Panesthia Serville, 1831

Wang, Xiudan, Wang, Zongqing & Che, Yanli, 2014, A taxonomic study of the genus Panesthia (Blattodea, Blaberidae, Panesthiinae) from China with descriptions of one new species, one new subspecies and the male of Panesthiaantennata, ZooKeys 466, pp. 53-75 : 54-56

Taxon classification Animalia Blattodea Blaberidae

Genus Panesthia Serville, 1831

Panesthia Serville, 1831: 38; Princis 1965: 309; Roth 1977: 12, 1979: 3. Type species: Panesthia angustipennis (Illiger, 1801).

Proterodia Costa, 1866: 5. Type species: Proterodia punctatissima Costa, 1866. Synonymized by Princis 1965: 309.

Dicellonotus Butler, 1882: 387. Type species: Dicellonotus lucanoides Butler, 1882. Synonymized by Roth 1977: 12.

Diagnosis

(mainly following Roth 1977, 1979). Coloration dark reddish brown or black. Size ranging from 15 mm to over 50 mm. Body strongly sclerotized with a coarse surface, densely covered with punctations. Vertex foveolar or not, slightly exposed. Pronotum transversal ovate, anterior margin slightly convex, with a variable excision in the midline, or entire. If excised, the corners of the concavity protruding or not. Lateral margins of pronotum arched and the hind margin almost straight or slightly concave. The surface of the pronotum granular on variably depressed anterior half with a pair of oblique grooves and often with two disc tubercles on the posteriorly punctate half. Tegmina and wings unicoloured or not, fully developed (sometimes mutilated terminally or only leaving the basal portion of the tegmina and wings), or reduced, or tegmina reduced but wings absent, or both tegmina and wings absent. The tarsi of legs with five segments, pulvilli are present on segments 1-4. The hind metatarsus is shorter than the remaining segments combined. Claws symmetrical, without arolia. Abdominal terga with punctate surface, and the hind margins without spines, tubercles or teeth.

Anterolateral corners of terga rarely with holes and without setae, or just tergum six (T 6) and tergum seven (T7) with holes. Lateral margins of T6 smooth, and laterocaudal angles not produced, or with a spine and directed caudally. Lateral margins of T7 straight and not crenulate, laterocaudal angles sometimes produced and usually directed caudally. Lateral margins of sternite seven (S7) with a feeble and short ridge or without ridge. In the male, the hind margin of the last sternite is truncate or concave, and the subgenital fig is slightly exposed. In the female, the hind margin of the last sternite is convex and rounded. Both sexes are without styli. Supra-anal fig punctate, with uneven or rounded hind margin, and cerci are short and broad basally. Paraprocts are asymmetrical, the left one in ventral view with a finger-like projection lacking in the right one. Anterior margin and lateral margins of subgenital fig concave and the hind margin is rounded. Four genital phallomeres as follow: first sclerite of the left phallomere (L1) figd; second ventromedial sclerite of left phallomere (L2vm) rod-like; second dorsal sclerite of the left phallomere (L2d) variable; second sclerite of the right phallomere (R2) well developed or reduced, if developed, it is often hook-like and curved to right side in dorsal view.

Remarks.

The genus Panesthia is recognized by both T6 and T7 having smooth lateral margins, their hind margins without tubercles; the hind angles of T7 spine-like, but T6 not. Some species in this genus may have individuals with mixed characters resembling the genus Salganea Stål, 1877, Ancaudellia Shaw, 1925 or Miopanesthia Saussure, 1895 ( Roth 1982: 71). The first two genera can be distinguished from Panesthia by the anterolateral angles of terga usually with holes or grooves with associated setae, but species of Panesthia often lack holes, or if with holes in T6 and T7, the holes without setae. The last genus Miopanesthia , has a hind metatarsus that is usually close to or longer than the combined length of the remaining tarsal segments; however, the hind metatarsus is shorter than the remaining segments in Panesthia .

Distribution.

Oriental Region, Australian Region, a few locations in the Palaearctic Region (China, Japan).

Key to species of Panesthia from China