Peter Vršanský

New Blattarians and a Review of Dictyopteran Assemblages from the Lower Cretaceous of Mongolia

Dictyopteran assemblages (cockroaches, mantises and termites) from Mongolia were uniform, being composed of the same genera throughout the Early Cretaceous (more than 30 million years), corresponding to the “dry and warm Baissa type” assemblages from Siberia. The assemblage from Shin-Khuduk is exceptional, consisting of a single identifiable blattulid species, Vrtula soma gen. et sp. nov. Assemblages from Eastern Erdenyi-Ula, Khurilt, Kholbotu-Gol, and Shar-Tologoy are composed of species already known from the richest Lower Cretaceous locality Bon Tsagaan, but species representation in the various assemblages differs considerably. Nuurcala srneci sp. nov. from Khurilt Bed 210/24, with a forewing length under 12 mm, is the smallest and best-studied example of the cosmopolitan Mesozoic family Caloblattinidae. The last occurrence of the predominantly Palaeozoic family Phyloblattidae is reported from Bon Tsagaan.

Advanced morphology and behaviour of extinct earwig-like cockroaches (Blattida: Fuziidae fam. nov.)

Advanced morphology and behaviour of extinct earwig-like cockroaches (Blattida: Fuziidae fam. nov.) We describe the extinct cockroach family Fuziidae fam. nov., represented by Fuzia dadao gen. et sp. nov. from the ?Bathonian (168 Ma) Middle Jurassic sediments of Daohugou, Inner Mongolia, China. Males are characterized by unique, long and narrow bodies with a notch on forceps of earwig-like cerci, which attaches to the long external ovipositor during courtship. In a combination with the presence of male tergal glands, it appears the most advanced form of reproduction in the nearly 300 Myr history of long external ovipositor-bearing cockroaches. Its advanced morphology significantly supports attribution of living and fossil cockroaches within a single order Blattida.

New predatory cockroaches (Insecta: Blattaria: Manipulatoridae fam.n.) from the Upper Cretaceous Myanmar amber

Abstract We describe a new extinct lineage Manipulatoridae (new family) of cockroaches from the Upper Cretaceous (Cenomanian) amber of Myanmar. Manipulator modificaputis gen. et sp. n. is a morphologically unique extinct cockroach that represents the first (of a total of 29 known worldwide) cockroach family reported exclusively from the Myanmar amber. This family represents an early side branch of the stem group of Mantodea (most probably a sister group of Eadiidae within Blattaria/Corydioidea) because it has some synapomorphies with the Mantodea (including the stem group and Eadiidae). This family also retains symplesiomorphies that exclude a position in the crown group, and furthermore has unique autapomorphies that exclude a position as a direct ancestor of Mantodea. The unique adaptations such as strongly elongated extremities and freely movable head on a long neck suggest that these animals were pursuit predators. Five additional specimens (including two immatures) reported from the Myanmar amber suggest that this group was relatively rare but belonged to the indigenous and autochthonous inhabitants of the ancient amber forest of the Myanmar region.

Afro-Asian cockroach from Chiapas amber and the lost Tertiary American entomofauna

Afro-Asian cockroach from Chiapas amber and the lost Tertiary American entomofauna Cockroach genera with synanthropic species (Blattella, Ectobius, Supella, Periplaneta, Diploptera and ?Blatta), as well as other insects such as honeybees, although natively limited to certain continents nowadays, had circumtropic distribution in the past. The ease of their reintroduction into their former range suggests a post-Early Miocene environmental stress which led to the extinction of cosmopolitan Tertiary entomofauna in the Americas, whilst in Eurasia, Africa and Australia this fauna survived. This phenomenon is demonstrated here on a low diversity (10 spp.) living cockroach genus Supella, which is peculiar for the circumtropical synanthropic brownbanded cockroach S. longipalpa and also for its exclusively free-living cavicolous species restricted to Africa. S. (Nemosupella) miocenica sp. nov. from the Miocene amber of Chiapas in Mexico is a sister species to the living S. mirabilis from the Lower Guinea forests and adjacent savannas. The difference is restricted to the shape of the central macula on the pronotum, and size, which may indicate the around-Miocene origin of the living, extremely polymorphic Supella species and possibly also the isochronic invasion into the Americas. The species also has a number of characteristics of the Asian (and possibly also Australian) uniform genus Allacta (falling within the generic variability of Supella) suggesting Supella is a direct ancestor of the former. The present species is the first significant evidence for incomplete hiati between well defined cockroach genera — a result of the extensive fossil record of the group. The reported specimen is covered by a mycelium of a parasitic fungus Cordyceps or Entomophthora.

Cockroaches probably cleaned up after dinosaurs.

Dinosaurs undoubtedly produced huge quantities of excrements. But who cleaned up after them? Dung beetles and flies with rapid development were rare during most of the Mesozoic. Candidates for these duties are extinct cockroaches (Blattulidae), whose temporal range is associated with herbivorous dinosaurs. An opportunity to test this hypothesis arises from coprolites to some extent extruded from an immature cockroach preserved in the amber of Lebanon, studied using synchrotron X-ray microtomography. 1.06% of their volume is filled by particles of wood with smooth edges, in which size distribution directly supports their external pre-digestion. Because fungal pre-processing can be excluded based on the presence of large particles (combined with small total amount of wood) and absence of damages on wood, the likely source of wood are herbivore feces. Smaller particles were broken down biochemically in the cockroach hind gut, which indicates that the recent lignin-decomposing termite and cockroach endosymbionts might have been transferred to the cockroach gut upon feeding on dinosaur feces.

Light-mimicking cockroaches indicate Tertiary origin of recent terrestrial luminescence

Bioluminescence is a common feature of the communication and defence of marine organisms, but this phenomenon is highly restricted in the terrestrial biota. Here, we present a geographical distribution of only the third order of luminescent insects—luminescent cockroaches, with all 13 known and/or herein reported new living species (based on deposited specimens). We show that, for the first time, photo-characteristics of three examined species are nearly identical with those of toxic luminescent click beetles, which they mimic. These observations are the evidence for the mimicry by light—a new type of defensive, Batesian and interordinal mimicry. Our analysis surprisingly reveals an evolutionary novelty of all living luminescent insects, while in the sea (and possibly in the soil) luminescence is present also phylogenetically in very primitive organisms.

Native Ectobius (Blattaria: Ectobiidae) From the Early Eocene Green River Formation of Colorado and Its Reintroduction to North America 49 Million Years Later

ABSTRACT Ectobius kohlsi sp. n. and three undetermined species of the common Eurasian cockroach genus Ectobius Stephens, 1835 are reported from the lower middle Eocene of North America. This species indicates a cosmopolitan distribution of the genus during the mid Paleogene, and supports its current relict distribution in modern north-temperate and African ecosystems. When compared with the living species, E. kohlsi was either neutral or plesiomorphic in all characters, but exhibited a close relationship to the extant Ectobius kraussianus Ramme, 1923 Species Group in the identical structure of the pronotum. E. kohlsi also was similar to extant Ectobius ticinus Bohn, 2004, in the character of its wing venation (see Bohn 2004), in particular the forewing vein M, and to extant Ectobius vittiventris (Costa 1847) in details of forewing coloration. These latter two species are members of the Ectobius sylvestris Species Group (Bohn 1989). Ectobius balticus Germar et Berendt, 1856 —a conspicuously dominant cockroach from mid-Eocene Baltic amber—also appears plesiomorphic in all characters despite being a few million years younger than E. kohlsi. One reason for the complete disappearance of this dominant genus from North America is the peculiar consequence that, after 49 million years, a cool-adapted Ectobius lapponicus (L.) was capable of being reintroduced to a significantly cooler North America than that its antecedents which inhabited North America during a warmer European Eocene. Modern E. lapponicus is synanthropic in North America, even though no synanthropism is recorded for this species in its native habitat throughout Europe.

Derived, still living cockroach genus Cariblattoides (Blattida: Blattellidae) from the Eocene sediments of Green River in Colorado, USA

Abstract  Cariblattoides labandeirai sp.n. from the Eocene sediments of Green River in Colorado, USA bear only two plesiomorphies, but also several significant autapomorphies within the advanced and highly derived living cockroach genus. Thus, Cariblattoides with extant occurrence in the Caribbean and South America was historically common in the Nearctic, and represents important evidence for the occurrence of derived living genera of cockroaches ∼50 Ma ago. Generally, the vast majority of living genera were absent during the Palaeocene, thus the diversification of most living cockroach lineages near the Palaeocene/Eocene boundary must have been extremely rapid. Females of living C. suave, the type species, have identical (sophisticated) coloration of pronotum, but the most related living taxa are C. piraiensis and C. fontesi from Brazil (supported by phylogenetical analysis).

New genus and species of cavernicolous cockroach (Blattaria, Nocticolidae) from Vietnam

The new, small cavernicolous species Helmablatta louisrothi gen. et sp. n. (Nocticolidae) from the Tan-Phu cave (Vietnam) is one of the most morphologically interesting cockroaches. The extremely modified upstanding tergal gland composite from three tergites and may serve for gripping the female head during copulation. This presumption is supported by the presence of a central big hook on tergite 8. Furthermore, both wing pairs are uncommonly adapted to help releasing sex pheromones without raising the wings. Histone 3 DNA-based maximum likelihood analyses indicate a recent origin and close phylogenetic relationship between Nocticola spp. and Helmablatta sp.-consistent with the Quaternary age of the source lava tubes.

A new cockroach, with bipectinate antennae,(Blattaria: Olidae fam. nov.) further highlights the differences between the Burmite and other faunas

Abstract Only a few families have been recognized in the 320 million year history of cockroaches. The 31st one, represented by monotypic Ol xiai sp. n. from the Myanmar amber is described here. It inhabited lowland forest near the shore. It possesses several unique morphological features including bipectinate antennae, round terminal palpomeres, sophisticated forewing shape with broken R and CuP forming a distinct unsclerotised area and with RS branched to both sides, and a huge foretibial spur. The new genus also displays several putatively apomorphic reductions (short antennae, rudimental femoral terminal spine, short pronotal chaetae, minor arolia, short palps). Synapomorphies with early ant-nest parasites (short antennae, dense pronotal setosity, irregular spacing of wing veins, indication of maculated colouration) suggest an origin from Blattidae or ancestral Mesoblattinidae during the Early Cretaceous. No plesiomorphies are apparent. An attached mite documents a phoresy on males. A syninclusion of a coccoid male is not ecologically informative at the given state of knowledge.