Adults are about one and one—half inches long and uniformly dark brown to blackish brown. Wings are fully developed in both sexes. Large nymphs are uniformly reddish brown.
Egg case is brown and contains 20 to 28 eggs; hatching occurs in about 100 days. Females produce 15 to 20 egg cases in a lifetime. Nymph development is 274 to 439 days. Adults live 18 to 24 months. Adults and nymphs can withstand cold and overwinter in protected outdoor sites.
Habits. These cockroaches are strong fiyers, even the females that are carrying an egg case. Outdoor habitats are moist, shaded sites, such as in tree holes and beneath the bark or bracts of palm trees, which is the basis of the name: palmetto bug.