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Charles Darwin Foundation Galapagos Species Checklist


Cockroaches, Mantids and Termites

Cockroaches

Cockroaches are archaic, hardy, and successful insects and are most diverse in tropical countries.
They are usually general feeders and many do well in the presence of humans.

Seemingly only three or four species naturally colonized the Galapagos on their own, by rafting. Considering the rich Neotropical fauna, this seems a surprisingly low number.
Another 11 species were probably brought by humans, some perhaps as early as the first European landing in 1535.

Mantids

There are eight families of Mantids worldwide. Most families, genera, and species are tropical. All are predators on other insects.

While the fauna of tropical America is very rich, there is only one species in Galapagos. They are most often seen at night. Many mantid females are flightless, as is the Galapagos species.

Termites

Termites are social insects which live in colonies in the subtropics and tropics. They feed on dead plant material, especially wood and thus play an important role as detrivores in the regions where they occur.

Authors: Stewart B. Peck, Henri W. Herrera.

Other Contributors: Sandra Abedrabbo, Fabián Bersosa, Ruth Boada, Charlotte Causton, Germania Estévez, Lilian Guzmán, Henri W. Herrera, María T. Lasso, Maria Piedad Lincango, E. G. Linsley, Yale Lubin, Alejandro Mieles, Renato Oquendo, Christine E. Parent, Helmut W. Rogg, Lázaro Roque-Álbelo, Leslie Usinger.

Names of taxa included: 27 total (26 accepted, 1 unidentified taxon).

Origin of the taxa included: 11 accidental, 5 questionable native, 7 endemic.

Dictyoptera Species Checklist

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Domain Eukaryota

Kingdom Animalia

Division Arthropoda

Class Insecta

Order Blattodea

Order Isoptera

Order Mantodea

Download now
the entire Dictyoptera checklist.

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pdf
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You are welcome to download and use this information acknowledging the origin of the data.
This list should be cited as follows:

Peck, S. B., Herrera, H. W. (2011). CDF Checklist of Galapagos Cockroaches, Mantids and Termites - FCD Lista de especies de Cucarachas, mantidos y termitas de Galápagos. In: Bungartz, F., Herrera, H., Jaramillo, P., Tirado, N., Jiménez-Uzcátegui, G., Ruiz, D., Guézou, A. & Ziemmeck, F. (eds.). Charles Darwin Foundation Galapagos Species Checklist - Lista de Especies de Galápagos de la Fundación Charles Darwin. Charles Darwin Foundation / Fundación Charles Darwin, Puerto Ayora, Galapagos: http://www.darwinfoundation.org/datazone/checklists/terrestrial-invertebrates/dictyoptera/ Last updated 13 Apr 2011.