Both sexes have well-developed wings and can fly. Adults may live up to 15 months. The female deposits the egg case in sheltered areas on or near the floor, usually close to a food source. She frequently conceals the case with debris which she attaches to its surfaces Egg cases are formed at the rate of about one per week until 15-90 have been produced. Each contains 16 eggs.
Young nymphs are grayish-brown with each progressive molt becoming more reddish brown.
The time required to complete the nymphal stage varies from 5-15 months. The American cockroach is most commonly found in restaurants, supermarkets, and other commercial buildings where food is prepared or stored, but it also may invade apartments or homes from sewer systems via the plumbing. Within a household, this cockroach prefers to live in cluttered basements, feeding upon stored paper goods and seepage from around sewage pipes. When an infestation increases in size, individuals may spread to the kitchen, bathroom, or other rooms. The female's wings are a uniform reddish-brown to dark brown, while those of the male are dark brown at the base, becoming increasingly lighter toward the tips.