Celatoblatta Brunni

''Celatoblatta'' is a genus of cockroaches in the family Blattidae with species from Australia, New Zealand and New Caledonia. "Celato" means concealed and the members of this genus are all small, fast-moving nocturnal species that hide during the day under bark and rocks. In Australia the genus is known as hooded cockroaches, after the distinctive way the seventh abdominal tergite extends over the ninth and tenth like a hood.

The genus was created by Peter Johns in 1966, and Karlis Princis later added several species from Australia, New Guinea, and New Caledonia. Phylogenetic studies, however, suggested the resulting genus is not monophyletic, although the 14 New Zealand members of ''Celatoblatta'' as defined by Johns do seem to form a monophyletic group.

The New Zealand ''Celatoblatta'' are all flightless with short or very short tegmina. They have 7 or 8 instars, with overlapping generations and eggs laid all year. Eggs are laid in brown capsules called oothecae which protect the 10–14 developing nymphs. Most New Zealand ''Celatoblatta'' species live in native forest, but four prefer high elevations above the tree line. Australian species are mostly restricted to Queensland, and are generally shiny black with small tegmina and wings. New Zealand species are generally brown with lighter patches on the thorax, although colour is often variable within a species.

The Otago alpine cockroach '' Celatoblatta quinquemaculata'' has been the subject of many studies due to its ability to survive freezing down to -9 °C and it is one of the few species where intercellular freezing is thought to allow ice crystals to reach beyond the gut to the haemolymph.

''Celatoblatta'' currently contains the following species:

*'' Celatoblatta anisoptera'' Johns, 1966 – New Zealand
*''Celatoblatta brunni'' Johns, 1966 – Chatham Islands
*'' Celatoblatta fuscipes'' Johns, 1966 – New Zealand
*'' Celatoblatta hesperia'' Johns, 1966 – New Zealand
*'' Celatoblatta immunda'' (Shelford, 1911) – Queensland
*'' Celatoblatta laevispinata'' Johns, 1966 – New Zealand
*'' Celatoblatta montana'' Johns, 1966 – New Zealand
*'' Celatoblatta nigrifrons'' (Chopard, 1924) – New Caledonia
*'' Celatoblatta notialis'' Johns, 1966 – New Zealand
*'' Celatoblatta pallidicauda'' Johns, 1966 – New Zealand
*'' Celatoblatta papuae'' (Shaw, 1925) – New Guinea, Solomon Islands
*'' Celatoblatta peninsularis'' Johns, 1966 – New Zealand
*'' Celatoblatta perpolita'' (Mackerras, 1968) – Queensland
*'' Celatoblatta punctipennis'' (Chopard, 1924) – New Caledonia
*'' Celatoblatta quinquemaculata'' Johns, 1966 – New Zealand
*'' Celatoblatta sedilloti'' (Bolívar, 1883) – New Zealand
*'' Celatoblatta shawi'' (Princis, 1966) – Queensland
*'' Celatoblatta subcorticaria'' Johns, 1966 – New Zealand
*'' Celatoblatta tryoni'' (Shaw, 1925) – Queensland
*'' Celatoblatta undulivitta'' (Walker, 1868) – New Zealand
*'' Celatoblatta vulgaris'' Johns, 1966 – New Zealand
*'' Celatoblatta zonata'' (Princis, 1954) – Australia
In a 2022 revision of the group ''Celatoblatta'' was moved to the subfamily Polyzosteriinae''; Celatoblatta shelfordi'' (Shaw, 1925), ''C. quadriloba'' (Mackerras, 1968) and ''C. baldwinspenceri'' (Mackerras, 1968) were assigned to the genus '' Austrostylopyga'', which was resurrected after being previously synonymised with ''Celatoblatta''; and ''C. marksae'' (Mackerras, 1968) was moved back to '' Temnelytra''. The New Caledonian species are more closely related to Polyzostera than to New Zealand ''Celatoblatta'' species.

References

External links

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Blattidae
Blattodea of New Zealand
Insects of Australia
Insects of New Caledonia