Geographical variation in the tropical cave cockroach \u3cem\u3eParatemnopteryx stonei\u3c/em\u3e Roth (Blattellidae) in North Queensland, Australia

Observations of cave dwelling organisms in both tropical and temperate caves often reveal morphological modifications, which may reflect various stages of adaptation to cave life. From April 1994 to June 1995 a number of adult Paratemnopteryx stonei were collected from 7 caves in tropical North Queensland to investigate the degree of geographical variation in such troglomorphies between cave populations. Results of morphometric analyses showed the occurrence of a morphological discontinuity between cave populations from the different geographic regions. The body dimensions particularly important in discriminating between each cave population were tegmen length (both sexes), and secondly, tegmen width and tarsus length for males and females respectively. Morphological differences between populations are discussed in relation to stages of adaptation to cave live