The Collaborative International Dictionary
Croton bug \Cro"ton bug`\ (b[u^]g`). [From the Croton water of New York.] (Zo["o]l.) A small, active, winged species of cockroach ( Ectobia Germanica), the water bug. It is common aboard ships, and in houses in cities, esp. in those with hot-water pipes; -- called also the German cockroach.
Cockroach \Cock"roach\, n. [Sp. cucaracha.] (Zo["o]l.) An orthopterous insect of the genus Blatta, and allied genera.
Note: The species are numerous, especially in hot countries. Those most commonly infesting houses in Europe and North America are Blatta orientalis, a large species often called black beetle, and the Croton bug ( Blatta Germanica, formerly Ectobia Germanica), also called the German cockroach.