Mesoblattinidae is an extinct, problematic[1] family of cockroaches known from the Mesozoic. It was formerly considered a wastebasket taxon for Mesozoic cockroaches, but the family has subsequently been better defined, with many taxa transferred to Caloblattinidae. It is considered to have close affinities with Blattidae and Ectobiidae, as well as possibly Blaberidae.[2] The family first appeared by the Early Jurassic. They are considered to represent amongst the oldest groups of modern cockroaches, and like them are thought to have laid oothecae.[3] Due to the poor ability of forewing venation to correctly classify cockroaches to extensive homoplasy, the value of this family as a taxonomic unit has been strongly questioned, with some authors considering the family a nomen dubium.[4]

Mesoblattinidae
Temporal range: Anisian–Paleocene
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Blattodea
Family: Mesoblattinidae
Handlirsch 1906
Genera

See text

Systematics

edit

Based on[5]

References

edit
  1. ^ Li, Xin-Ran; Huang, Di-Ying (2023-03-29). "Atypical 'long-tailed' cockroaches arose during Cretaceous in response to angiosperm terrestrial revolution". PeerJ. 11: e15067. doi:10.7717/peerj.15067. ISSN 2167-8359. PMC 10066690. PMID 37013144.
  2. ^ Hinkelman, Jan; Vršanská, Lucia (April 2020). "A Myanmar amber cockroach with protruding feces contains pollen and a rich microcenosis". The Science of Nature. 107 (2): 13. Bibcode:2020SciNa.107...13H. doi:10.1007/s00114-020-1669-y. ISSN 0028-1042. PMID 32125545. S2CID 211730431.
  3. ^ Hinkelman, Jan (July 2019). "Spinaeblattina myanmarensis gen. et sp. nov. and Blattoothecichnus argenteus ichnogen. et ichnosp. nov. (both Mesoblattinidae) from mid-Cretaceous Myanmar amber". Cretaceous Research. 99: 229–239. Bibcode:2019CrRes..99..229H. doi:10.1016/j.cretres.2019.02.026. S2CID 134700289.
  4. ^ Li, Xin-Ran (September 2024). "Classifying Cockroaches According to Forewings: Pitfalls and Implications for Fossil Systematics". Taxonomy. 4 (3): 618–632. doi:10.3390/taxonomy4030031. ISSN 2673-6500.
  5. ^ "Fossilworks: Mesoblattinidae". fossilworks.org. Retrieved 17 December 2021.