''Cryptocercus'' is a genus of

Dictyoptera Dictyoptera (from Greek δίκτυον ''diktyon'' "net" and πτερόν ''pteron'' "wing") is an insect superorder that includes two extant orders of polyneopterous insects: the order Blattodea (termites and cockroaches together) and the o ...

(cockroaches and allies) and the sole member of its own family Cryptocercidae. Species are known as wood roaches or brown-hooded cockroaches. These roaches are subsocial, their young requiring considerable parental interaction. They also share wood-digesting gut bacteria types with wood-eating termites, and are therefore seen as evidence of a close genetic relationship, that termites are essentially evolved from social cockroaches. ''Cryptocercus'' is especially notable for sharing numerous characteristics with

termites Termites are small insects that live in colonies and have distinct castes (eusocial) and feed on wood or other dead plant matter. Termites comprise the infraorder Isoptera, or alternatively the epifamily Termitoidae, within the order Blattod ...

, and

phylogenetic In biology, phylogenetics (; from Greek φυλή/ φῦλον [] "tribe, clan, race", and wikt:γενετικός, γενετικός [] "origin, source, birth") is the study of the evolutionary history and relationships among or within groups o ...

studies have shown this genus is more closely related to termites than it is to other cockroaches.Djernæs, M., et al. 2012
Phylogeny of cockroaches (Insecta, Dictyoptera, Blattodea), with placement of aberrant taxa and exploration of out-group sampling.
''Systematic Entomology'' 37(1): 65–83. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-3113.2011.00598.x.

Species

Found in North America and (especially

temperate In geography, the temperate climates of Earth occur in the middle latitudes (23.5° to 66.5° N/S of Equator), which span between the tropics and the polar regions of Earth. These zones generally have wider temperature ranges throughout ...

)

Asia Asia (, ) is one of the world's most notable geographical regions, which is either considered a continent in its own right or a subcontinent of Eurasia, which shares the continental landmass of Afro-Eurasia with Africa. Asia covers an are ...

, there are 12 known species: * '' Cryptocercus clevelandi'' Byers, 1997 * '' Cryptocercus darwini'' Burnside, Smith, Kambhampati, 1999 * '' Cryptocercus garciai'' Burnside, Smith, Kambhampati, 1999 * ''

Cryptocercus hirtus ''Cryptocercus'' is a genus of Dictyoptera (cockroaches and allies) and the sole member of its own family Cryptocercidae. Species are known as wood roaches or brown-hooded cockroaches. These roaches are subsocial, their young requiring consider ...

'' Grandcolas, Bellés, 2005 * '' Cryptocercus kyebangensis'' Grandcolas, 2001 * '' Cryptocercus matilei'' Grandcolas, 2000 * ''

Cryptocercus meridianus ''Cryptocercus'' is a genus of Dictyoptera (cockroaches and allies) and the sole member of its own family Cryptocercidae. Species are known as wood roaches or brown-hooded cockroaches. These roaches are subsocial, their young requiring consider ...

'' Grandcolas, Legendre, 2005 * ''

Cryptocercus parvus ''Cryptocercus'' is a genus of Dictyoptera (cockroaches and allies) and the sole member of its own family Cryptocercidae. Species are known as wood roaches or brown-hooded cockroaches. These roaches are subsocial, their young requiring consider ...

'' Grandcolas, Park, 2005 * ''

Cryptocercus primarius ''Cryptocercus'' is a genus of Dictyoptera (cockroaches and allies) and the sole member of its own family Cryptocercidae. Species are known as wood roaches or brown-hooded cockroaches. These roaches are subsocial, their young requiring consider ...

'' Bey-Bienko, 1938 * ''

Cryptocercus punctulatus ''Cryptocercus punctulatus'', known generally as brown-hooded cockroach, is a species of cockroach in the family Cryptocercidae. Other common names include the woodroach, wingless wood roach, and eastern wood-eating cockroach. It is found in No ...

Scudder Scudder, a surname, may refer to: People * Bernard Scudder, translator from Icelandic to English * Edward W. Scudder (1822-1893), Justice of the New Jersey Supreme Court * Horace Scudder, American editor * Henry Scudder (clergyman) (d. 1659?), E ...

, 1862 * ''

Cryptocercus relictus ''Cryptocercus'' is a genus of Dictyoptera (cockroaches and allies) and the sole member of its own family Cryptocercidae. Species are known as wood roaches or brown-hooded cockroaches. These roaches are subsocial, their young requiring consider ...

'' Bey-Bienko, 1935 * '' Cryptocercus wrighti'' Burnside, Smith, Kambhampati, 1999

Species

References

Further reading