Ischnoptera deropeltiformis (Brunner von Wattenwyl, 1865)

Introduction
In honor of Earth Day I thought I would write up a post about a North Carolina insect that makes its living as a recycler, while living in earthy environments: Ischnoptera deropeltiformis Brunner von Wattenwyl, 1865, the dark wood cockroach (Blattodea: Blattellidae).
Taxonomic History
Carl Brunner von Wattenwyl described this species in 1865 as Temnopteryx deropeltiformis, based on specimens collected in North America. The species was transferred to Ischnoptera by Princis in 1969. Three species are currently listed as synonyms of I. deropeltiformis: Ischnoptera nigricollis Walker, 1868 (type specimen is at the Natural History Museum in London), Ischnoptera johnsoni Rehn, 1903, and Ischnoptera intricata Blatchley, 1903.
Diagnosis
Roth (2001, 2002) provides extensive diagnoses of the genus Ischnoptera and the species deropeltiformis.
Natural History
Very little is known about the habits of this species, but there is anecdotal evidence that these cockroaches prefer open woodlands (Lawson, 1967). Its ootheca (egg case) has been described in great detail, but very few natural history observations or data are currently available.
Distribution
This species is distributed from Texas, north to Missouri and Indiana, east to Maryland. This species has not yet been found outside of the USA. In North Carolina one can find this species in just about every corner of the state, from the mountains out west, to the coastal habitats on our eastern shore. The oldest specimens in the NCSU Insect Museum were collected in Raleigh in 1904.
Find out more
  • Ischnoptera deropeltiformis – Dark Wood Cockroach species page at BugGuide.
  • Ischnoptera deropeltiformis species page at Blattodea Species File.
  • Ischnoptera deropeltiformis species page at GBIF.
  • Brunner von Wattenwyl, C. 1865. Nouveau système des blattaires.
  • Lawson, F. A. 1968. Structural features of cockroach egg capsules. VI. The ootheca of Ischnoptera deropeltiformis (Orthoptera: Blattidae). Journal of the Kansas Entomological Society 41 (3): 419-424.
  • Lawson, F. A. 1967. Ecological and collecting notes on eight species of Parcoblatta (Orthoptera: Blattidae) and certain other cockroaches. Journal of the Kansas Entomological Society 40 (3): 267-269.
  • Princis. 1969. In Beier [Ed.]. Blattariae: Subordo Epilamproidea. Fam.: Blattellidae. Orthopterorum Catalogus (13): 747.
  • Louis M. Roth, 2002. The cockroach genus Ischnoptera Burmeister. Part II. Species from the United States (Blattellidae: Blattellinae). Transactions of the American Entomological Society 128 (4): 345-360.
  • Louis M. Roth, 2001. The genus Ischnoptera Burmeister. I. The darlingtoni-species-group, with seven new species (Blattaria: Blattellidae, Blattellinae) Transactions of the American Entomological Society 127 (4): 519-541.
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