1969] 
Roth — Genitalia of Blattaria 
227 
Giganteus Group are: giganteus — “America”; craniifer - — Cuba, 
(see addendum regarding trapezoideus) . 
Although color markings are variable in several species of Blaberus, 
they are especially so in B. craniifer. This species is represented by 
light (Figs. 41-43) and dark (Figs. 45, 46) forms with intermediates 
(Fig. 44) connecting the extremes. Markings of light phased individ- 
uals resemble B. giganteus (cf. Figs. 26, 27). Lefeuvre (i960) has 
described some color varieties which occurred in his laboratory culture 
of craniifer and we have cultures of both light and dark forms which 
crossed successfully. Lefeuvre claims that rearing craniifer for a 
number of years favored the formation of an “artificial subspecies” 
which differed from the original in 1 ) coloration of the pronotum, 
2) general coloration, in particular the male, and 3) the morphology 
of the penis and prepuce. Lefeuvre suggested that the original B. 
craniifer may have hybridized with a closely related species. The 
variations in craniifer which Lefeuvre described can be seen in museum 
specimens from different geographic localities. I have never seen any 
dark forms of B. giganteus comparable to dark craniifer. 
Brasilianus Group. — The 5 species in this Group, namely, scutatus 
(Fig. 75), brasilianus (Fig. 78), fusiformis (Fig. 83), minor (Fig. 
92), and colosseus (Figs. 112-115), show some genitalic differences 
in L2d and preputial spines but variation is so great within 4 of these 
species (Figs. 76, 77, 79-82, 84-91, 93-1 11), that specific determina- 
tions, using genitalia alone, are often impossible. In some individuals 
of fusiformis (Figs. 85-87, 89, 91) and minor (Figs. 94-95, iOO, 106) 
there is a marked reduction or loss of preputial spines and they may 
occur in a single row, usually on the left side. 
Characteristic of this group is the anterior elevations which are 
generally fused on the right side, and are about the same size as those 
on the left. Rarely are the anterior spines on the right larger than 
those on the left (e.g., Figs. 84, 85, 88). The preputial spines de- 
crease only slightly in size from the anterior to posterior position. 
When the spines are numerous and occur in more than a single row 
they are often closely spaced and form a more or less dense uniform 
fringe around the preputial membrane (e.g., Figs. 76, 77, 79-82, 88, 
90, 93, 97, 99, 101, 105). 
Hebard (1921, p. 148) stated, “From a study of the material in 
the Philadelphia collections, as well as specimens recently received 
from the Guianas, we are finally convinced that B. colosseus (Illiger) 
was based on a mere individual variation of giganteus , unworthy of 
nominal recognition.” Princis (1963) followed Hebard and listed 
