Revision and phylogeny of neotropical velvet cockroaches (Dictyoptera: Blattellidae: Nyctiborinae)

With approximately 4300 species described to date, the cockroaches remain a poorly studied group, particularly in the Neotropics where they reach their highest diversity. Among the cockroaches the Neotropical subfamily Nyctiborinae consists of nine genera and 63 described species to date, ranging from Mexico to Argentina. The group lacks a modern systematic ordering that would permit the corroboration of its monophyly, an understanding of the evolutionary history of the subsumed lineages, and a suitable classification and identification tools for all pertinent species. Here we present a preliminary phylogenetic analysis of exemplars of the subfamily Nyctiborinae using morphological characters, and suggesting inroads towards a revised classification.