Desert Wood Cockroach
Parcoblatta desertae
This record describes Parcoblatta desertae (species). Recorded family: Ectobiidae. Recorded order: Blattodea.
Identification and Appearance
Parcoblatta desertae, the desert wood cockroach or desert cockroach, is a species of Parcoblatta endemic to the United States state of Texas.
Wikipedia reference for Parcoblatta desertae: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parcoblatta_desertae.
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Arthropoda
- Class
- Insecta
- Order
- Blattodea (Cockroaches and Termites)
- Superfamily
- Blaberoidea
- Family
- Ectobiidae
- Subfamily
- Blattellinae
- Genus
- Parcoblatta (Wood Cockroaches)
Imported taxonomy record. Source availability varies; see the source references and editorial policy below.
Habitat and Range
Geographic Range
TX
Additional species information
Species notes from the sources
Etymology: Parcoblatta desertae (Rehn & Hebard 1909)
About Cockroaches and Termites: the wider group
Order-level background for Blattodea, the group containing Parcoblatta desertae. Species-specific details appear above.
Group overview
Blattodea includes ~4,600 cockroach species and ~3,000 termite species. Only about 30 cockroach species are associated with human habitats - less than 1% of all species.
Ecological role of the group
Termites contribute ~40% of soil arthropod biomass globally, far exceeding ants at ~10%. Cockroaches are ancient insects dating back 320 million years and are critical decomposers in tropical forest ecosystems, recycling leaf litter and dead wood.
Economic and practical significance of the group
Termites cause $5-30 billion in damage to structures in the U.S. annually. They damage approximately 600,000 American homes each year, with average repair costs of $3,000-$17,000. A subterranean termite colony can consume one pound of wood per day.
Recorded sources for this group: USDA, Orkin, Today's Homeowner, PNAS soil biomass study. Imported estimates may describe particular regions or reporting periods.
Photos of Desert Wood Cockroach (4)
Photo credits: (c) Alan Jeon, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Alan Jeon | Contributed by Alan Jeon; Additional contributions by v belov