Periplaneta americana (Linnaeus, 1758)

Hristov, Georgi H. & Chobanov, Dragan P., 2016, An annotated checklist and key to the Bulgarian cockroaches (Dictyoptera: Blattodea), Zootaxa 4154 (4), pp. 351-388 : 359-360

Periplaneta americana (Linnaeus, 1758)

Figures 35, 36

Periplaneta americana (Linn.) : 1. Nedelkov 1908: 415 • 2. Drenski 1939: 10 • 3. Bey-Bienko 1950: 118 • 4. Ramme 1951: 414 • 5. Buresch & Peschev 1957: 307 • 6. Harz & Kaltenbach 1976: 194, 196, 202.

Notes to the literature data. Nedelkov (1908) reported this species for the first time for the Bulgarian fauna from the town of Lom (NW Bulgaria). Drenski (1939) recorded the species from another locality (Burgas city).

Distribution in Bulgaria. The distribution of this species in Bulgaria is strictly connected with well heated housing areas in urban regions, recorded in the cities of Sofia, Varna and Razgrad. Due to the overall poor scientific effort in studying the distribution of the cockroaches associated with human dwellings in the country, the distribution of P. americana in Bulgaria appears to be rather restricted. Its rarity in comparison with the other synanthropic species may be due to the specific thermophily of this species.

Studied material. 9 specimens (6 adults, 3 nymphs).

General distribution. Cosmopolitan in temperate regions with an African origin.

Figures

FIGURES 31 – 40. Dorsal habitus of some species of Bulgarian cockroaches. 31 — Polyphaga aegyptiaca (male—BG, Sandanski – Petrich kettle, Rupite place); 32 — P. aegyptiaca (female—BG, Sandanski-Petrich kettle, Rupite place); 33 — Blatta orientalis (male—BG, Varna); 34 — B. orientalis (female—BG, Sofia); 35 — Periplaneta americana (male—BG, Sofia); 36 — P. americana (female—BG, Sofia); 37 — Blattella germanica (male—BG, Sofia); 38 — Bl. germanica (female—BG, Sofia); 39 — Supella longipalpa (male—BG, Sofia); 40 — S. longipalpa (female—BG, Sofia). Scale = 10 mm (figures 31 – 36); Scale = 10 mm (figures 37 – 40).