Adults are about 1/2 inch long. Brownbanded cockroaches are yellowish brown with a darker brown band laterally across the wings at the thorax. Females have smaller wings and a wider abdomen. The wings of both sexes are darker at the base than at the ends. Brownbanded cockroaches are easily mistaken for German cockroaches; however, the difference can be easily seen on the pronotum, as Brownbanded cockroaches have a "liberty bell" shape of dark brown rather than longitudinal stripes. The nymphs also have light-colored bands across the base of the abdomen.

Females lay egg capsules containing up to 18 eggs, which they carry for 24 to 36 hours before depositing. They are often cemented in place on the side or the underside of objects. Hatching may take as long as 75 days but is temperature dependent. Brownbanded cockroaches prefer warm areas, which include living rooms, ceilings, closets, and light switches, but they are not a common pest of restaurants. They are primarily nocturnal and do not aggregate as much as other species but tend to be found in higher locations than other species. Inspections should focus on higher and warmer locations.

Brownbanded cockroaches, like other species, feed on fresh, stored, and discarded foods. They are attracted to decaying organic matter and can feed on nearly anything of nutritive value. They can transmit disease organisms and destroy household items from feeding and defecating.