Blattoidea Explained
Blattoidea is a superfamily of cockroaches and termites in the order Blattodea. There are about 17 families and more than 4,100 described species in Blattoidea.
The 12 families of termites are sometimes considered members of the suborder Isoptera, but recent phylogenetic analysis places them within the cockroach superfamily Blattoidea. Within Blattoidea, the termites are grouped under the epifamily Termitoidae.
The great coal deposits of the Carboniferous Period have been attributed in part to the lack of wood-consuming insects such as blattoids, which do not appear in the fossil record until the late Carboniferous.[1] [2]
Families
These 17 families belong to the superfamily Blattoidea:
Cockroaches
Epifamily Blattoidae
Epifamily Cryptocercoidae
Termites
Epifamily Termitoidae
- Archotermopsidae Engel et al., 2009 (rottenwood termites)
- Hodotermitidae Desneux, 1904
- Kalotermitidae Froggart, 1897 (drywood termites)
- Mastotermitidae Desneux 1904
- Rhinotermitidae Froggart, 1897 (subterranean termites)
- Serritermitidae Holmgren, 1910
- Stolotermitidae Holmgren, 1910
- Stylotermitidae Holmgren & Holmgren, 1917
- Termitidae Latreille, 1802 (higher termites)
- † Archeorhinotermitidae Krishna, 2003
- † Cratomastotermitidae Engel et al., 2009
- † Termopsidae Holmgren, 1911
Further reading
- Catalog and Atlas of the Cockroaches of North America North of Mexico. 1991. Atkinson . Thomas H.. Koehler . Philip G.. Patterson . Richard S.. Miscellaneous Publications of the Entomological Society of America. 78. 1–85. 978-9991575872. 0071-0717.
Notes and References
- Book: Shaw . Scott R. . Planet of the bugs: evolution and the rise of insects . Chicago . 9780226163758 . 74–75.
- Book: McGhee . George R. . Carboniferous giants and mass extinction: the late Paleozoic Ice Age world . New York . 9780231180979 . 99.
