Adults are pale to medium brown and about 1/2 to 5/8 inch long. German cockroaches can be distinguished from other roaches by the two dark stripes on the anterior, dorsal portion (pronotum) of the thorax. Adults of both sexes have well-developed wings, but never fly. Adult females carry the egg capsule protruding from the rear of the abdomen until the eggs are ready to hatch. The egg capsule is light brown in color, less than 1/3 inch long, more than twice as long as wide and shows about 16 external divisions or segments on either side.