German has a generic term for these: Ungeziefer. That is what Gregor Samsa, in Kafka’s Metamorphosis finds himself turned into, and Kafka’s intention, which no translation can capture, is to leave the species of disgusting creature unclear. It is sort of like a cockroach, but it is much larger and has long legs. The main distinguishing feature of the Gregor-Ungeziefer is the disgust its presence elicits.
