Blattodea

Blattodea
Temporal range: Late Jurassic–Present[1] Stem groups present since Late Carboniferous[2]
Domino cockroach Therea petiveriana
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Superorder: Dictyoptera
Order: Blattodea
Wattenwyl, 1882
Superfamilies
Synonyms
  • Blattaria (cockroaches only)

Blattodea is an order of insects that contains cockroaches and termites.[3] Formerly, termites were considered a separate order, Isoptera, but genetic and molecular evidence suggests they evolved from within the cockroach lineage, cladistically making them cockroaches as well.[4] The Blattodea and the mantis (order Mantodea) are now all considered part of the superorder Dictyoptera. Blattodea includes approximately 4,400 species of cockroach in almost 500 genera, and about 3,000 species of termite in around 300 genera.

Termites are pale-coloured, soft-bodied eusocial insects that live in colonies, whereas cockroaches are darker-coloured (often brown), sclerotized, segmented insects. Within the colony, termites have a caste system, with a pair of mature reproductives, the king and the queen, and numerous sterile workers and soldiers. Cockroaches are not colonial but do have a tendency to aggregate and may be considered pre-social, as all adults are capable of breeding. Other similarities between the two groups include various social behaviours, trail following, kin recognition, and methods of communication.

  1. ^ Vršanský, P.; Palková, H.; Vršanská, L.; Koubová, I.; Hinkelman, J. (2022). "Mesozoic origin-delayed explosive radiation of the cockroach family Corydiidae Saussure, 1864". Biologia. 78 (6): 1627–1658. doi:10.1007/s11756-022-01279-1. S2CID 254479766.
  2. ^ Vršanský, P.; Aristov, D.; Hain, M.; Kúdelová, T.; Kúdela, M.; Metscher, B.; Palková, H.; Káčerová, J.; Hinkelman, J. (2022). "Longest-surviving Carboniferous-family insect found in Mesozoic amber". Biologia. 78 (6): 1611–1626. Bibcode:2022Biolg..78.1611V. doi:10.1007/s11756-022-01192-7. S2CID 251602597.
  3. ^ "ITIS Standard Report Page: Blattodea". www.itis.gov. Retrieved 10 May 2018.
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference :3 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).