Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
ORDER DICTYOPTERA (COCKROACHES AND MANTIDS)
Small to large, stout-bodied but rather flattened
insects with a large pronotum and two pairs of
wings, the thickened (leathery) forewings called
tegmina; hindwings large and folded longitudi-
nally (fan-like), and hidden beneath the tegmina
when in repose; chewing (mandibulate) mouth-
parts; antennae very long and thread-like
(filiform); legs robust and spinose, the front pair
sometimes raptorial (suborder Mantodea =
mantids); tarsi usually 3- or 4-segmented; cerci
usually many segmented. Metamorphosis incom-
plete; development includes egg and nymphal
stages, the former laid in a capsule-like ootheca.
on both the anterior and posterior ventral
margins.
EXAMPLES:
Blatta orientalis
(common cock-
roach),
Periplaneta americana
(American
cockroach).
2. Family BLATTELLIDAE
Mainly small-bodied species (but some excep-
tionally large); middle and hind femora armed
with numerous strong spines which form a simi-
lar arrangement on both the anterior and poste-
rior ventral margins.
EXAMPLe:
Blattella
germanica
(German
Suborder BLATTODEA
(cockroaches)
Head hypognathous and more or less covered by
the broad, shield-like pronotum; coxae large and
abutting; forelegs not raptorial.
cockroach).
3. Family BLABERIDAE
Mainly large-bodied species, with a variable
arrangement of femoral spines; viviparous or
ovoviviparous.
EXAMPLE:
Pycnoscelus surinamensis
(Surinam
cockroach).
1. Family BLATTIDAE
Middle and hind femora armed with numerous
strong spines that form a similar arrangement
ORDER PSOCOPTERA (PSOCIDS)
Minute or small, soft-bodied insects with long,
filiform antennae; wings, when present, membra-
nous with relatively few cross-veins and often
with a pigmented pterostigma
(Fig.
19); wings
held in a sloping roof-like posture when in re-
pose; head relatively large, often with protruding
compound eyes; ocelli present or absent: tarsi
2- or 3-segmented; cerci absent; body and ap-
pendages sometimes clothed in scales. Metamor-
phosis incomplete; nymphs similar in appearance
to adults but smaller.
Fig.
19 Wing venation of an alate psocid - order
Psocoptera.
Suborder TROCTOMORPHA
Antennae 11- to 17-segmented, the flagellum
annulated; tarsi 3-segmented.
