Having clicked on my own link, now I understand the joke. 
Sorry, I meant to post this link, which compares some of the most common household cockraoches in the U.S.: American, Oriental, German, and Brown-banded.
In my experience, it’s usually the very large American Cockroach Periplaneta americana that is referred to as the “water bug” or “palmetto bug.”
Thanks for the fix, Colibri. The “oriental” is the one we used to call a “water bug”. We also called it a cockroach. The american we called a “chinese cockroach”. when I was a kid, we called almost anything odd or dangerous-looking “chinese”. :rolleyes:
Yeeergh, that “American Cockroach” is definately a South Carolina great big nasty flying “palmetto bug”. Gotten faaaar too close to one of them suckers a few too many times.
I’m living in Arkansas…I see the German roach 4-5 times a year. I HATE those things! They seem to be (to me) more of an outside bug, I only see them during season changes.
Down here…I think they’re called a ‘wood roach’ … but I could definately be wrong.
-K
Hey, y’all don’t be dissin’ my roommates! JK - my apartment is surprisingly roach free compared to other places I’ve lived in Houston.
That American cockroach in Colibri’s link is commonly referred to as a “tree roach” here, and they rarely infest homes, although they do wander in for a visit now and then.
The Wood Roach is yet another species. They normally live outdoors, but may come inside when the weather gets cold. They usually don’t breed in houses.
