Sometimes considered a suborder of order Dictyoptera (treated here as a superorder.) Termites used to be treated as a separate order (Isoptera). The Guide follows classification adopted in (1)

Explanation of Names

Blattaria Latreille 1810

Numbers

~70 spp. of cockroaches and 44 spp. of termites in our area(2)(3); worldwide, ~4,600 spp. in ~500 genera of 7 families of cockroaches and ~3000 spp. in ~300 genera of 9 families of termites (~7,500 spp. in ~770 genera combined)(1)(4)

Overview of our fauna (* –taxa not yet in the guide; classification adapted from(1)(5)):

Order Blattodea

Superfamily BLABEROIDEA

Family Blaberidae

Subfamily Blaberinae Blaberus · Hemiblabera · *Phoetalia

Subfamily Epilamprinae Epilampra

Subfamily Oxyhaloinae [Tribe *Gromphadorhini: *Gromphadorhina ] Tribe Nauphoetini: Nauphoeta · *Rhyparobia

Subfamily Panchlorinae Panchlora

Subfamily Pycnoscelinae Pycnoscelus

Family Ectobiidae

Subfamily Blattellinae Attaphila · Blattella · Ischnoptera · Parcoblatta · Pseudomops · Symploce

Subfamily Pseudophyllodromiinae Aglaopteryx · Cariblatta · Chorisoneura · Euthlastoblatta · Latiblattella · Neoblattella · Plectoptera · Supella

Subfamily Ectobiinae Capraiellus · Ectobius · Luridiblatta

Superfamily BLATTOIDEA

Epifamily BLATTOIDAE

Family Blattidae

Subfamily Blattinae Blatta · Neostylopyga · Periplaneta · Shelfordella

Subfamily Polyzosteriinae Eurycotis

Epifamily CRYPTOCERCOIDAE

Family Cryptocercidae Cryptocercus

Epifamily TERMITOIDAE

Family Archotermopsidae Zootermopsis

Family Kalotermitidae Calcaritermes · Cryptotermes · Incisitermes · Kalotermes · Marginitermes · Neotermes · Paraneotermes · Pterotermes

Family Rhinotermitidae Coptotermes · *Heterotermes · *Prorhinotermes · Reticulitermes

Family Termitidae

Subfamily Termitinae Amitermes · Gnathamitermes

Subfamily Nasutitermitinae *Nasutitermes · Tenuirostritermes

Subfamily Apicotermitinae Anoplotermes

Superfamily CORYDIOIDEA

Family Corydiidae

Subfamily Corydiinae Arenivaga · Eremoblatta

Subfamily *Holocompsinae *Holocompsa

Subfamily Latindiinae Compsodes · Myrmecoblatta

Range

worldwide and throughout NA

Habitat

Most our species live outdoors; those found indoors may be "pest" species or get inside inadvertently

Life Cycle

Remarks

synanthropic spp. discussed in (7)

Print References

(8)(9)

Internet References

Fact sheet, synanthropic spp. (Rust & Reierson 2007)(10)

Works Cited

1. Beccaloni G.W. (2007‒2023) Cockroach species file

2. American Insects: A Handbook of the Insects of America North of Mexico
Ross H. Arnett. 2000. CRC Press.

3. Catalog and atlas of the cockroaches (Dictyoptera) of North America north of Mexico
Atkinson T.H., Koehler P.G., Patterson R.S. 1991. Misc. Publ. Entomol. Soc. Amer. 78: 1-86.

4. Annotated checklist of the cockroaches of Florida (Dictyoptera: Blattaria: Blattidae, Polyphagidae, Blattellidae, Blaberidae)
Atkinson T.H., Koehler P.G., Patterson R.S. 1990. Florida Entomologist 73: 303-327.

5. Constantino R. (2002-2012) On-line termite database

6. The Insects : Structure and Function
R. F. Chapman. 1998. Cambridge University Press.

7. Urban entomology
Ebeling W. 1978. University of California Division of Agricultural Sciences: 695 pp.

8. Synopsis of Orthoptera (sensu lato) of Alabama
Matt E. Dakin, Jr., and Kirby L. Hays. 1970. Auburn University Agricultural Experiment Station Bulletin, No. 404.

9. The Insect and Arachnids of Canada. Part 14. The grasshoppers, crickets, and related insects of Canada and adjacent regions...
Vickery, V. R. and D. K. McE. Kevan. 1986. Biosystematics Research Institute, Agriculture Canada.

10. University of California Statewide Integrated Pest Management Program

Contributed by Charley Eiseman on 11 October, 2009 - 3:55pm
Additional contributions by Beatriz Moisset, Mike Quinn, v belov, John Carlson, Marci Hess, Hisserdude, Blocky, Arturo Santos
Last updated 20 February, 2024 - 5:15pm

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