Predators or Herbivores: Cockroaches of Manipulatoridae Revisited with a New Genus from Cretaceous Myanmar Amber (Dictyoptera: Blattaria: Corydioidea)

Manipulator modificaputis Vršanský and Bechly, 2015 (Manipulatoridae, Corydioidea) is a purported predatory cockroach from Cretaceous Myanmar amber, based on a single male. It is distinctive by the nimble head, elongate pronotum and legs, and particularly by the extraordinarily long maxillary palpi. In the present study, we redescribe Manipulator modificaputis based on six new fossils including males and females, and comment on the original description. The closely related Manipulatoides obscura gen. & sp. nov. is proposed on the basis of five fossils, including males and females. It differs from Manipulator in weaker spination of the legs, including the type-C forefemoral spination instead of the type-A of Manipulator. Some undetermined adults and nymphs are also described. We discuss the ethology of Manipulatoridae and speculate that they might feed on flowers. They are unlikely to be specialized predators since they lack necessary weaponry for capturing prey; in contrast, their unique morphotype appears to be suitable for efficient foraging and locomotion amid flowering twigs. The possibility of being kleptoparasites of the spider-web is also discussed. In addition, regenerated four-segmented tarsi are found from the new species.

Morphological, functional, and phylogenetic aspects of the head capsule of the cockroach Ergaula capucina (Insecta/Blattodea)

Background

Cockroaches are usually typical omnivorous detritivores and their cephalic morphology is considered to be ancestral in various aspects. Thus, several studies addressed the morphology and function of the blattodean head, and the cockroach usually serves as a model for standard mouthparts in text books. However, so far only two of the three major lineages of Blattodea have been studied and no detailed information for the head of any Corydioidea was available. The present study closes this gap by providing a detailed morphological description of the head of Ergaula capucina, studying some important functional parameters of the mandible and discussing it in a phylogenetic framework.

Methods

The cephalic morphology of Ergaula studied in detail using a broad set of different techniques including digital microscopy, µ-computed tomography, and 3-dimensional reconstructions. Concerning the functional morphology of the mandible, we compared the volume and effective cross sections of the eight compartments of the primary mandibular adductor muscle for Ergaula, Blattella germanica, and Salganea rossi and measured the mechanical advantage, i.e., the force transmission ratio for all teeth of the mandible of Ergaula.

Results

The head capsule of Ergaula is characterized by a strong sexual dimorphism and typical orthopteran mouthparts. It resembles the head capsule of other roaches in several respects and confirms oesotendons, the reduction of the mesal occelus, and bipartite M. verticopharyngealis and M. hypopharyngosalivaris as blattodean apomorphies. But it also shows some unique adaptations. It is the first described cockroach that lacks the dorsal tentorial arms which has various consequences for the cephalic musculature. On the maxillary lacinia, Ergaula is the first described blattodean to show strong and blunt setae instead of a lacinula, which might be homologues to the dentisetae of dragonflies and mayflies. Like other corydiid roaches that inhabit xeric areas, Ergaula has an atmospheric water-vapor absorption mechanism that includes a gland and a ductus on the epipharnyx and bladders on the hypopharynx. The mandibular adductor is in cockroaches asymmetric, a pattern not found in termites, mantids, or other closely related insects.

New Cockroaches (Dictyoptera: Blattodea) from French Guiana and a Revised Checklist for the Region

Although French Guiana is one of the greatest hotspots of cockroach biodiversity on Earth, there are still undocumented species. From both newly collected and museum specimens, we provide species descriptions for Buboblatta vlasaki sp. nov., Lamproblatta antoni sp. nov., and Euhypnorna bifuscina sp. nov. and report new geographic records for species in the genera Epilampra Burmeister, Euphyllodromia Shelford, Ischnoptera Burmeister, and Euhypnorna Hebard. Finally, we update the checklist of species known from the region to 163 total species records from French Guiana, making it the second greatest hotspot of known cockroach biodiversity on Earth.

Ribosomal DNA internal transcribed spacer 2 sequence analysis and phylogenetic comparison of seven cockroach species in northwestern Iran

Objectives

The current study was conducted to identify cockroach species (Blattodea) of northwestern Iran in public places using morphological characteristics and ribosomal DNA internal transcribed spacer 2 (rDNA-ITS2). Sequences were analyzed with Basic Local Alignment Search Tool (BLAST) searches, Neighbor-Joining methods based on and Tamura-Nei phylogenetic analyses. In addition, eight cockroach rDNA-ITS2 sequences from China, India, Iran and the United States obtained from GenBank were compared to those obtained in this study.

Results

Specimens collected in Iran were identified as Periplaneta americana (L.), Shelfordella lateralis (Walker), Blatta orientalis (L.) (Blattodea: Blattidae), Blattella germanica (L.), Supella longipalpa (F.) (Blattodea: Ectobiidae), Polyphaga aegyptiaca (L.), and Polyphaga saussurei (Dohrn) (Blattodea: Corydiidae). rDNA-ITS2 nucleotide sequence analysis showed 100% similarity between P. aegyptiaca and P. saussurei species collected from Iran despite morphological differences. However, ITS2 sequence of P. americana submitted from China showed 30.49–31.71% difference to P. americana sequences from Iran and the United States. The results highlight the importance of morphological identification of cockroach species before conducting molecular techniques.

Revision of Eucorydia Hebard, 1929 from China, with notes on the genus and species worldwide (Blattodea, Corydioidea, Corydiidae)

The cockroach genus Eucorydia from China is revised. Five new species are described and illustrated: Eucorydialinglongsp. n., Eucorydiapilosasp. n., Eucorydiasplendidasp. n., Eucorydiaguilinensissp. n., and Eucorydiatangisp. n.. Corydiapurpuralis Kirby, 1903 and Eucorydiapaucipilosa Woo, Guo & Feng, 1986 are confirmed to be junior synonyms of Eucorydiadasytoides (Walker, 1868). Eucorydiahilaris (Kirby, 1903) is newly recorded from China. This genus and currently known species from around the world are discussed. The status of Eucorydiamaxwelli (Hanitsch, 1915) is revived. Corydiaplagiata Walker, 1868 is confirmed to be a junior synonym of Eucorydiaornata (Saussure, 1864). A checklist, key, and photographs of members of this genus are provided.

from China (Blattodea, Corydiidae, Latindiinae)

Sinolatindia petila gen. n. and sp. n. (Blattodea: Corydiidae: Latindiinae) is reported from Yunnan Province, China. Description, illustrations and a distribution map of the new taxon are provided. Comparisons with the type genus Latindia Stål, 1860 and the genus Homopteroidea Shelford, 1906 are given.

A revision of the genus Arenivaga (Rehn) (Blattodea, Corydiidae), with descriptions of new species and key to the males of the genus

The cockroach genus Arenivaga is revised. Forty-eight Arenivaga species are recognized with nine previously known species and 39 described as new including the following: A. paganasp. n., A. grandiscanyonensissp. n., A. haringtonisp. n., A. hopkinsorumsp. n., A. umbratilissp. n., A. tenaxsp. n., A. impensasp. n., A. trypherossp. n., A. darwinisp. n., A. nalepaesp. n., A. sequoiasp. n., A. mckittrickaesp. n., A. gaiophanessp. n., A. bellisp. n., A. estelleaesp. n., A. delicatasp. n., A. mortisvallisensissp. n., A. millerisp. n., A. pratchettisp. n., A. gumperzaesp. n., A. rothisp. n., A. riceisp. n., A. adamsisp. n., A. nickleisp. n., A. akanthikossp. n., A. moctezumasp. n., A. paradoxasp. n., A. apaeninsulasp. n., A. hebardisp. n., A. dnopherossp. n., A. aquilasp. n., A. florilegasp. n., A. galeanasp. n., A. gurneyisp. n., A. pumilasp. n., A. hypogaiossp. n., A. diaphanasp. n., A. nocturnasp. n., A. alichenassp. n. All species are described or redescribed, major morphological features are illustrated, distributions are characterized, and the biology of the species is reviewed. A neotype series is designated for A. investigata Friauf & Edney.