Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised Jun 10, 2026

Tryonicidae

The Tryonicidae are a family of cockroaches.

Last revised
Jun 10, 2026
Read time
≈ 2 min
Length
433 w
Citations
7
Source
Wikipedia ↗
Tryonicidae
Tryonicus parvus (male)
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Clade: Pancrustacea
Class: Insecta
Order: Blattodea
Superfamily: Blattoidea
Epifamily: Blattoidae
Family: Tryonicidae
Genera
  • Lauraesilpha
  • Tryonicus

The Tryonicidae are a family of cockroaches.

Biodiversity and distribution

Two genera containing 17 species are currently confirmed as belonging to this family, including the South American housebug.1


Table 1: Number of species of Tryonicidae in each region in which it is present (A=adventive, E=endemic, I=indigenous)

Australia New Caledonia New Zealand
Lauraesilpha 11E2
Tryonicus 3E3 3E4 1A5


An example of Tryonicus parvus found in Auckland, New Zealand. They are common under logs and planks lying in gumland scrub. Are capable of emitting an unpleasant smell when handled.
An example of Tryonicus parvus found in Auckland, New Zealand. They are common under logs and planks lying in gumland scrub. Are capable of emitting an unpleasant smell when handled.

Notes

  • Beccaloni & Eggleton's (2011) figures of '10 genera, 47 species' presumably does not take into account Murienne's (2009) publication (they do not cite it)6
  • According to Murienne (2009: 49), the tribe Methanini certainly belongs to the Blattidae: Polyzosteriinae, as probably does the group of New Caledonian endemic genera Angustonicus, Pallidionicus, Pellucidonicus, Punctulonicus, and Rothisilpha
  • A report has been published of an unidentified endemic "tryonicine" from New Zealand, in addition to the adventive Tryonicus parvus, but details are too sketchy at present to accept this record.7
References

References

  1. Murienne, J. 2009: Molecular data confirm family status for the Tryonicus–Lauraesilpha group (Insecta: Blattodea: Tryonicidae). Organisms diversity & evolution, 9(1): 44-51. doi:10.1016/j.ode.2008.10.005
  2. Murienne, J.; Pellens, R.; Grandcolas, P. 2008: Short-range endemism in New Caledonian insects: new species and distribution in the genus Lauraesilpha Grandcolas, 1997 (Insecta, Dictyoptera, Blattidae, Tryonicinae). Pp. 261-271 in: Grandcolas, P. (ed.), Zoologia Neocaledonica 6. Biodiversity studies in New Caledonia. Mémoires du Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle, (197) PDF Archived 2016-03-03 at the Wayback Machine
  3. Australian Faunal Directory
  4. Roth, L.M. 1987: The genus Tryonicus Shaw from Australia and New Caledonia (Dictyoptera: Blattaria: Blattidae: Tryonicinae). Memoirs of the Queensland Museum, 25(1): 151-167.
  5. NZOR (Web Service Demonstrator)
  6. Beccaloni, G.W.; Eggleton, P. 2011: Order Blattodea Brunner von Wattenwyl, 1882. Zootaxa, 3148: 199-200. PDF
  7. Macfarlane, R.P. et al. 2010: Phylum Arthropoda subphylum Hexapoda: Protura, springtails, Diplura, and insects. Pp. 233-467 in: Gordon, D.P. (ed.) 2010: New Zealand inventory of biodiversity. Volume 2. Kingdom Animalia. Chaetognatha, Ecdysozoa, ichnofossils. Canterbury University Press, Christchurch, New Zealand. ISBN 978-1-87725793-3 PDF Archived 2014-01-02 at the Wayback Machine [see pp. 254, 399]
Further reading

Further reading

  • Klass, K.-D.; Meier, R. 2006: A phylogenetic analysis of Dictyoptera (Insecta) based on morphological characters. Entomologische Abhandlungen, 63(1-2): 3-50. PDF Archived 2016-04-14 at the Wayback Machine
  • McKittrick, F.A.; Mackerras, M.J. 1965: Phyletic relationships within the Blattidae. Annals of the Entomological Society of America, 58(2): 224-230. abstract only seen
External links