Blaberidae

Giant cockroaches
Adults and subadults of Blaberus craniifer – the death's head cockroach
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Blattodea
Superfamily: Blaberoidea
Family: Blaberidae
Saussure, 1864
Genera

See text

Synonyms
  • Blaberiens
  • Perisphaeridae Brunner von Wattenwyl, 1865

Giant cockroaches, or blaberids (family Blaberidae), are the second-largest cockroach family by number of species.[1] Mostly distributed in warmer climates worldwide, this family is based on the American genus Blaberus, but much of the diversity is also found in Africa and Asia.

Description

Elliptorhina javanica with an ootheca
Gromphadorhina portentosa giving live birth

They are the only ovoviviparous cockroach family.[2][3] The ootheca is seen very briefly before being retracted into the body, where soon after the young nymphs hatch inside, the female gives live birth. The cerci are smaller compared to other families, and most of the time are covered by wings.[4] They're mostly found in caves, rotting logs or buried under leaf litter. Many are often kept as pets or as feeder insects, such as Blaberus, Gromphadorhina or Macropanesthia.

Notable species

Notable species within this family include:

Subfamilies and genera

The Cockroach Species File lists over 1260 species within 170 valid genera and 14 subfamilies.[5]

Blaberinae

Blaberus giganteus

Auth.: Saussure, 1864; distribution: Americas

  1. Archimandrita Saussure, 1893
  2. Aspiduchus Rehn & Hebard, 1927
  3. Bionoblatta Rehn, 1940
  4. Blaberus Serville, 1831
  5. Blaptica Stål, 1874
  6. Byrsotria Stål, 1874
  7. Eublaberus Hebard, 1920
  8. Hemiblabera Saussure, 1893
  9. Hiereoblatta Rehn, 1937
  10. Hormetica Burmeister, 1838
  11. Hyporhicnoda Hebard, 1920
  12. Lucihormetica Zompro & Fritzsche, 1999
  13. Minablatta Rehn, 1940
  14. Monachoda Burmeister, 1838
  15. Monastria Saussure, 1864
  16. Neorhicnoda Grandcolas, 1992
  17. Oxycercus Bolívar, 1881
  18. Paradicta Grandcolas, 1992
  19. Parahormetica Brunner von Wattenwyl, 1865
  20. Petasodes Saussure, 1864
  21. Phoetalia Stål, 1874
  22. Quadrihormetica Vidlicka, 2019
  23. Sibylloblatta Rehn, 1937
  24. Styphon Rehn, 1930
Calolamprodinae Wang & Wang, 2023
  1. Calolamprodes Bey-Bienko, 1969 (India, China, Indochina)
Diplopterinae

Distribution: SE Asia, Australia, N. America

  1. Diploptera Saussure, 1864

Epilamprinae

Aptera fusca

Auth.: Brunner von Wattenwyl, 1865; distribution: Americas, Africa, SE Asia, Australia

  1. Africalolampra Roth, 1995
  2. Alphelixia Roth, 1973
  3. Anisolampra Bey-Bienko, 1969
  4. Antioquita Hebard, 1933
  5. Aptera Saussure, 1864
  6. Apsidopis Saussure, 1895
  7. Ataxigamia Tepper, 1893
  8. Audreia Shelford, 1910
  9. Blepharodera Burmeister, 1838
  10. Brephallus Wang, Zhao, Li, Che & Wang, 2018
  11. Calolampra Saussure, 1893
  12. Capucinella Hebard, 1920
  13. Cariacasia Rehn, 1928
  14. Colapteroblatta Hebard, 1919
  15. Compsolampra Saussure, 1893
  16. Cyrtonotula Uvarov, 1939
  17. Dryadoblatta Rehn, 1930
  18. Decoralampra Lucañas, 2017
  19. Epilampra Burmeister, 1838
  20. Galiblatta Hebard, 1926
  21. Gurneya Roth, 1974
  22. Haanina Hebard, 1929
  23. Homalopteryx Brunner von Wattenwyl, 1865
  24. Howintoniella Roth, 1981
  25. Indoapterolampra Anisyutkin, 2014
  26. Juxtacalolampra Roth, 1981
  27. Litopeltis Hebard, 1920
  28. Miroblatta Shelford, 1906
  29. Molytria Stål, 1874
  30. Morphna Shelford, 1910
  31. Notolampra Saussure, 1862
  32. Opisthoplatia Brunner von Wattenwyl, 1865
  33. Orchidoeca Gurney & Roth, 1976
  34. Paracalolamprodes Anisyutkin, 2015
  35. Phlebonotus Saussure, 1862
  36. Phoraspis Serville, 1831
  37. Pinaconota Saussure, 1895
  38. Placoblatta Bey-Bienko, 1969
  39. Poeciloderrhis Stål, 1874
  40. Princisola Gurney & Roth, 1976
  41. Pseudophoraspis Kirby, 1903
  42. Rhabdoblatta Kirby, 1903
  43. Rhicnoda Brunner von Wattenwyl, 1893
  44. Stictolampra Hanitsch, 1930
  45. Thorax Saussure, 1862
  46. Ylangella Roth, 2002

Geoscapheinae

Macropanesthia rhinoceros

Distribution: Malesia, Australasia (not mainland Asia)

  1. Geoscapheus Tepper, 1893
  2. Macropanesthia Saussure, 1895
  3. Neogeoscapheus Roth, 1977
  4. Parapanesthia Roth, 1977

Gyninae

Gyna caffrorum

Distribution: Africa

  1. Alloblatta Grandcolas, 1993
  2. Gyna Brunner von Wattenwyl, 1865
  3. Paraprincisaria Grandcolas, 1993
  4. Princisaria Kumar, 1975
  5. Pseudocalolampra Roth & Princis, 1971

Oxyhaloinae

Gromphadorhina portentosa

Distribution: Africa – 3 tribes:

  1. Aeluropoda Butler, 1882
  2. Ateloblatta Saussure, 1891
  3. Elliptorhina van Herrewege, 1973
  4. Gromphadorhina Brunner von Wattenwyl, 1865
  5. Leozehntnera van Herrewege, 1975
  6. Princisia van Herrewege, 1973
  • Nauphoetini
  1. Griffiniella Karny, 1908
  2. Henschoutedenia Princis, 1954
  3. Jagrehnia Princis, 1954
  4. Nauphoeta Burmeister, 1838
  5. Rhyparobia Krauss, 1892
  6. Simandoa Roth & Naskrecki, 2004
  • Oxyhaloini
  1. Oxyhaloa Brunner von Wattenwyl, 1865
  1. Brachynauphoeta van Herrewege, 1975
  2. Coleoblatta Hanitsch, 1950
  3. Heminauphoeta Saussure, 1891
  4. Pronauphoeta Shelford, 1909

Panchlorinae

Distribution: Americas, Africa

  1. Achroblatta Saussure, 1893
  2. Anchoblatta Shelford, 1909
  3. Biolleya Saussure, 1897
  4. Panchlora Burmeister, 1838
  5. Pelloblatta Rehn, 1903

Panesthiinae

Panesthia sp.

Distribution: Madagascar, India, China, SE Asia through to Australia[6]

  1. Ancaudellia Shaw, 1925
  2. Annamoblatta Sergeev, 1984 - monotypic Annamoblatta vietnamica Sergeev
  3. Caeparia Stål, 1877
  4. Microdina Kirby, 1903
  5. Miopanesthia Saussure, 1895
  6. Panesthia Serville, 1831
  7. Salganea Stål, 1877
Paranauphoetinae Rehn, 1951
  1. Paranauphoeta Brunner von Wattenwyl, 1865 (India, China, Indochina, Malesia, New Guinea)

Perisphaerinae

Corydidarum magnifica

Auth.: Brunner von Wattenwyl, 1865; distribution: Africa, SE Asia, Australia[7][8]

  1. Bantua Shelford, 1908
  2. Compsagis Chopard, 1952
  3. Corydidarum Brunner von Wattenwyl, 1865
    (= Trichoblatta Saussure & Zehntner, 1895)
  4. Cyrtotria Stål, 1871
  5. Derocalymma Burmeister, 1838
  6. Ellipsica Saussure & Zehntner, 1895
  7. Elliptoblatta Saussure, 1891
  8. Gymnonyx Saussure & Zehntner, 1895
  9. Hostilia (cockroach) Stål, 1871
  10. Hyposphaeria Lucas, 1863 (many synonyms)
  11. Laxta Walker, 1868
  12. Neolaxta Mackerras, 1968
  13. Perisphaerus Serville, 1831
    (= Perisphaera [sic] Serville)
  14. Pilema Saussure, 1873
  15. Platysilpha Shelford, 1908
  16. Poeciloblatta Saussure & Zehntner, 1895
  17. Pseudoglomeris Brunner von Wattenwyl, 1893
  18. Zuluia Rehn, 1922

Pycnoscelinae

Pycnoscelus indicus

Distribution: SE Asia & S. America

  1. Proscratea Burmeister, 1838 - S. America
  2. Pycnoscelus Scudder, 1862
  3. Stilpnoblatta Saussure & Zehntner, 1895
Rhabdoblattellinae Wang & Wang, 2023
  1. Rhabdoblattella Anisyutkin, 1999 (China, Indochina)

Zetoborinae

Schizopilia fissicollis

Distribution: Central & S. America

  1. Alvarengaia Rocha e Silva & Aguiar, 1977
  2. Capucina Saussure, 1893
  3. Lanxoblatta Hebard, 1931
  4. Parasphaeria Brunner von Wattenwyl, 1865
  5. Phortioeca Saussure, 1862
  6. Phortioecoides Rehn, 1937
  7. Schistopeltis Rehn, 1916
  8. Schizopilia Saussure, 1864
  9. Schultesia (cockroach) Roth, 1973
  10. Thanatophyllum Grandcolas, 1991
  11. Tribonium Saussure, 1862
  12. Tribonoidea Shelford, 1908
  13. Zetobora Burmeister, 1838
  14. Zetoborella Hebard, 1921

Genera Incertae sedis

See also: Incertae sedis
  1. Apotrogia Kirby, 1900
  2. Cacoblatta Saussure, 1893
  3. Derocardia Saussure, 1895
  4. Diplopterina Princis, 1963 (W. Africa)
  5. Elfridaia Shaw, 1925
  6. Eustegasta Gerstaecker, 1883
  7. Evea (cockroach) Shelford, 1909
  8. Glyptopeltis Saussure, 1873
  9. Gynopeltis Gerstaecker, 1869
  10. Hedaia Saussure & Zehntner, 1895
  11. Isoniscus Borg, 1902
  12. Kemneria Princis, 1946
  13. Mesoblaberus Princis, 1951
  14. Mioblatta Saussure & Zehntner, 1895
  15. Paraplecta Shelford, 1907
  16. Phenacisma Karsch, 1896
  17. Progonogamia Rehn, 1922
  18. Pseudogyna Shelford, 1909
  19. Pseudoplatia Hanitsch, 1930
  20. Stictomorphna Bruijning, 1948
  21. Thliptoblatta Saussure & Zehntner, 1895
  22. Thoracopygia Saussure & Zehntner, 1895

Taxonomy note

Among the genera of uncertain subfamily, Eustegasta, Isoniscus and Poeciloderrhis[9] have been removed from subfamily Perisphaerinae.[7]

References

  1. ^ Beccaloni, George; Eggleton, Paul (2013-08-30). "Order Blattodea. In: Zhang, Z.-Q. (Ed.) Animal Biodiversity: An Outline of Higher-level Classification and Survey of Taxonomic Richness (Addenda 2013)". Zootaxa. 3703 (1): 46. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.3703.1.10. ISSN 1175-5334.
  2. ^ "Ovoviviparity - Cockroach Species". 2 March 2023.
  3. ^ "Blaberidae | insect family | Britannica".
  4. ^ For the Love of Cockroaches: Husbandry, Biology, and History of Pet and Feeder Blattodea
  5. ^ "family Blaberidae Saussure, 1864: Cockroach Species File". cockroach.speciesfile.org. Retrieved 12 October 2023.
  6. ^ Cockroach Species File: subfamily Panesthiinae (retrieved 21 October 2023)
  7. ^ a b Cocroach Species File: Perisphaerinae Brunner von Wattenwyl, 1865 (retrieved 14 October 2023)
  8. ^ Perisphaerinae Brunner von Wattenwyl and Hyposphaeria Lucas are valid names concealed by the unavailable names Perisphaeriinae and Perisphaeria Burmeister (Blattodea, Blaberidae)
  9. ^ De Oliveira Cardoso Da Silva, Leonardo; Lopes, Sonia Maria (2018). "Six new species of Poeciloderrhis from Brazil (Blattaria: Blaberidae) with a new record and a new combination". Zoologia. 35: 1–10. doi:10.3897/zoologia.35.e12483. Retrieved 3 April 2018.