Caenocara blanchardi
Fall, 1905
desert cockroach
Caenocara blanchardi is a of desert cockroach described by Fall in 1905. It belongs to the Ptinidae (formerly treated as Anobiidae), a group of beetles commonly known as spider beetles or deathwatch beetles. The species is known from arid regions of western North America, with records from British Columbia, Canada. Very little is known about its specific or .
Pronunciation
How to pronounce Caenocara blanchardi: /kaɪˈnɒkərə ˈblæntʃərdaɪ/
These audio files are automatically generated. While they are not always 100% accurate, they are a good starting point.
Habitat
Desert environments; arid regions of western North America.
Distribution
North America; recorded from British Columbia, Canada.
Misconceptions
Despite the "desert cockroach," this is not a true (order Blattodea) but rather a (order Coleoptera). The name refers to superficial resemblance or preference, not taxonomic affinity.
More Details
Taxonomic note
placement has varied: treated as Anobiidae in some sources (e.g., GBIF) but currently placed in Ptinidae (e.g., NCBI, iNaturalist). Ptinidae is now widely recognized as a distinct family within Bostrichoidea.
Data scarcity
Only one observation is recorded in iNaturalist as of source date, indicating this is rarely encountered or underreported.