Cockroach Babies: What Do They Look Like?
If you see a baby cockroach, you may not be sure if it’s a fully grown adult or a newborn. Cockroach babies, or nymphs, look like miniature versions of the adult. Here’s a look at some of the interesting ways baby cockroaches differ from their adult counterparts:
Size and Color
Newborn cockroaches are usually about 1/8 of an inch long, sometimes even smaller. They tend to be a lot lighter in color than the adults, usually with a yellow, tan or light-brown hue.
Antennae and Wings
Baby cockroaches don’t have fully developed antennae, so they may look a bit shorter than those of an adult. The wings are also smaller and underdeveloped, making it difficult for the nymphs to fly.
Life Cycle
Baby cockroaches go through a process called “instar” in order to mature into adulthood. During this process they molt, or shed their skin, several times. After each molt, the cockroaches will grow slightly bigger and their color will become darker. The entire process from egg to adulthood usually takes around 45 days.
Diet
Baby cockroaches feed on a variety of small insects, as well as small pieces of food left behind by adults. In most cases, the nymphs will stay with their adult counterparts until they are old enough to survive on their own.
At the end of the day, baby cockroaches look very much like miniature versions of their adult counterparts. They lack fully developed antennae and wings, are usually lighter in color, and go through a series of molts before reaching maturity.