Parellipsidion

These cockroaches are nocturnal species. The low elevation species live in the forest and hide during the day under bark.^[4] The mountain species (P. inaculeatum) hides under rocks and in tussock grass above the tree line. Nymphs of Parellipsidion are caught by the wasp Tachysphex nigerrimus  and put in eggs chambers to feed their larvae.^[5]

The genus and two species were described by Peter Johns in 1966. The genus name derives from Ellipsidion and males of Parellipsidion are identified by their right style much reduced compared to the left.^[1] The species P. latipenne was first described as Phyllodromia latipennis in 1865 by the Swiss scientist Brunner von Wattenwyl.^[3] The genus name is considered neuter (applies to male or female) so the neuter ending is applied to the species name, hence Parellipsidion latipenne.