Biology:Balta bicolor

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Short description: Species of insect

Balta bicolor
A Balta bicolor specimen in Auckland, New Zealand
Scientific classification edit
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Blattodea
Family: Ectobiidae
Genus: Balta
Species:
B. bicolor
Binomial name
Balta bicolor
Hebard, 1943

Balta bicolor is a type of cockroach from the genus Balta.[1] Native to eastern Australia , the species has been identified in New Zealand since 2009.

Description

Balta bicolor has a relatively pale face, occiput and interocular area, with dark antennae. It is visually similar to Ellipsidion cockroaches, and can be distinguished from Balta transversa by its deeper head proportions.[1]

Distribution and habitat

The species is native to eastern Australia.[2] In 2009, Biosecurity New Zealand first identified the species in New Zealand (as Balta bicolour), after being found in an Auckland kitchen.[3]

Balta bicolor is typically found in plant litter or under bark.[4]

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 Hebard, M. (1943) Australian Blattidae of the subfamilies Chorisoneurinae and Ectobiinae (Orthoptera). Monogr. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philad. 4, 1–129.
  2. "species Balta bicolor Hebard, 1943". http://cockroach.archive.speciesfile.org/Common/basic/Taxa.aspx?TaxonNameID=1176634. 
  3. MAF Biosecurity New Zealand (2009). "Pest watch: 20/02/2009 – 31/03/2009". Biosecurity Magazine (91): 26-27. https://ndhadeliver.natlib.govt.nz/delivery/DeliveryManagerServlet?dps_pid=IE1226139&dps_custom_att_1=ilsdb. 
  4. "Species Balta bicolor Hebard, 1943". https://biodiversity.org.au/afd/taxa/Balta_bicolor. 

Further reading

  • Dahms, E. 1972. Type-specimens of cockroaches (Blattodea) in the Queensland Museum. Memoirs of the Queensland Museum 16: 275
  • Rentz, D. (2014). A Guide to the Cockroaches of Australia. Collingwood: CSIRO Publishing. p. 260. 


Wikidata ☰ Q10425614 entry