Blaberoidea, comprised of Ectobiidae and Blaberidae, is the most speciose cockroach clade and exhibits immense variation in life history strategies. We analysed the phylogeny of Blaberoidea using four mitochondrial and three nuclear genes from 99 blaberoid taxa. Blaberoidea (excl. Anaplectidae) and Blaberidae were recovered as monophyletic, but Ectobiidae was not; Attaphilinae is deeply subordinate in Blattellinae and herein abandoned. Our results, together with those from other recent phylogenetic studies, show that the structuring of Blaberoidea in Blaberidae, Pseudophyllodromiidae stat. rev., Ectobiidae stat. rev., Blattellidae stat. rev., and Nyctiboridae stat. rev. (with “ectobiid” subfamilies raised to family rank) represents a sound basis for further development of Blaberoidea systematics. Relationships in Blaberidae are widely incongruent with current classification, but more congruent with geographic distribution, with large Afrotropical, Neotropical, and Indo-Malayan clades. We further investigate evolutionary trends and correlations of various life history traits: wing development, body size, microhabitat, mating pattern, ootheca handling, and clutch size.

Blaberidae, Ectobiidae, Attaphilinae, character mapping, character correlation, habitat, wing reduction, body size, clutch size, reproductive behaviour