At the end of the summer, we've been finding these insects in our apartment complex in Baltimore, MD. What are they and do they bite? The length is about the size of a US nickel (We've had mysterious bites along our legs the last few days and haven't found any fleas or bedbugs after turning over the bedroom!
This is a cockroach
- Note the flattened body, long antennae, "hidden" short head, and spiny strong legs
Without more details, location or better photos, ID to species is not certain. The most likely species to be found as pests in buildings in the US include: Oriental, German, and brown banded roaches. Common outdoor species that also often come into the home or invade commercial buildings include two larger species: the American and less commonly smoky brown cockroaches. Both of these species are found in the highest abundance in the Southeastern US.
Your image does not immediately convince me you have one of these species. Oriental roaches are black and smoky browns are also darkly colored -- unlike your brown specimen. German (vertical) and brown-banded (horizontal) have stripes on their pronotum, which your specimen also does not clearly have. American cockroaches are unmistakably large with brighter pronotums having darker spots -- again, unlike your specimen.
there is a chance that this is a female brown banded cockroach with its colors washed out from the poor quality photo. (I kind of see some banding along its abdomen).
Female brown-banded roach. Credit: James L. Castner ; source UFL
Cockroaches really never bite. You'd have to have a really bad infestation for this to happen. Orkin supports this claim