Giant cockroaches, or blaberids (family Blaberidae), 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.
Description
They are the only ovoviviparous cockroach family. The ootheca is seen very briefly before being retracted into the body, where soon after the young nymphs hatch inside, the female gives live birth. The cerci are smaller compared to other families, and most of the time are covered by wings. They're mostly found in caves, rotting logs or buried under leaf litter. Many are often kept as pets or as feeder insects, such as Blaberus, Gromphadorhina or Macropanesthia.
Notable species
Notable species within this family include: Cape mountain cockroach – Aptera fusca Dwarf cave cockroach – Blaberus atropos (syn. Blaberus fusca) Death's head cockroach – Blaberus craniifer False death's head cockroach – Blaberus discoidalis Giant cave cockroach – Blaberus giganteus Dubia cockroach – Blaptica dubia Orange head cockroach – Eublaberus posticus Glowspot cockroach – Lucihormetica verrucosa Beetle cockroach – Diploptera punctata Chrome cockroach – Gyna caffrorum Cuban, or green banana cockroach – Panchlora nivea Halloween hissing cockroacH – Elliptorhina javanica Wide-horned hissing cockroach – Gromphadorhina oblongonota Madagascar hissing cockroach – Gromphadorhina portentosa Speckled cockroach – Nauphoeta cinerea Surinam cockroach – Pycnoscelus surinamensis Australian wood cockroach – Panesthia spp. including P. cribrata Giant burrowing cockroach – Macropanesthia rhinoceros Emerald cockroach – Pseudoglomeris magnifica
Subfamilies and genera
The Cockroach Species File lists over 1260 species within 170 valid genera and 14 subfamilies.
Blaberinae
Auth.: Saussure, 1864; distribution: Americas
Archimandrita Saussure, 1893
Aspiduchus Rehn & Hebard, 1927
Bionoblatta Rehn, 1940
Blaberus Serville, 1831
Blaptica Stål, 1874
Byrsotria Stål, 1874
Eublaberus Hebard, 1920
Hemiblabera Saussure, 1893
Hiereoblatta Rehn, 1937
Hormetica Burmeister, 1838
Hyporhicnoda Hebard, 1920
Lucihormetica Zompro & Fritzsche, 1999
Minablatta Rehn, 1940
Monachoda Burmeister, 1838
Monastria Saussure, 1864
Neorhicnoda Grandcolas, 1992
Oxycercus Bolívar, 1881
Paradicta Grandcolas, 1992
Parahormetica Brunner von Wattenwyl, 1865
Petasodes Saussure, 1864
Phoetalia Stål, 1874
Quadrihormetica Vidlicka, 2019
Sibylloblatta Rehn, 1937
Styphon Rehn, 1930
Calolamprodinae Wang & Wang, 2023
Calolamprodes Bey-Bienko, 1969 (India, China, Indochina) Diplopterinae Distribution: SE Asia, Australia, N. America Diploptera Saussure, 1864
Epilamprinae
Auth.: Brunner von Wattenwyl, 1865; distribition: Americas, Africa, SE Asia, Australia