''Megaloblatta longipennis'' is a species of
cockroach
Cockroaches (or roaches) are insects belonging to the Order (biology), order Blattodea (Blattaria). About 30 cockroach species out of 4,600 are associated with human habitats. Some species are well-known Pest (organism), pests.
Modern cockro ...
in the family
Ectobiidae
Ectobiidae (formerly Blattellidae) is a family of the order Blattodea (cockroaches). This family contains many of the smaller common household pest cockroaches, among others. They are sometimes called wood cockroaches. A few notable species inclu ...
. It is the
world's largest cockroach by length and wingspan. It is native to
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country primarily located in South America with Insular region of Colombia, insular regions in North America. The Colombian mainland is bordered by the Caribbean Sea to the north, Venezuel ...
,
Ecuador
Ecuador, officially the Republic of Ecuador, is a country in northwestern South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and the Pacific Ocean on the west. It also includes the Galápagos Province which contain ...
, and
Peru
Peru, officially the Republic of Peru, is a country in western South America. It is bordered in the north by Ecuador and Colombia, in the east by Brazil, in the southeast by Bolivia, in the south by Chile, and in the south and west by the Pac ...
;
although its range sometimes is reported to extend into
Panama
Panama, officially the Republic of Panama, is a country in Latin America at the southern end of Central America, bordering South America. It is bordered by Costa Rica to the west, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north, and ...
; this is based on misidentifications of the closely related and similar ''
M. blaberoides'' (the only Central American species in the genus).
Description
Members of ''M. longipennis'' are known for their exceptional size; the largest specimen measured in length, in width, and had a wingspan of . The related ''M. blaberoides'', which is quite similar but differs in certain
morphological features,
[ can reach about the same length and almost as much, , in wingspan.]
Comparison with Related Species
Megaloblatta longipennis is commonly confused with its close relative M. blaberoides due to their large size and similar morphology. The following table highlights the main physical and geographic distinctions:
References
Insects described in 1868
Cockroaches
{{Cockroach-stub