While many cockroaches use their wings to glide short distances, the Asian cockroach is a true flyer (almost like a moth) and is attracted to light.

Also known as the Madagascar hissing cockroach, G. portentosa is characterized by the hissing sound it produces when forcefully expelling air through specially-adapted respiratory openings or spiracles. The hiss can takes three forms: the disturbance hiss, the female-attracting hiss, and the aggressive fighting hiss.

Cockroaches first landed in the Americas from Africa as early as 1625. They are believed to have been introduced to the Americas as a result of human commercial patterns, including the Atlantic Slave Trade.

There are no male Surinam cockroaches (Pycnoscelus surinamensis) in North America, but the species is far from extinct. In fact, the population is surviving quite well. This abundance is due to the fact that females can reproduce through parthenogenesis, which is not dependent on male participation. Females produce female clone offspring and do so very quickly. This swift reproduction process means that just a few of these cockroaches can rapidly turn into an infestation.

In addition to being a nuisance, the German cockroach has been implicated in outbreaks of illness and allergic reactions in many people.

Studies suggest some roaches can go up to 40 minutes without breathing, if necessary, and others can survive up to 30 minutes underwater.