| Parcoblatta desertae | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Blattodea |
| Family: | Ectobiidae |
| Genus: | Parcoblatta |
| Species: | P. desertae |
| Binomial name | |
| Parcoblatta desertae | |
| Synonyms | |
Parcoblatta desertae, the desert wood cockroach or desert cockroach, is a species of Parcoblatta endemic to the United States state of Texas. [3] [4]
The tegmina (outer forewings) and inner wings of the male are normal and fully developed, while in the female, the tegmina reach only the base of the median abdominal segment, and the inner wings are small, vestigial pads.
Male coloration is a generally dull, light ochre color, with blackish brown eyes, semi-transparent dull ochre tegmina, and hyaline (glassy) wings.
Female coloration is described twice in Morgan Hebard's 1917 description, [5] separately describing the female type specimen, which he noted was smaller and paler than three other female specimens, which he thought was probably due to decidedly reduced vegetation in the area from which it was taken. The female type specimen was described as having a dull ochre-orange coloration on the head, pronotum, and underside of the abdomen, with sides of the pronotum (the plate behind the head) and its transparent tegmina a dull ochre, and the mesonotum (plate behind the pronotum), metanotum (plate behind the mesonotum), and back of its abdomen a russet color. Other female specimens were more intensely colored, with the head, pronotum, mesonotum and metanotum a russet color, the pronotum shading to ochre-tawny on its sides, the abdomen a shining blackish-brown, and the tegmina mostly a transparent russet.
Hebard's 1917 description included measurement ranges based on 7 male specimens and 4 female specimens: [5]
| Male | Female | |
|---|---|---|
| Body length | 11.3–13.8 mm (0.44–0.54 in) | 9.5–11.6 mm (0.37–0.46 in) |
| Pronotum length | 2.8–3.3 mm (0.11–0.13 in) | 3.0–3.6 mm (0.12–0.14 in) |
| Pronotum width | 3.8–4.3 mm (0.15–0.17 in) | 4.2–4.8 mm (0.17–0.19 in) |
| Tegmina length | 11.2–14.5 mm (0.44–0.57 in) | 3.0–3.5 mm (0.12–0.14 in) |
| Tegmina width | 3.6–4.8 mm (0.14–0.19 in) | 2.1–2.3 mm (0.083–0.091 in) |
Among males of the species, the dorsal surface (back) of the abdomen is unspecialized, a characteristic shared with only one other species of the genus Parcoblatta, Parcoblatta bolliana . Males of species are distinguished by P. desertae having a pale head, moderately decided sulci (grooves) on its pronotum, and a distance between its compound eyes much wider than that between its ocelli, while the P. bolliana has a dark head, very decided sulci on its pronotum, and a distance between its compound eyes no wider than that between its ocelli.
Among females of the species, the most similar member of the genus is Parcoblatta uhleriana; females of both species have wings, but significantly reduced tegmina. Distinguishing characteristics are that female P. desertae are generally pale-colored, have elongate subtriangular tegmina, and the edges of their supra-anal plates form a broad, weak triangular shape at the base of their cerci, while female P. uhleriana are rust-colored to very dark, have roundly subtriangular tegmina, and the edges of their supra-anal plates converge in a weakly concave fashion.
The species is known only in the south-central US state of Texas, in central, south-central, and western parts of the state. [4] [5] Specimens in Hebard's 1917 description were collected from the Chisos Mountains, Shovel Mountain in Burnet County, the Nueces River in Zavala County, and the towns of Fort Davis, Johnstone (in Val Verde County), Rio Frio, and Sabinal. [5]
The species occurs in desert and semidesert mountainous areas. [4] It has been found on the ground "in dry-creek bed through scrub, pine, and juniper forest", it is rarely found on the desert floor, and the type species was found under a boulder in bare desert, a common strategy of desert-inhabiting animals to avoid the extremes of desert climates. [4]
The Florida woods cockroach or palmetto bug 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 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 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.
Myrmicaria brunnea is a species of ant that is native to southern Asia. They have a distinctive down-curved abdomen and spines on the thorax.
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.
Griffiniella heterogamia is a species of cockroach described by Heinrich Hugo Karny in 1908. Its known distribution is limited to the neighboring countries of Namibia and Botswana.
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 americana, the western wood cockroach, is a species of wood cockroach that occurs in Mexico and the western United States.
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.
Spinodares is a monotypic stick insect genus endemic to Borneo, containing Spinodares jenningsi as the only valid species.
Haaniella gintingi is a stick insect species from Sumatra. It is a typical representative of the subfamily Heteropteryginae. The occasionally used common name Ginting’s Haaniella refers to the species name.
Euobrimus cavernosus is a representative of the stick insects native to the Philippines. It is considered one of the largest species in the subfamily Obriminae.