Blaberidae

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.

Giant cockroaches
Adults and subadults of Blaberus craniifer – the death's head cockroach
Scientific 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

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:

• Cape mountain cockroach – Aptera fusca
• Dwarf cave cockroach – Blaberus atropos (syn. Blaberus fusca)
• Death's head cockroach – Blaberus craniifer
• False death's head cockroach – Blaberus discoidalis
• Giant cave cockroach – Blaberus giganteus
• Dubia cockroach – Blaptica dubia
• Orange head cockroach – Eublaberus posticus
• Glowspot cockroach – Lucihormetica verrucosa
• Beetle cockroach – Diploptera punctata
• Chrome cockroach – Gyna caffrorum
• Cuban, or green banana cockroach – Panchlora nivea
• Halloween hissing cockroach – Elliptorhina javanica
• Wide-horned hissing cockroach – Gromphadorhina oblongonota
• Madagascar hissing cockroach – Gromphadorhina portentosa
• Speckled cockroach – Nauphoeta cinerea
• Surinam cockroach – Pycnoscelus surinamensis
• Australian wood cockroach – Panesthia spp. including P. cribrata
• Giant burrowing cockroach – Macropanesthia rhinoceros
• Emerald cockroach – Pseudoglomeris magnifica

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:

• Gromphadorhini

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

• Incertae sedis

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. 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.

External links

• Media related to Blaberidae at Wikimedia Commons
• Data related to Blaberidae at Wikispecies
• "Blaberinae". uniprot.org. Retrieved 13 July 2021.