The Systematic Position of Cryptocercus Scudder in Cockroaches and Its Evolutionary Implications
Résumé
A new systematic position of Cryptocercus Scudder, 1862 is assessed. Thirteen derived morpho-anatomical characters ally this genus to the family Polyphagidae Walker, 1868, including four more precisely to the subfamily Polyphaginae Kirby, 1904. Consequently, the familial organization and symbiotic flagellates of Cryptocercus cannot be considered as retained ancestral traits shared with termites, but are probably convergent features of social organization and a recent transfer of symbionts.