5 



ABSTRACT 



The external male genitalia of Blattaria and Mantodea (phallomeres, phallomere complex) 

 are highly complicated structures, which are always extremely asymmetrical. They are 

 provided with many sclerites and muscles. Their cuticular surface is complexly folded, 

 and there are many distinct in- and evaginations (the formative elements), which may have 

 the shape of spines, lobes, bulges, pouches, apodemes, tendons, etc.. The knowledge of 

 phallomere morphology is extremely incomplete, and the potential for phylogenetic 

 research inherent in these structures has so far hardly been used. 



In 4 species of Mantodea and 10 species of Blattaria the sclerites, muscles, and formative 

 elements of the phallomere complex and some other parts of the male postabdomen have 

 been investigated in detail. Most of the subgroups of Blattaria (subfamilies in the system 

 of McKittrick 1964) and four families of Mantodea (of the system of Beier 1968) are 

 represented in this sample. Certain parts of the phallomeres are described for some further 

 species of Blattaria. 



A detailed homology hypothesis is presented for the sclerites, muscles, and formative 

 elements of the phallomeres, which includes the homologies between Blattaria and 

 Mantodea. The common ground-plan of Blattaria and Mantodea has been reconstructed. 

 Phallomere characters have been evaluated in terms of phylogeny. 



The resulting phylogenetic hypothesis is roughly as follows: In Mantodea, the basal 

 dichotomy is between Mantoididae and the other families; the second one is between 

 Chaeteessidae and the remaining families. In Blattaria, the basal dichotomy is between 

 Blattinae + Polyzosteriinae and the remainder. These remaining Blattaria can be divided 

 into three groups: The first consists of Tryonicinae only. The second contains Cryptocerci- 

 dae as well as Lamproblattinae and Polyphaginae, the two latter taxa being especially 

 closely related. The third group comprises Blattellidae and Blaberidae. Blattellidae are 

 clearly paraphyletic, with Blaberidae as a rather subordinate subgroup. The first offshoot 

 within Blattellidae (-1- Blaberidae) are the Anaplectinae. The subsequent offshoots are 

 various species of Plectopterinae, which is a paraphyletic taxon, too. Blaberidae, 

 Nyctiborinae, Blattellinae and Ectobiinae together form a holophyletic group. Nyctiborinae 

 and Blaberidae are possibly sister-groups. 

 Some other important results are: 



(1) The asymmetry of the phallomere complex is homologous in Blattaria and Mantodea, 

 and the morphology of each side is quite similar in the two groups. In Mantodea the hook- 

 process hla (sclerite L3 of McKittrick 1964) is missing; this might be the consequence of 

 a derived copulation procedure. 



(2) In the common ground-plan of Blattaria and Mantodea asymmetry is already as extreme 

 as in the extant species. The opinion of Mizukubo & Hirashima (1987) that the stem- 

 species of Blattaria still had symmetrical phallomeres is refuted. 



(3) The ground-plan morphology is most extensively retained in the Mantodea Mantoididae 

 (left side) and Chaeteessidae (right side). In Blattaria, Blattinae have retained many 

 ground-plan features, but in some other phallomere characters they are rather derived. The 

 phallomeres of Cryptocercidae are not close to the Blattarian ground-plan as it is the 

 opinion of McKittrick (1964). 



