugs that are dark brown, red, or black in color, and they feature large pincers on their rears. These use these pincers in self-defense and mating. They have pronounced heads and segmented bodies, with long thoraxes.

The main confusion between earwigs and roaches comes from their dark, rich colors. Beyond that, the similarities are that they both enjoy warm, damp places, but pincher bugs are actually hunters looking for prey, while roaches are looking to infest the home.  

House centipedes

Another outstanding hunter to have around, the house centipede both terrifies and confuses folks when they see them. They have 15 pairs of legs, with extra long pairs at the rear, and their bodies are lighter in color with dark stripes. Yes, they’re scary looking, but these bugs are beneficial, as they have voracious appetites for many bugs, including roaches. 

The things that many people confuse house centipedes with roaches for are their speed (house centipedes are ridiculously fast thanks to their powerful back legs, making them hard to identify), and their long, wispy antennae. But here’s the thing: roaches only have six legs. Any more than that, and it just ain’t a roach.

Stink Bugs

Here in New York, we see so many stink bugs that it’s hard to mistake them for anything else from under 20 years. We know the shape, flight pattern, and sound. But, for the record, stinkbugs are squat and look like dime-sized shields with legs, and they’re usually green or brown. They’re slow when walking, as well. 

If there’s a guess as to why these bugs might get mixed up with cockroaches, we’ll suggest it’s because they’re clumsy fliers, much like. Otherwise, it’s pretty easy to tell them apart, especially when a stink bug releases its self-defense odor. 

Boxelder Bugs

Boxelder bugs are pretty unique-looking bugs. They’re oblong and measure about ½-inch long. They’re mostly black but feature bright red or orange markings on their wings. They also have relatively long, segmented antennae.

All things considered, boxelder bugs have a similar shape and profile to some of the smaller roach species. Their wings overlap like roaches do, and their surfboard-like shape matches that of a roach. It’s the coloring and the antennae you have to look for: boxelder wings have lots of bright red or orange, and their antennas are shorter and segmented. 

Fleas

Believe it or not, through our internet research, we found many people do mistake fleas for roaches. We know, it shocks us too. After all, fleas are very small, and they have powerful back legs that they can use to propel themselves through the air. But other than the fact that they can spring away quickly, it’s hard to see much more than a small, dark oval. 

When telling a flea from a cockroach, keep in mind that fleas are very small and jump. They’re even smaller than cockroach nymphs. Also, remember that roaches don’t jump. 

Grasshoppers

Aren’t grasshoppers cool? They bound through the air, fly, and sing. But, some people might mistake them for roaches, because they have long bodies and pronounced antennas. They’re also light in color, from tan to brown with bits of black or bright colors mixed in, and they have strong back legs that can propel them like a flea.

Generally speaking, it’s pretty easy to tell a grasshopper from a roach. Roaches are darker and tend to be brown, and grasshoppers are brighter and mark chirping noises by rubbing their legs together. Also, grasshoppers can jump like mad and break into flight. Let’s see a cockroach do that. 

Termites

Very few people will actually confuse a termite for a roach. But here’s the thing: termites are roaches. Distant cousins, at least. Research at the Natural History Museum in London found that termites actually evolved from cockroaches. While this discovery was about 15 years ago, it’s still not common knowledge today. 

FAQs

The following are some of the most frequently asked questions about cockroaches and the bugs that look like them.

How do you tell if a bug is a cockroach? 

The most common sign to look for is the tell-tale oval body. But also, look for long, wispy antennae and flattened bodies. If you need to get rid of these pests, you can try our guide to The Best Roach Bombs of 2023.

What small bug looks like a cockroach?

The most common small bug that may resemble a cockroach is the cricket. They’re often almost black, and they have the general shape. But roaches don’t hop or make noises.

What are the things that look like cockroaches?

There are a lot of different bugs that look like cockroaches, including:

• Palo Verde beetles
• Most grain, cigarette, and drugstore beetles
• Click beetles
• Boxelder bugs
• June bugs
• Asian longhorn beetles
• Water bugs
• And many more.

It may be easy to tell these bugs apart from bees, but they all share similarities with roaches, and that’s what makes them hard to identify.