Ectobius is a genus of cockroaches native to Old World described by Stephens in 1835, belonging to the family Blattellidae, subfamily Ectobiinae. Species of this genus are mainly present in most of Europe, in eastern Palearctic ecozone and in the Near East. The adult 'cockroaches' reach 6–12 millimetres (0.24–0.47 in) of length, the basic coloration of their body is mostly brown or yellowish, with a clearer margin. The females are usually bigger than the males and have shorter wings, while in the males wings cover at least the whole abdomen.