Allacta lunulara Li & Wang, 2024

Li, Bian-Lun, Hu, Peng-Hui, Guo, Lin, Che, Yan-Li & Wang, Zong-Qing, 2024, Discovery of five new species of Allacta from Yunnan and Hainan, China (Blattodea, Pseudophyllodromiidae), ZooKeys 1191, pp. 1-21 : 1

Allacta lunulara Li & Wang sp. nov.

Fig. 5A-L

Type material

(All in SWU). Holotype: China • female; Yunnan Prov., Chuxiong City, Mount Zixi; 2239 m; 31 Jul., 2022; Lin Guo, Wei Han leg. Paratype: China • 1 female, same data as holotype.

Diagnosis.

This species resembles A. unicaudata , but it can be differentiated from A. unicaudata mainly by the symmetrical and crescent-shaped third valves.

Measurements

(mm). Female, pronotum length × width: 3.3-3.4 × 4.8-5.2, tegmina length: 8.5-9.0, overall length: 11.6-12.2.

Description.

Female. Body yellowish brown (Fig. 5A, B ). Head yellow with ocelli white; stripe between the eyes dark brown. Maxillary palpi light brown. Antennae yellowish brown (Fig. 5C ). Lateral borders and front margin of pronotum translucent yellowish; an inverted triangular yellowish spot in the middle (Fig. 5D ). Tegmina yellowish brown, and hind wings light brown (Fig. 5H, I ). Legs yellowish brown.

Vertex with interocular space narrower than distance between antennal sockets (Fig. 5C ). The third and fourth maxillary palpi of approximately same length, slightly longer than the fifth (Fig. 5E ). Pronotum subparabolic with hind margins truncated (Fig. 5D ). Tegmina and hind wings fully developed, both extending beyond the end of abdomen. Tegmina slender, with M and CuA longitudinal, CuA with four branches. M of hind wings with three branches, CuA curved with three complete branches (Fig. 5H, I ). Anteroventral margin of front femur Type B3 (Fig. 5F ). Pulvilli only present on the fourth tarsomere. Tarsal claws symmetrical and unspecialized, arolium present.

Female genitalia. Supra-anal plate nearly symmetrical. Paraprocts broad, not extending to the posterior margin of supra-anal plate. Intercalary sclerite irregular plate-shaped and translucent. First valves robust, with inward protrusions. Second valves small. Third valves symmetrical and broad crescent-shaped. The anterior margin of anterior arch slightly sclerotized. First valvifer long and narrow plate-like with setae on the inside. Basivalvula oval-shaped. Laterosternal shelf symmetrical, broad and triangle. Front margin of spermathecal plate truncated. The spermatheca lobe forked, the end of one spermatheca branch enlarged, and the other long and tubular (Fig. 5K, L ).

Remarks.

This species was found to be a cryptic species, very similar to A. unicaudata Li & Wang, sp. nov. but it can be differentiated from A. unicaudata by the female genitalia characters aforementioned. In this study, after comparing the female genitalia in five Allacta species, it is confirmed that the variation in female genitalia can be applied to identify the species of Allacta . The COI divergence between them (6.6%) is significantly larger than the usual intraspecies distance in Allacta (Suppl. material 1). This species is placed in the hamifera species group by having a dark pronotum.

Etymology.

The specific epithet is derived from the Latin word lunulara which means moon-like or relating to a crescent shape, referring to its crescent-shaped third valves.

Distribution.

China (Yunnan).

Figures

Figure 5. Allacta lunulara sp. nov., female holotype A dorsal view B ventral view C head, ventral view D pronotum, dorsal view E maxillary palpi, ventral view F front femur, ventral view G tarsus and tarsal claws of front leg H tegmen, dorsal view I hind wing, dorsal view J subgenital plate, dorsal view K supra-anal plate, dorsal view L supra-anal plate, ventral view. Scale bars: 5 mm (A, B); 1 mm (C-L). Abbreviations: a. a. anterior arch, bsv. basivalvula, intc. s. intercalary sclerite, ltst. sh. laterosternal shelf, pp. paraprocts, pt. paratergites, sp. pl. spermathecal plate, vlf. I first valvifer, v. I first valves, v. II second valves, v. III third valves. For vein abbreviations see Materials and methods.