Blattodea

Latreille, 1810

cockroaches and termites

Order Guides

Blaberoidea(Giant and Wood Cockroaches)
Blattoidea(Typical Cockroaches and Termites)
Corydioidea(Sand and Cave Cockroaches)

is an order of insects comprising approximately 4,400 of and 3,000 species of . Formerly treated as separate orders, termites were subsumed into Blattodea based on genetic and molecular evidence demonstrating their evolution from within the cockroach lineage. The order exhibits remarkable diversity in social organization, ranging from solitary cockroaches to eusocial termites with complex systems. Together with Mantodea, Blattodea forms the Dictyoptera.

Blattoidea by (c) Robert Read, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Robert Read. Used under a CC-BY license.

Panchlora nivea by (c) Joe crutwell, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Joe crutwell. Used under a CC-BY license.

Parcoblatta americana by (c) Ken-ichi Ueda, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Ken-ichi Ueda. Used under a CC-BY license.

Pronunciation

How to pronounce Blattodea: //bləˈtoʊdiə//

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Images

Habitat

occupy diverse including leaf litter, rotting wood, thick vegetation, bark crevices, caves, and aquatic environments. Some are arboreal. are predominantly subterranean, with colonies established in soil, wood, or constructed mounds; they require moist substrates and avoid exposure to open air. Dampwood termites inhabit coniferous forests, drywood termites inhabit hardwood forests, and subterranean termites occupy varied habitats.

Distribution

occur on every continent with on each. occur on all continents except Antarctica, with greatest diversity in Africa and relatively few species in Europe and North America. Several cockroach and termite species have been transported globally by human activity.

Diet

Most are omnivores or . Many feed on wood, aided by symbiotic gut protozoa or cellulose-digesting . Termites also engage in , consuming fecal pellets to recycle nitrogen and acquire digestive microbes.

Life Cycle

are hemimetabolous, with nymphs resembling except in size and wing development; no pupal stage occurs. Female cockroaches produce containing 12-25 . Growth to maturity typically requires three to four months, though some have multi-year nymphal stages. colonies contain a king and as primary reproductives, with sterile and soldiers; neotenic reproductives can develop within colonies. Termite workers in the central nest, and consumption contributes to nitrogen recycling.

Behavior

are and exhibit ; some display parental care. are eusocial with trail following, kin recognition, and . Both groups share behaviors including thigmotaxis, burrowing, substrate manipulation, hygienic behavior, food sharing, allogrooming, and antennal cropping. cockroaches aggregate while often compete aggressively.

Ecological Role

and function as decomposers in , processing decaying plant material. Termite mounds in Africa can reach nine meters tall and thirty meters diameter, creating localized hotspots and supporting biodiversity. Termite nitrogen recycling through consumption contributes to colony nutrition and reproductive output.

Human Relevance

Several are household pests transported globally by human activity. Subterranean termites including Coptotermes formosanus and C. gestroi cause significant structural damage and have established in the United States. Research on nitrogen recycling and artificial sweeteners has explored potential management applications.

Similar Taxa

MantodeaMantodea is the sister group to within the Dictyoptera; both share foreleg modifications in mantids versus the generalized legs of Blattodea
IsopteraFormerly treated as a separate order for , now synonymized with based on phylogenetic evidence showing termites nested within

More Details

Evolutionary History

Cladistic analysis of sequences confirmed are nested within , with Cryptocercidae as sister group to termites. The extinct Alienopteridae was reassigned from its own order to superfamily Umenocoleoidea, though recent analysis places it outside Blattodea within Dictyoptera.

Social Organization Contrast

exhibit true eusociality with sterile and a single reproductive pair per colony. are not colonial but aggregate; all can reproduce, though Cryptocercus shows more termite-like social including allogrooming and parental care.