| Parcoblatta americana | |
|---|---|
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Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Blattodea |
| Family: | Ectobiidae |
| Genus: | Parcoblatta |
| Species: | P. americana |
| Binomial name | |
| Parcoblatta americana | |
| Synonyms | |
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Parcoblatta americana, the western wood cockroach, is a species of wood cockroach that occurs in Mexico and the western United States. [4] [5]
The species has significant size and color variation, thought to be due to environmental conditions, particularly the effect of aridity. [6]
The male of the species has normal, fully developed tegmina and wings, and a tuft of hairs on the back of its middle abdomen. [6] The general coloration in the male can vary from shining dark brown or blackish to a pale yellowish to slightly reddish tan. [6] [7] The tegmina are translucent in all colorations, and the ocelli (simple eye spots) are a yellowish tan. [6]
Females of the species have very greatly reduced tegmina, represented by lobe-like lateral pads, and no hind wings. [6] The female general coloration ranges from a shining reddish orange or brown, slightly darker on the back of the abdomen, to a shining dark brown, or shining black with blackish brown underparts. [6] [7] The ocelli are tannish in all colorations. [6]
Morgan Hebard's 1917 description [8] included measurement ranges based on 14 male specimens and 7 female specimens: [6]
| Male | Female | |
|---|---|---|
| Body length | 12.0–14.8 mm (0.47–0.58 in) | 8.8–13.3 mm (0.35–0.52 in) |
| Pronotum length | 2.8–3.7 mm (0.11–0.15 in) | 2.8–3.9 mm (0.11–0.15 in) |
| Pronotum width | 3.8–4.6 mm (0.15–0.18 in) | 3.8–5.7 mm (0.15–0.22 in) |
| Tegmina length | 13.6–15.2 mm (0.54–0.60 in) | 1.4–2.4 mm (0.055–0.094 in) |
| Tegmina width | 4.2–5.3 mm (0.17–0.21 in) | 1.6–2.2 mm (0.063–0.087 in) |
The male P. americana has a single specialized area on its abdomen, on the back of its median segment, in the form of a tuft of agglutinated hairs. [6] Parcoblatta zebra is the only other male of the genus Parcoblatta that shares this characteristic, but on P. americana the tuft is small and quadrate (squarish), with the rest of the segment showing little specialization, while on P. zebra the tuft is much broader, with the rest of the segment showing further specialization. [6] The male Parcoblatta virginica also has a single specialized area on its abdomen, but it has minute hairs scattered over a large specialized area on the back of its median segment, rather than a tuft of agglutinated hairs. [6]
The female Parcoblatta bolliana is the only other female of the genus Parcoblatta that has such significantly reduced tegmina and absence of hind wings. [6] The female P. bolliana is distinguished from P. americana by its compact form, space between its compound eyes less than the space between its antennal sockets, its tegmina having few traces of venation, and its supra-anal plate weakly produced with its side edges converging to a broadly rounded apex, while the P. americana having a normal, less compact form, space between its compound eyes noticeably wider than the space between its antennal sockets, its tegmina have visible venation, its supra-anal plate is normally produced with its side edges converging to a sharply rounded apex. [6]
The species is known in Mexico and the western United States, including Oregon, California, Nevada, and Arizona. [1] [6] It has also been recorded in a home in Klickitat County, Washington. [9]
Both sexes of P. americana have been found in the nests of the Veromessor chicoensis (a harvester ant, also classified as Messor chicoensis), [10] [11] where they reside during the day, and emerge at night to feed on the debris pile around the nest. [12] Nymphs of P. americana were taken from houses of pack rats (genus Neotoma) in Orange County, California. [13] The species has been observed feeding on an apple that was six feet off the ground. [5]
A study area in California's Santa Monica Mountains found the species to be fairly common, but localized to the area. The study found them occurring in chaparral, grassland, oak woodland, and coastal sage (Artemisia californica), and occurring as adults in early to mid summer. [7] Females and nymphs lived on the ground, and were found under rocks, in rotting wood, in ant nests. [7] Adult males lived separately from females and nymphs; they were attracted to light, and would sometimes perch on chaparral plants at night. [7]
The American cockroach is the largest species of common cockroach, and often considered a pest. In certain regions of the U.S. it is colloquially known as the waterbug, though it is not a true waterbug since it is not aquatic. It is also known as the ship cockroach, kakerlac, and Bombay canary. It is often misidentified as a palmetto bug.
The Florida woods cockroach is a large cockroach species which typically grows to a length of 30–40 mm (1.2–1.6 in). When alarmed, adults can eject an extremely foul-smelling directional spray up to 1 m, which inspired several of its other common names: Florida skunk roach, Florida stinkroach, skunk cockroach, skunk roach, stinking cockroach, and stinkroach. Two other naming variations include Florida cockroach and Florida woods roach.
The oriental cockroach, also known as the waterbug or black cockroaches, is a large species of cockroach, adult males being 18–29 mm (0.71–1.14 in) and adult females being 20–27 mm (0.79–1.06 in). It is dark brown or black in color and has a glossy body. The female has a somewhat different appearance from the male, appearing to be wingless at a casual glance, but is brachypterous, having non-functional wings just below her head. She has a wider body than the male. The male has long wings, which cover three quarters of the abdomen and are brown in color, and has a narrower body. Both of them are flightless. The female oriental cockroach looks somewhat similar to the Florida woods cockroach and may be mistaken for it. Originally endemic to the Crimean Peninsula and the region around the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea, its distribution is now cosmopolitan.
The Surinam cockroach or greenhouse cockroach is a species of burrowing cockroach. It is a common plant pest endemic to the Indomalayan realm that has spread to tropical and into subtropical regions around the world, and in isolated populations to temperate climates where protective habitat such as greenhouses provide shelter for individuals inadvertently shipped in the soil of plants. Its populations are almost exclusively female, and it reproduces through parthenogenesis, having evolved several clonal strains from its sexual progenitor P. indicus.
The Australian cockroach is a common species of tropical cockroach, with a length of 23–35 mm (0.91–1.38 in). It is brown overall, with the tegmina having a conspicuous lateral pale stripe or margin, and the pronotum with a sharply contrasting pale or yellow margin. It is very similar in appearance to the American cockroach and may be easily mistaken for it. It is, however, slightly smaller than the American cockroach, and has a yellow margin on the thorax and yellow streaks at its sides near the wing base.
The smokybrown cockroach is a large species of cockroach, winged, and growing to a length of 32–35 millimetres (1.3–1.4 in).
The Pennsylvania wood cockroach or Pennsylvanian cockroach is a common species of cockroach in eastern and central North America.
Parcoblatta virginica, the Virginia wood cockroach, is a small cockroach species of the genus Parcoblatta, measuring about a centimeter long as an adult.
Parcoblatta fulvescens, the fulvous wood cockroach, is a species of cockroach endemic to the United States and possibly Canada that measures around 13 mm (0.5 in) long.
The brown cockroach is a species of cockroach in the family Blattidae. It is probably originally native to Africa, but today it has a circumtropical distribution, having been widely introduced. In cooler climates it can only survive indoors, and it is considered a household pest.
Cariblatta lutea is a small species of cockroach native to the United States and other countries, measuring usually around 7 millimeters long as an adult and under 2 millimeters from head tip to abdomen tip at the 1st instar or hatchling. It consists of two subspecies, the small yellow cockroach, and the least yellow cockroach.
Parcoblatta divisa, the southern wood cockroach, is a species of cockroach native to the United States.
Parcoblatta bolliana, Boll's wood cockroach or Boll's wood roach, is a small species of wood cockroach native to the United States, measuring around 11 mm (0.43 in) long.
Parcoblatta uhleriana, the Uhler's wood cockroach, is a species of Parcoblatta native to the United States and Canada. It is a forest species also found in disturbed and urban environments. The male of the species flies freely, while the female does not fly.
Parcoblatta lata, the broad wood cockroach, is a species of wood cockroach native to the United States. It is one of the largest species of wood cockroaches.
Parcoblatta caudelli, Caudell's wood cockroach or Caudell's wood roach, is a species of cockroach native to the United States.
Parcoblatta zebra, the banded wood cockroach, is a species of Parcoblatta native to the United States. It has dark transverse bands across the back of its abdomen.
Parcoblatta desertae, the desert wood cockroach or desert cockroach, is a species of Parcoblatta endemic to the United States state of Texas.
Parcoblatta notha, the Arizona wood cockroach, is a species of wood cockroach that occurs only in the southwestern US state of Arizona. It is a relatively large, light colored member of the 12-species wood cockroach genus Parcoblatta. The male has fully developed wings and is able to fly, while the female wings are around half as long and does not fly.
Ectobius vittiventris, the amber wood cockroach or amber forest cockroach, is a species belonging to the order Blattodea and is a type of wood cockroach originally from southern Europe. It is completely harmless to humans and is not a storage pest, as it only feeds on decomposing plant material and perishes within a few days in human dwellings due to a lack of food. Its original range was south of the Alps, but is now permanently established north of the Alps and in southern Germany.