The story
By surface analysis, Australian + cockroach. Compare Periplaneta australasiae ("periplaneta of Australasia") and Blatta australasiae ("cockroach of Australasia").
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Australian cockroach
Today it means: Any member of the species Periplaneta australasiae of cockroaches, visually similar and closely related to American cockroaches (Periplaneta americana). Full definition →