Giant cockroaches, or blaberids, are the second-largest cockroach family by number of species. Mostly distributed in warmer climates worldwide, this family is based on the American genus Blaberus, but much of the diversity is also found in Africa and Asia.
Blattidae is a cockroach family in the order Blattodea containing several of the most common household cockroaches. Notable species include:
Ectobiidae is a family of the order Blattodea (cockroaches). This family contains many of the smaller common household pest cockroaches, among others. They are sometimes called wood cockroaches. A few notable species include:
Nocticolidae is a small family in the order Blattodea (cockroaches). It consists of only 32 known species in 9 genera. They are found in Africa, Asia and Australia. Most live in cave habitats, although a few are associated with termites. Cave adapted species are known from the Cenomanian aged Burmese amber, making them the oldest extant cavernicolous organisms.
Blattodea is an order of insects that contains cockroaches and termites. 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. The Blattodea and the mantis 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.
Holocompsa is a genus of hairy sand cockroaches in the family Corydiidae. It is the only genus in the subfamily Holocompsinae.
Periplaneta is a genus of cockroaches containing some of the well-known pest species with cosmopolitan distributions, such as:
Panchlora is a genus of cockroaches in the subfamily Panchlorinae, erected by Hermann Burmeister in 1838. Species are mostly found in the Americas and Africa. Most species in this genus are green in colour, but some are cream or grey.
Corydioidea is a superfamily of insects in the order Blattodea containing the cockroaches and termites. It contains two extant families, Corydiidae and Nocticolidae, comprising about fifty genera and two hundred and fifty species, along with the extinct family Liberiblattinidae. Members of this superfamily are found worldwide, mostly in hot, arid habitats.
Alienopteridae is an extinct family of dictyopterans, known from the Mid-Cretaceous to Eocene. They are noted for their unusual combination of features not found in other dictyopterans.
Eucorydia is a genus of cockroaches. Species are found in Asia. They are characterized by a metallic greenish-bluish pronotum and sometimes orange markings on the tegmina and/or abdomen.
Epilampra is a genus of cockroach in the family Blaberidae. There are more than 70 described species in the genus Epilampra.
Chorisoneura is a genus of cockroach in the family Ectobiidae. There are at least 90 described species in Chorisoneura.
Pseudomops is a genus of cockroach in the family Ectobiidae. There are more than 40 described species in Pseudomops.
Mesoblattinidae is an extinct, problematic family of cockroaches known from the Mesozoic. It was formerly considered a wastebasket taxon for Mesozoic cockroaches, but the family has subsequently been better defined, with many taxa transferred to Caloblattinidae. It is considered to have close affinities with Blattidae and Ectobiidae, as well as possibly Blaberidae. The family first appeared by the Early Jurassic. They are considered to represent amongst the oldest groups of modern cockroaches, and like them are thought to have laid oothecae. Due to the poor ability of forewing venation to correctly classify cockroaches to extensive homoplasy, the value of this family as a taxonomic unit has been strongly questioned, with some authors considering the family a nomen dubium.
Liberiblattinidae is an extinct family of cockroaches known from the Jurassic to Cretaceous. Some taxa, like Cryptoblatta and Hydrokhoohydra, are suggested to be semiaquatic. Spongistoma is suggested to be a nectarivore due to its unique sucking/sponging "proboscis" mouthparts. Some authors have suggested that the family is ancestral to Mantodea.
Anaplecta is a genus in the family Anaplectidae. There are at least 20 described species in Anaplecta.
Corydiinae is a subfamily of the order Blattodea (cockroaches). Many are known as sand cockroaches. The subfamily, comprising about 20 genera, contains half the genera in Corydiidae. One prominent species is the desert cockroach, Arenivaga investigata.
Paratropes is a genus of cockroaches within the family Ectobiidae. There are currently 14 species assigned to the genus. Members of this genus are distributed across North and South America in countries such as Mexico, Colombia, Panama and Peru.
Latindia is a genus of cockroaches in the family Corydiidae. There are about nine described species in Latindia.
