Origins and diversity of spot-like aposematic and disruptive colorations among cockroaches.

Protective coloration is observed in numerous extant cockroach species and is prevalent among insects. Such coloration can signal nonprofitability of prey (aposematic) or serve as a camouflage (disruptive). An apparent aposematic isolated macula is identified here among the cockroach Facioblatta perfidia gen. et sp. n. (Liberiblattinidae) from Northern Myanmar amber. In total, 9 and 10 general coloration patterns related to spot-like patterns among extant and fossil species, respectively, are identified. Potential cockroach predators targeted with these patterns varied from dragonflies, small Jurassic pterosaurs and lizards, to Cretaceous and modern frogs, birds and insectivores. Patterns asynchronously appeared throughout the taxonomic spectrum suggesting that the elimination from predators combined with environmental factors influenced the spread of protective coloration among cockroaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]