Blattodea - Cockroaches and Termites
Photos of Insects and other creatures by Per Hoffmann Olsen
insects.atHere’s the latest I can share on Blattodea, based on recent public sources up to 2026.
- Blattodea is the insect order that encompasses cockroaches and termites. Recent systematics work continues to refine the relationships within Blattodea, including revisions to clade definitions and placement on the Blattodea/Mantodea tree, reflecting advances in genomics and phylogenetics.[3]
- A broad view of current Blattodea taxonomy and phylogeny highlights that there are about 7,800 described extant species across the major groups Corydioidea, Blattoidea, and Blaberoidea, with ongoing work to fill major knowledge gaps in biogeography and species richness.[3]
- For broader context and visuals, general references summarize Blattodea as comprising two familiar groups—cockroaches and termites—with distinct reproductive and ecological strategies, although taxonomic details continue to evolve with new data.[5]
- There are related recent discussions and updates on termite/roach diversity and distribution in entomology news outlets and taxonomic literature, including open-access updates and taxonomy-focused articles, which may include new species descriptions or revised classifications.[2][6]
If you’d like, I can:
- Narrow to a specific subgroup (e.g., termites within Blattodea vs. cockroaches) and summarize the latest findings.
- Pull and summarize key points from a particular source (e.g., the 2026 Blattodea systematics article) with inline citations.
- Create a quick chart (e.g., timeline of major systematic revisions or a species count by subfamily) if you want a visual.