Research Paper

The first record of Nocticolidae (Blattodea) and a new species description of Nocticola from Taiwan

Mu-Hsuan Chen, Wen-Jun Lin, Wei-Ren Liang

Published on: 20 March 2026

Page: 237 - 242

DOI: 10.6165/tai.2026.71.237

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    Abstract

    We report the first record of the family Nocticolidae (Blattodea: Corydioidea Saussure, 1864) in Taiwan and describe a new species of Nocticola, N. formosana sp. nov. Detailed morphological observations place the species in the uenoi-species group, characterized by a specialized tergal gland on the fourth abdominal segment. Males exhibit unique features, including complete eye loss, broad tegmina, and specific genital structures. High genetic distances between N. formosana sp. nov. and related Chinese species support support its status as a distinct species. The type specimens were discovered from the foraging tunnel of Odontotermes formosanus (Shiraki) inside a decaying wood. This study provides new taxonomic evidence on Nocticola diversity and offers new data for understanding the phylogeny of Nocticolidae in East Asia.

    Keyword: cockroach, fungus-growing termite, Nocticola formosana, rotten wood, taxonomy, termite tunnel

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