Brown-hooded Cockroaches
Cryptocercidae
Classification
- Phylum: Arthropoda
- Subphylum: Hexapoda
- Class: Insecta
- Order: Blattodea
- Superfamily: Blattoidea
- Family: Cryptocercidae
Pronunciation
How to pronounce Cryptocercidae: //ˌkrɪptoʊˈsɜːrsɪˌdiː//
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Images
Summary
Cryptocercus is a genus of wood roaches, the sole member of the family Cryptocercidae. It represents a link between cockroaches and termites, as it shows many characteristics that are shared with termites, suggesting a close evolutionary relationship.
Habitat
Temperate forests
Distribution
Holarctic, most diverse in China; 4 species in the Appalachians and 1 species in northwestern US
Diet
Wood
Ecosystem Role
Subsocial, their young require considerable parental interaction and they share wood-digesting gut bacteria with termites.
Evolution
Cryptocercus is more closely related to termites than to other cockroaches, with a common ancestor dating from the early Cretaceous.
Tags
- Cryptocercidae
- Cockroaches
- Wood roaches
- Subsocial behavior