Introduction
If you’ve discovered a bug you suspect to be a baby roach, you’ll want to identify it quickly, then make plans to deal with it – fast. To help you do that, we’ve assembled a collection of baby roach pictures to use as a handy DIY guide.
The images are arranged in sets to make identification easier, and include brief descriptions about the most common baby roaches (German, American, Oriental, Brown-Banded and Smoky Brown) that you’re likely to encounter.
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Also see: “Found a Baby Cockroach? Here’s What To Do,” and ” What Do Baby Roaches Look Like?“
Baby German Roach Pictures
Gary Alpert, Harvard University, Bugwood.org 
Daniel R. Suiter, University of Georgia, Bugwood.org 
Michael Merchant, Texas Cooperative Extension, Bugwood.org 
Gary Alpert, Harvard University, Bugwood.org 
Gary Alpert, Harvard University, Bugwood.org 
Gary Alpert, Harvard University, Bugwood.org 
Baby German roaches are among the smallest that invade our homes. Even when mature, German roaches are quite small. But at early stages of development the babies (known as nymphs) are absolutely tiny – as small as the head of a pin when they first hatch.
Like all cockroaches, baby German roaches are white at hatching, but quickly darken and turn brown, with a banded appearance and a light-colored splotch that runs partially up the center of their backs. Baby German roaches are mostly oval-shaped, and differ from adults in color (they’re darker), markings, and the fact that they don’t yet have wings.
Baby American Cockroach Pictures
Gary Alpert, Harvard University, Bugwood.org 
Gary Alpert, Harvard University, Bugwood.org 
Gary Alpert, Harvard University, Bugwood.org 
Gary Alpert, Harvard University, Bugwood.org 
Len Worthington via https://flic.kr/p/J46jjk 
Gail Hampshire via https://flic.kr/p/aMaeag 
Mohammed El Damir, Bugwood.org 
Gary Alpert, Harvard University, Bugwood.org 
Gary Alpert, Harvard University, Bugwood.org 
Gary Alpert, Harvard University, Bugwood.org 
Daniel R. Suiter, University of Georgia, Bugwood.org 
Gary Alpert, Harvard University, Bugwood.org
Baby American roaches are much larger than their German cousins, measuring about 1/8″ long when hatched. The nymphs are white after hatching, then turn grayish-brown until their second growth phase (known as an instar), when their bodies become reddish-brown. Like the baby German cockroach, the bodies of American cockroach nymphs have a banded appearance, and they remain wingless until mature.
Baby Oriental Roach Pictures
Daniel R. Suiter, University of Georgia, Bugwood.org 
Daniel R. Suiter, University of Georgia, Bugwood.org 
Clemson University – USDA Cooperative Extension Slide Series, Bugwood.org 
Daniel R. Suiter, University of Georgia, Bugwood.org 
Daniel R. Suiter, University of Georgia, Bugwood.org 
Clemson University – USDA Cooperative Extension Slide Series, Bugwood.org
Baby Oriental cockroaches are white when newly hatched, but soon turn a pale brown color, which eventually darkens as they mature. Their bodies have a banded appearance, which becomes less pronounced the darker they become. Newly hatched Oriental roaches can be up to 6mm long – about the size of a grain of rice. Click on the baby roach pictures above for an expanded view, and more detail.
Baby Brown-Banded Cockroach Pictures
Daniel R. Suiter, University of Georgia 
Pest and Diseases Image Library 
Pest and Diseases Image Library 
Gary Alpert, Harvard University, Bugwood.org 
Gary Alpert, Harvard University, Bugwood.org 
Gary Alpert, Harvard University, Bugwood.org
Like baby German cockroaches, baby Brown-Banded roaches are quite small – just 1/8″ long at birth. They have dark-colored heads, light-colored bodies, and a banded appearance, with bodies that broaden at the base. Baby Brown-Banded roaches have two white bands between their head and midsection, that make them easy to identify.
Baby Smoky Brown Roach Pictures
Lesley Ingram, Bugwood.org 
happy1892 via Wikimedia
While Smoky Brown roach adults are uniformly brown, baby Smoky Brown roaches start off white (right after hatching), turn black, then become brown-colored with a prominent white segment just before their midsection. As they grow older, they lose their pattern. Though Smoky Brown roach adults grow large, nymphs (as in the baby roach pictures above) can be as small as a single millimeter in length.
Baby Australian Roach Pictures
darkday via Flickr 
Rob Russell via Flickr 
Jimmy Smith via Flickr 
Whitney Cranshaw, Colorado State University, Bugwood.org
Similar in appearance to the baby American cockroach, the baby Australian roach is reddish-brown, and wingless until mature. Unlike the American baby roach however, the Australian baby roach has a pattern of distinctive light yellow spots. Australian cockroach nymphs can be as small as 1/8 inch in length.
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Written by Andrew Martin. Reviewed by James Miksanek, PhD.
Andrew Martin
Writer/Publisher
Andrew writes for, and along with his daughter, publishes Cockroach Facts. You can read more about him here.
James Miksanek, PhD.
Science Editor
James is an entomologist and adjunct professor of biology. His background is in biological control, and he has a passion for ecology and environmental science. His research has addressed a variety of topics including pest control and the management of invasive species. You can learn more about our contributors here.
