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Blattodea
Guides
Aglaopteryx gemma
little gem cockroach
Aglaopteryx gemma is a small cockroach species in the family Ectobiidae, commonly known as the little gem cockroach. First described by Hebard in 1917, this species occurs in the southeastern United States and the Bahamas. It belongs to a genus of small, often inconspicuous cockroaches that inhabit leaf litter and ground-level vegetation.
Archotermopsidae
Dampwood termites
Archotermopsidae is a small family of primitive termites in the order Blattodea, commonly known as dampwood termites. The family was established in 2009 when five genera were split from the former Termopsidae. As of 2022, it contains two extant genera: Archotermopsis and Zootermopsis, with five living species. These termites are characterized by their dependence on moist or decaying wood and their limited economic importance compared to other termite families.
Arenivaga
sand cockroaches, desert cockroaches
Arenivaga is a genus of sand cockroaches in the family Corydiidae, comprising approximately 48 species distributed across the southwestern United States, Florida, and Mexico. These insects are highly adapted to arid environments, inhabiting sandy soils and dunes with moisture content below 1%. The genus exhibits extreme sexual dimorphism, with winged males and wingless, fossorial females that 'swim' through sand. A 2014 revision by Heidi Hopkins added 39 new species to the previously known nine, revealing a remarkable radiation in desert habitats.
Arenivaga investigata
desert cockroach
Arenivaga investigata, the desert cockroach, is a species in the family Corydiidae endemic to the Colorado Desert of California. It is notable for its ability to absorb water vapor from unsaturated air above 82.5% relative humidity, a physiological adaptation that allows survival in one of the most arid environments on Earth. The species exhibits extreme sexual dimorphism, with wingless females and fully winged males. It inhabits sand dunes and is primarily found in subsurface microhabitats where temperature and moisture conditions remain favorable.
Arenivaga sequoia
desert cockroach, sand cockroach
Arenivaga sequoia is a species of desert cockroach in the family Corydiidae, described by Heidi Hopkins in 2014 as part of a major revision of the genus Arenivaga. This species belongs to a group known for remarkable adaptations to harsh, arid environments. Like other Arenivaga species, it exhibits dramatic sexual dimorphism, with females appearing markedly different from males. The species was described based on male specimens, with species separation relying on complex genital characters. It is one of 39 new species discovered during Hopkins' four-year revision, which increased the genus from nine to 48 species.
Blattoidea
Typical Cockroaches and Termites
Blattoidea is a superfamily within the order Blattodea encompassing cockroaches and termites. It comprises approximately 17 families and over 4,100 described species. The superfamily includes two major epifamilies: Blattoidae (typical cockroaches), Cryptocercoidae (brown-hooded cockroaches), and Termitoidae (termites). Molecular phylogenetic studies have clarified relationships among major lineages, though subfamilial classifications remain under revision.
Chorisoneura
Chorisoneura is a genus of cockroaches containing at least 90 described species. The genus was established by Brunner von Wattenwyl in 1865 and is currently classified in the family Pseudophyllodromiidae (formerly placed in Ectobiidae). Species in this genus are distributed across the Americas, with records from Mexico through South America.
Chrysops cincticornis
Ring-clawed Deer Fly
Chrysops cincticornis is a deer fly in the family Tabanidae, first described by Walker in 1848. It is commonly known as the Ring-clawed Deer Fly. The species has been documented in Vermont and other parts of the United States, with 291 observations recorded on iNaturalist. Research on this species has focused on its oviposition behavior and fecundity, with laboratory studies showing females deposit eggs in gelatinous masses on mud substrates near water, averaging 156 eggs per female.
deer-flyTabanidaeDipteramedical-entomologyovipositionfecundityring-clawed-deer-flyVermontUnited-Statesmud-substrategelatinous-egg-massChrysopsinaeChrysopsiniWalker-1848iNaturalistlaboratory-rearingegg-mass156-eggsrange-42-312near-watermud-like-substrateegg-depositionreproductionbehavioral-studymedical-entomology-researchinsect-vectorsbiting-fliestabanid-flieshorse-fliesdeer-fliesChrysopsNorth-AmericaNew-Englandobservation-recordssynonym-status-in-Catalogue-of-Lifeaccepted-status-in-GBIFarthropodinsectflyBrachyceraTabanomorphaHexapodaPterygotaAnimaliaArthropodaInsectacincticornisChrysops-cincticornis-Walker-1848Chrysops-(Chrysops)-cincticornisdeerflyhorseflytabanidbiting-flyvectoroviposition-behaviorfecundity-studyJournal-of-Medical-Entomology198210.1093/jmedent/19.5.597gelatinous-secretionmudwaterlaboratory-conditionsmean-fecundityegg-productionreproductive-biologyentomologyinsect-behaviorinsect-reproductiondipterantrue-flytwo-winged-flynematoceranCyclorrhaphaAschizaSchizophoraAcalyptrataeCalyptrataeOestroideaMuscoideaHippoboscoideaGlossinidaeCalliphoridaeSarcophagidaeMuscidaeFanniidaeAnthomyiidaeScathophagidaeOestridaeTachinidaeSiphonapteraPhthirapteraHemipteraColeopteraLepidopteraHymenopteraNeuropteraMegalopteraRaphidiopteraTrichopteraStrepsipteraMecopteraDipluraProturaCollembolaZygentomaArchaeognathaEphemeropteraOdonataPlecopteraGrylloblattodeaMantophasmatodeaPhasmatodeaOrthopteraDermapteraEmbiopteraZorapteraIsopteraBlattodeaMantodeaPhyllodocidaNotopteraWalker1848speciestaxongelatinoushabitatdistributionGBIFCatalogue-of-LifeNCBIlaboratory-studybehaviorlife-cyclesubstratemud-likemeanrange42-312femaleobservationrecordspecimencollectionmuseumresearchstudyarticleabstractDOIbiologyecologyhorse-flyacceptedsynonymtaxonomyclassificationUS291-observationslaboratory291-iNaturalist-observationsGBIF-distribution-recordsaccepted-species-statussynonym-in-Catalogue-of-Life156-eggs-mean-fecundityrange-42-312-eggs1982-Journal-of-Medical-Entomology-publicationDOI-10.1093/jmedent/19.5.597entomology-researchdipteran-biologyCompsodes schwarzi
Schwarz's Hooded Cockroach
Compsodes schwarzi is a small cockroach species in the family Corydiidae, commonly known as Schwarz's hooded cockroach. It occurs in the southern United States and Mexico, with records from Arizona, Florida, and Texas. The species was originally described as Latindia schwarzi by Caudell in 1903 before being transferred to Compsodes. It belongs to a group of cockroaches sometimes referred to as 'hooded cockroaches' due to morphological features of the pronotum.
Corydiidae
Sand Cockroaches, Sand Roaches
Corydiidae is a family of cockroaches in the order Blattodea, commonly known as sand cockroaches or sand roaches. The family was previously classified as Polyphagidae and contains approximately 40 genera divided among five subfamilies: Corydiinae, Latindiinae, Tiviinae, Euthyrrhaphinae, and Holocompsinae. Members are frequently associated with harsh, dry habitats including deserts and arid regions—environments not typically associated with cockroaches. Many species exhibit subterranean habits, making them easily overlooked. The genus Arenivaga (desert cockroaches) is particularly notable, with 39 new species described in a 2014 revision, expanding from 9 previously known species. The family has a worldwide distribution with significant diversity in North America, Asia, and other arid regions.
Cryptocercus wrighti
Cryptocercus wrighti is a wood-feeding cockroach species in the family Cryptocercidae, described in 1999 from specimens in North Carolina. Like other members of its genus, it exhibits subsocial behavior and inhabits decaying wood in forested environments. The species is one of several North American Cryptocercus species that share ecological and behavioral traits with the genus's type species, C. punctulatus.
Ectobiinae
wood cockroaches
Ectobiinae is a subfamily of small to medium-sized cockroaches within the family Ectobiidae, characterized by morphological diversity and taxonomic complexity. The subfamily includes numerous genera distributed across Europe, North Africa, and the Mediterranean region, with several groups showing recent northward range expansion. Taxonomic revisions have revealed extensive cryptic diversity, with new genera such as Planuncus and multiple subgenera established based on detailed morphological analysis. Some species exhibit unusual reproductive strategies including geographic parthenogenesis.
Eremoblatta subdiaphana
Hairy Desert Cockroach
Eremoblatta subdiaphana, commonly known as the hairy desert cockroach, is a species of cockroach in the family Corydiidae. It is native to arid regions of southwestern North America. The species is characterized by its hairy appearance and adaptations to desert environments.
Latiblattella
Latiblattella is a genus of cockroaches in the family Ectobiidae, established by Hebard in 1917. The genus contains approximately 18 described species distributed across the Americas. Species in this genus have been subjects of behavioral studies, particularly regarding mating behavior.
Periplaneta japonica
Japanese cockroach, Yamato cockroach
Periplaneta japonica is a cold-tolerant cockroach native to Japan, adapted to cooler northern climates. It possesses a flexible life cycle with facultative nymphal diapause, allowing nymphs to overwinter once or twice before reaching maturity. The species produces a unique viscous proteinaceous secretion in nymphs that enables active defense against ant predators. First documented in the United States in 2012 in New York City, it has been observed to survive outdoors in freezing temperatures, distinguishing it from most urban cockroach pests.
Polyzosteriinae
Polyzosteriinae is a subfamily of cockroaches within the family Blattidae. The subfamily includes species with documented allopatric population structures, such as the Tasmanian endemic Polyzosteria yingina, which exhibits strongly separated alpine and coastal populations. Mating behavior has been studied in at least one species, Eurycotis floridana, revealing courtship rituals and copulatory sequences. The subfamily is taxonomically established within Blattodea but detailed biological information remains limited to individual species studies.
Pseudophyllodromiinae
Pseudophyllodromiinae is a subfamily of cockroaches within the family Ectobiidae, distributed worldwide. The subfamily contains at least five tribes (Baltini, Neoblattellini, Plectopterini, Pseudophyllodromiini, Supellini) and numerous genera including Allacta, Supella, and Cariblatta. Some species are notable tree climbers in forest habitats.
Symploce
Symploce is a genus of small cockroaches in the family Ectobiidae, established by Hebard in 1916. The genus contains species distributed across Europe, Asia, Australia, and the Americas. One species, Symploce pallens, has been subject to biological study examining its development and reproduction. The mitochondrial genome of a related species, Episymploce splendens, has been sequenced, revealing unusual tRNA deletions.