''Attaphila'' is a genus of

cockroach Cockroaches (or roaches) are a paraphyletic group of insects belonging to Blattodea, containing all members of the group except termites. About 30 cockroach species out of 4,600 are associated with human habitats. Some species are well-known as ...

es that live as myrmecophiles in the nests of leaf-cutting ants. They have been suggested to feed on the

fungus A fungus ( : fungi or funguses) is any member of the group of eukaryotic organisms that includes microorganisms such as yeasts and molds, as well as the more familiar mushrooms. These organisms are classified as a kingdom, separately from th ...

their host ants farm, or on the cuticular

lipid Lipids are a broad group of naturally-occurring molecules which includes fats, waxes, sterols, fat-soluble vitamins (such as vitamins A, D, E and K), monoglycerides, diglycerides, phospholipids, and others. The functions of lipids include ...

s of ant workers. ''Attaphila'' are not attacked by host workers because they blend into the colony by mimicking the odour of their hosts ants. Female ''Attaphila'' are wingless and males have reduced wings. The cockroaches are

phoretic Phoresis or phoresy is a non-permanent, commensalistic interaction in which one organism (a phoront or phoretic) attaches itself to another (the host) solely for the purpose of travel. Phoresis has been observed directly in ticks and mites s ...

and can disperse to new host colonies by riding on virgin host

queens Queens is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Queens County, in the U.S. state of New York. Located on Long Island, it is the largest New York City borough by area. It is bordered by the borough of Brooklyn at the western tip of Long ...

(female alates) departing on their mating flight and by hitchhiking on leaves carried by leaf-cutter ant foragers returning to their nests, or by following leaf-cutter ant

pheromone trail Trail pheromones are semiochemicals secreted from the body of an individual to affect the behavior of another individual receiving it. Trail pheromones often serve as a multi purpose chemical secretion that leads members of its own species towards a ...

s Six species of ''Attaphila'' have been described: * ''

Attaphila fungicola ''Attaphila'' is a genus of cockroaches that live as myrmecophiles in the nests of leaf-cutting ants. They have been suggested to feed on the fungus their host ants farm, or on the cuticular lipids of ant workers. ''Attaphila'' are not attacke ...

'' Wheeler, 1900 * '' Attaphila bergi'' Bolívar, 1901 * '' Attaphila aptera'' Bolivar, 1905 * '' Attaphila schuppi'' Bolivar, 1905 * '' Attaphila sexdentis'' Bolivar, 1905 * ''

Attaphila flava ''Attaphila'' is a genus of cockroaches that live as myrmecophiles in the nests of leaf-cutting ants. They have been suggested to feed on the fungus their host ants farm, or on the cuticular lipids of ant workers. ''Attaphila'' are not attacke ...

'' Gurney, 1937

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Attaphila Cockroach genera Myrmecology