Blattodea
Blattodea is an insect order comprising cockroaches and termites. Its members have chewing mouthparts, flattened bodies, and incomplete metamorphosis.
Insect: An arthropod with a three-part body, three pairs of legs, and usually one or two pairs of wings. Blattodea is one order within this larger animal class.
Eusociality: A social system marked by cooperative brood care, overlapping generations, and reproductive division of labor. Termite colonies show eusociality, with reproductive and worker castes.
Blattodea phylogeny: The evolutionary relationships among cockroaches, termites, and their extinct relatives. Phylogeny places termites within the cockroach lineage rather than as a separate order.
American cockroach: A large reddish-brown cockroach species, Periplaneta americana, found worldwide in human environments. It is a familiar pest species, though its native range is African.
Integrated pest management: A pest-control strategy combining monitoring, prevention, and targeted control methods. It offers a practical alternative to relying on repeated insecticide use against cockroaches or termites.
Arthropod: An invertebrate animal with a segmented body, jointed limbs, and an external skeleton. Blattodeans inherit their jointed limbs and exoskeleton from this phylum.
Termite gut microbiota: The microorganisms living in termite digestive tracts, including partners that help process plant material. Gut symbionts enable many termites to digest cellulose-rich wood.
Wood roach: A cockroach adapted to forest habitats, often living in decaying wood or leaf litter. Wood roaches resemble ancestral cockroaches and help illuminate termite origins.
German cockroach: A small cockroach species, Blattella germanica, that thrives in buildings and reproduces rapidly. Its indoor infestations make it a major target of pest management.
Termite damage: Structural or economic harm caused when termites consume wood and other cellulose-containing materials. Some Blattodea species damage buildings, furniture, and crops.