What’s in a name? Polyzosteria yingina ; the Golden Sun Cockroach

Abstract

The endemic Tasmanian cockroach Polyzosteria yingina, was formally described in 2021, 80 years after it was first documented. Evidence from morphology, biogeography and DNA barcodes distinguishes this species from the related mainland Australian taxa it had previously been confused with and united the geographically disparate alpine and coastal populations under a single specific epithet. That specific epithet, yingina, was chosen in collaboration with the Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre. This was to acknowledge that, given the species’ large size, handsome appearance and overt behaviours, it would once have had Aboriginal names, which now may have been lost due to colonial disruption of language, land and culture