Skip to main content

A monospecific assemblage of cockroaches (Dictyoptera: Subioblattidae) from the Triassic of Kyrgyzstan

PalZ (2022)Cite this article

Abstract

Seven known species of the Triassic family Subioblattidae Schneider, 1983 reveal a cosmopolitan paleogeographic range (Argentina, South Africa, China, France, Kazahstan and Kyrgyzstan). A monospecific assemblage of Subioblatta madygenica Papier and Nel, 2001 from the Middle–Late Triassic Madygen locality in Kyrgyzstan is described here. All specimens exhibit characters typical for Subioblattidae such as an elongated costal field, ribbon-like subcostal field, Sc with pectinate branches inclined apically, sigmoidal R with undulating branches, variable M, sigmoidal CuA with branches subperpendicular to wing margin and a long anal field with a unique diagonal groove. Highly preserved coloration on wings of several specimens is comparable to that of S. madygenica. The described material enhances our knowledge of Triassic cockroaches and affirms Madygen as one of the most important Mesozoic insect lagerstätte.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution.

Access options

Buy single article

Instant access to the full article PDF.

USD 39.95

Price includes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8

References

  • Anderson, J.M., and H.M. Anderson. 1989. The Palaeoflora of Southern Africa: Molteno Formation (Triassic), Vol. 2. The Gymnosperms (Excluding Dicroidium). Rotterdam: A.A. Balkema.

  • Anderson, J.M., and H.M. Anderson. 2003. Heyday of the Gymnosperms: systematics and biodiversity of the Late Triassic Molteno fructifications. Pretoria: National Botanical Institute.

  • Ax, P. 1999. Das System der Metazoa II. Ein Lehrbuch der phylogenetischen Systematik. Stuttgart/Jena/Lübeck-Ulm: Gustav Fischer.

  • Bai, M., R.G. Beutel, K.D. Klass, B. Wipfler, and W.W. Zhang. 2016. †Alienoptera—A new insect order in the roach–mantodean twilight zone. Gondwana Research 39: 317. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gr.2016.02.002.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Belahmira, A., J.W. Schneider, F. Scholze, and H. Saber. 2005. Phyloblattidae and Compsoblattidae (Insecta, Blattodea) from the late Carboniferous Souss basin, Morocco. Journal of Paleontology 93: 945–965. https://doi.org/10.1017/jpa.2019.20.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Béthoux, O., F. Papier, and A. Nel. 2005. The Triassic radiation of the entomofauna. Comptes Rendus Palevol 4: 609–621. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.crpv.2005.06.005.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Burmeister, ΗC. 1838. Handbuch der Entomologie. Berlin: Enslin.

    Google Scholar 

  • Comstock, J.H., and J.G. Needham. 1898. The wings of insects. American Naturalist 33: 117–126.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Demers-Potvin, A.V., H.C.E. Larsson, M. Cournoyer, and O. Béthoux. 2021. Wing morphology of a new Cretaceous praying mantis solves the phylogenetic jigsaw of early-diverging extant lineages. Systematic Entomology 46: 205–223. https://doi.org/10.1111/syen.12457.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dobruskina, I.A. 1970. Age of the Madygen Formation in the context of Permian/Triassic boundary in Middle Asia. Sovetskaya Geologiya 3: 16–28 ([in Russian]).

    Google Scholar 

  • Dobruskina, I.A. 1995a. Keuper (Triassic) flora from Middle Asia (Madygen, southern Fergana). New Mexico Musem of Natural History Scientific Bulletin 5: 1–49.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dobruskina, I.A. 1995b. Triassic plants and Pangea. Palaeobotanist 44: 116–127.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fischer, J., I. Kogan, S. Voigt, M. Buchwitz, J.W. Schneider, P. Moissan, F. Spindler, A. Brosig, M. Preusse, F. Scholze, and U. Linnemann. 2018. The Triassic inland lake basin of Madygen (Kyrgyzstan, Central Asia). GeoBonn 2018: 250.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gall, J.C., and L. Stamm-Grauvogel. 2005. The early Middle Triassic ‘Grès à Voltzia’ Formation of eastern France: A model of environmental refugium. Comptes Rendus Palevol 4: 637–652. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.crpv.2005.04.007.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Garrouste, R., S. Hugel, L. Jacqueline, P. Rostan, J.S. Steyer, L. Grandcolas-Dessuter, and A. Nel. 2016. Insect mimicry of plants dates back to the Permian. Nature Communications 7: 13735. https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms13735.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gorochov, A.V., and A.P. Rasnitsyn. 2002. Superorder Gryllidea Laicharting, 1781. In History of Insects, ed. A.P. Rasnitsyn and D.L.J. Quicke, 293–304. Dordrecht: Kluwer Academic Publishers.

    Google Scholar 

  • Handlirsch, A. 1906. Revision of American paleozoic insects. Proceedings of the United States National Museum 29: 661–820.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hinkelman, J., P. Vršanský, T. Garcia, A. Tejedor, P. Bertner, A. Sorokin, G.R. Gallice, I. Koubová, Š Nagy, and Ĺ Vidlička. 2020. Neotropical Melyroidea group cockroaches reveal various degrees of (eu)sociality. Naturwissenschaften 107: 39. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00114-020-01694-x.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kochnev, E.A. 1934. On the study of Jurassic coal-bearing deposits of Fergana. Materials on Geology of Coal Deposits of Middle Asia: 5–6 [in Russian].

  • Leach, W.E. 1815. Entomology. In Edinburgh Encyclopædia, Volume IX, ed. D. Brewster, 239–249. Edinburgh: William Blackwood.

  • Li, X.R., Y.-H. Zheng, C.C. Wang, and Z.Q. Wang. 2018. Old method not old-fashioned: Parallelism between wing venation and wing-pad tracheation of cockroaches and a revision of terminology. Zoomorphology 137: 519–533. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00435-018-0419-6.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lin, Q.B. 1978. On the fossil Blattoidea of China. Acta Entomologica Sinica 21: 335–342.

    Google Scholar 

  • Martins-Neto, R.G., O.F. Gallego, and A.M. Zavattieri. 2007. A new Triassic insect fauna from Cerro Bayo, Potrerillos (Mendoza Province, Argentina) with descriptions of new taxa (Insecta: Blattoptera and Coleoptera). Alcheringa 31: 199–213. https://doi.org/10.1080/03115510701305173.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mitchell, T. 2018. EDNA, Fossil Insect Database. http://edna.palass-hosting.org/search.php. Accessed 25 Sep 2020.

  • Papier, F., and A. Nel. 2001. Les Subioblattidae (Blattodea, Insecta) du Trias d’Asie Centrale. Paläontologische Zeitschrift 74: 533–542. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02988160.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Papier, F., L. Grauvogel-Stamm, and A. Nel. 1994. Subioblatta undulata n. sp., une nouvelle blatte (Subioblattidae Schneider) du Buntsandstein supérieur (Anisien) des Vosges (France). Morphologie, systématique et affinités. Neues Jahrbuch Für Geologie Und Paläontologie, Monatshefte 1994: 277–290.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Riek, E.F. 1976. A new collection of insects from the Upper Triassic of South Africa. Annals of the Natal Museum 22: 791–820.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ross, A. 2012. Testing decreasing variability of cockroach fore-wings through time using four Recent species: Blattella germanica, Polyphaga aegyptiaca, Shelfordella lateralis and Blaberus craniifer, with implications for the study of fossil cockroach forewings. Insect Science 19: 129–142. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1744-7917.2011.01465.x.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schneider, J. 1982. Entwurf einer biostratigraphischen Zonengliederung mittels der Spiloblattinidae (Blattodea, Insecta) für das kontinentale euramerische Permokarbon. Freiberger Forschungshefte C 375: 27–47.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schneider, J. 1983. Die Blattodea (Insecta) des Paläozoikums, Teil 1: Systematik, Ökologie und Biostratigraphie. Freiberger Forschungshefte C 382: 106–145.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schneider, J. 1984. Die Blattodea (Insecta) des Paläozoikums, Teil 2: Morphogenese der Flügelstrukturen und Phylogenie. Freiberger Forschungshefte C 382: 106–145.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schneider, J., and R. Werneburg. 1993. Neue Spiloblattinidae (Insecta, Blattodea) aus dem Oberkarbon und Unterperm von Mitteleuropa sowie die Biostratigraphie des Rotliegend. Veröffentlichungen Naturhistorisches Museum Schleusingen 7 (8): 31–52.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schneider, J.W., F. Scholze, S. Germann, and S.G. Lucas. 2021. The Late Pennsylvanian nearshore insect fauna of the Kinney Brick Quarry Fossil Lagerstätte, New Mexico. New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science Bulletin 82: 255–286.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sendi, H., J. Hinkelman, L. Vršanská, T. Kúdelová, M. Kúdela, M. Zuber, T. Van de Kamp, and P. Vršanský. 2020. Roach nectarivory, gymnosperm and earliest flower pollination evidence from Cretaceous ambers. Biologia 75: 1613–1630. https://doi.org/10.2478/s11756-019-00412-x.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shcherbakov, D.E. 2008. Madygen, Triassic Lagerstätte number one, before and after Sharov. Alavesia 2: 113–124.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sixtel, T.A. 1960. On the presence of continental Upper Permian deposits in southern Fergana. Trudy Uzbekskogo Geologoicheskogo Upravleniya, Sbornik No. 1, Geologiya 1960: 29–38.

    Google Scholar 

  • Spalletti, L.A., A.E. Artabe, and E.M. Morel. 2003. Geological factors and evolution of southwestern Gondwana Triassic plants. Gondwana Research 6: 119–134. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1342-937X(05)70648-1.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sues, H.D., and N. Fraser. 2010. Triassic life on land: The great transition. New York: Columbia University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Vishnyakova, V.N. 1968. Mesozoic cockroach ovipositors and the peculiarity of their reproduction (Blattodea). Jurassic Insects of Karatau 1968: 55–86.

    Google Scholar 

  • Voigt, S., H. Haubold, S. Meng, D. Krause, J. Buchantschenko, K. Ruckwied, and A.E. Götz. 2006. Die Fossil-Lagerstätte Madygen: Ein Beitrag zur Geologie und Paläontologie der Madygen-Formation (Mittel- bis Ober-Trias, SW-Kirgisistan, Zentralasien). Hallesches Jahrbuch Für Geowissenschaften 22: 85–119.

    Google Scholar 

  • Voigt, S., F. Spindler, J. Fischer, I. Kogan, and M. Buchwitz. 2007. An extraordinary lake basin—the Madygen fossil lagerstaette (Middle to Upper Triassic, Kyrgyzstan, Central Asia). Wissenschaftliche Mitteilungen Des Institutes Für Geologie Der TU Bergakademie Freiberg 36: 162–163.

    Google Scholar 

  • Voigt, S., M. Buchwitz, J. Fischer, I. Kogan, P. Moisan, J.W. Schneider, F. Spindler, A. Brosig, M. Preusse, F. Scholze, and U. Linnemann. 2017. Triassic life in an inland lake basin of the warm-temperate biome—the Madygen Lagerstätte (Southwest Kyrgyzstan, Central Asia). In Terrestrial conservation Lagerstätten: Windows into the evolution of life on land, ed. N.C. Fraser and H.-D. Sues, 65–104. Edinburgh: Dunedin Academic Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Vršanský, P. 1997. Piniblattella gen. nov.—the most ancient genus of the family Blattellidae (Blattodea) from the Lower Cretaceous of Siberia. Entomological Problems 28: 67–79.

    Google Scholar 

  • Vršanský, P. 2000. Decreasing variability—from the Carboniferous to the present! (Validated on independent lineages of Blattaria). Paleontological Journal 34: 374–379.

    Google Scholar 

  • Vršanský, P. 2002. Origin and the early evolution of mantises. AMBA Projekty 6: 1–16.

    Google Scholar 

  • Vršanský, P. 2003. Umenocoleoidea—an amazing lineage of aberrant insects (Insecta, Blattaria). AMBA Projekty 7: 1–32.

    Google Scholar 

  • Vršanský, P. 2010. A new genus and species of cockroach (Blattida: Phyloblattidae) from the Permian/Triassic boundary beds of Tunguska Basin in eastern Siberia, Russia. Zootaxa 2353: 55–61.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Vršanský, P., and J. Ansorge. 2007. Lower Jurassic cockroaches (Insecta: Blattaria) from Germany and England. African Invertebrates 48: 103–126.

    Google Scholar 

  • Vršanský, P., J.H. Liang, and D. Ren. 2012. Malformed cockroach (Blattida: Liberiblattinidae) in the Middle Jurassic sediments from China. Oriental Insects 46: 12–18. https://doi.org/10.1080/00305316.2012.675482.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Vršanský, P., G. Bechly, Q. Zhang, E. Jarzembowski, T. Mlynský, L. Šmídová, P. Barna, M. Kúdela, D. Aristov, S. Bigalk, L. Krogmann, L. Li, Q. Zhang, H. Zhang, S. Ellenberger, P. Müller, C. Gröhn, F. Xia, K. Ueda, P. Vďačný, D. Valaška, P. Vršanská, and B. Wang. 2018. Batesian insect-insect mimicry-related explosive radiation of ancient alienopterid cockroaches. Biologia 73: 987–1006. https://doi.org/10.2478/s11756-018-0117-3.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

I thank Peter Vršanský (ESISAS Bratislava; PIN RAS Moscow) for advice and support and for revealing fossil material from Madygen. I also thank all reviewers for help and valuable advice which greatly improved this work. This work was supported by the Slovak Research and Development Agency under the contracts no. APVV-0436-12; VEGA 2/0042/18 and by UNESCO-Amba/MVTS supporting grant of Presidium of the Slovak Academy of Sciences.

Funding

The author declares no competing financial interests.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Zoology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dúbravská cesta 9, 845 06, Bratislava, Slovakia

    Jan Hinkelman

Authors
  1. Jan Hinkelman
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Jan Hinkelman.

Additional information

Handling Editor: Joachim T. Haug.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and Permissions

About this article

Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Hinkelman, J. A monospecific assemblage of cockroaches (Dictyoptera: Subioblattidae) from the Triassic of Kyrgyzstan. PalZ (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12542-022-00617-7

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12542-022-00617-7

Keywords

  • Fossil
  • Wings
  • Coloration
  • Lagerstätte
  • Madygen