Morphna srilankensis Anisyutkin

Anisyutkin, Leonid N. & Yushkova, Olga V., 2017, New data on cockroaches of the subfamily Epilamprinae (Dictyoptera: Blaberidae) from India and Sri Lanka, with descriptions of new species and the genital complex of Aptera fusca (Thunberg, 1784), Zootaxa 4236 (1), pp. 41-64 : 59

Morphna srilankensis Anisyutkin , sp.nov.

( Figs. 8 E–H, 10A–J)

Material. Holotype—male, SRI LANKA, Central Prov., Hanguranketa , 750 m, 27 January 1970, [fungus] Polypores and from under bark of old stump, SL-70/28, coll. C. Besuchet / I. Löbl ( MHNG) ; paratypes (female and two larvae)—same data, as for the holotype, but Hatton , forested mountain east of the city, 1400 m, 9 February 1970, sieving in the forest, SL-70/55a ( MHNG) .

Etymology. The species is named after the country of origin.

Description. Male (holotype). Generally similar to M. indica sp.nov., but differs in the following characters.

General body coloration ( Fig. 8 E–G) is similar to that of M. indica sp.nov., but coxae with several larger black spots and legs with spines and apical parts of tarsi more light, light brown. Head as in Figs. 8 E, 10A, epicranial sutures very weak; scape length about 1.1 mm; approximate length ratio of 3rd–5th segments of maxillary palps 0.8: 1.0: 1.3. Tegmina with Sc and anterior rami of Sc visible and thickened (well visible on the ventral side of tegmen)—similar to that of M. decolyi , but different from that of M. indica sp.nov. Anterior margin of fore femur armed as in the type B, with 5–6 spines, including 2 apical ones. Euplantulae of 1st–4th tarsal segments with weak spinules, well visible on large magnification. Spiracle-bearing outgrowths of abdominal tergite VIII with posterolateral angles less expressed ( Fig. 10 B, p.a.) than in M. indica sp.nov. Anal plate with a semicircular median incision ( Fig. 10 B).

Male genitalia ( Fig. 10 D–J) similar to those of M. indica sp.nov., but the apical part of sclerite L2D ( Fig. 10 G, F) without a "dorsal outgrowth" and the apical parts of sclerite L3 with a poorly marked "apical crest" ( Fig. 10 H–J, ap. cr.).

Female ( Fig. 8 F, H). Similar to the male, but smaller in its size. The distance between eyes 1.2 times wider than eye length; the distance between antennal sockets 2.4 times wider than the scape length (0.9 mm); approximate length ratio of 3rd–5th segments of maxillary palps 1.1: 1.0: 1.3. Genital plate incised in the middle of caudal margin.

Measurements (mm). Head length: male 4.6, female 4.1; head width: male 4.6, female 3.7; pronotum length: male 6.6, female 5.5; pronotum width: male 9.8, female 8.3; tegmen length: male 8.0, female 5.6; tegmen width: male 6.7, female 5.6.

Comparison. The new species is similar to M. indica sp.nov., but differs from it the smaller size and the structure of the apical part of sclerite L2D (compare Fig. 10 G, F and Fig. 9 K, L).

Figures

FIGURE 8. Morphna ssp. A, B, E, F—facial part of head; C, D, G, H—anterior part of body from above. A – D— M. indica sp. nov., male, holotype (A, C) and female, paratype (B, D); E – H— M. srilankensis sp. nov., male, holotype (E, G) and female, paratype (F, H). Pronotum on fig. G damaged. Out of scale.

FIGURE 9. Morphna ssp., males: M. decolyi (Bolivar, 1897) (A, B) and M. indica sp. nov. (C – P). A—left hind tibia from outside; B, K—sclerite L 2 D from above; C—facial part of head; D—pronotum and left tegmen from above, outlines; E—right hind tarsus from below; F—abdominal apex from above; G—abdominal apex from caudal, genitalia and hypandrium removed; H—hypandrium from below; I, J—right phallomere from above (I) and below (J); L—apical part of sclerite L 2 D from above; M—sclerite L 3; N – P—apical parts of sclerite L 3. Dotted area shows membranous parts (not shown in fig E). Abbreviations: b. L 3, c. p. R 1 T, d. o., l. o., f. s., p. a., R 2, R 3, R 4, R 5, spi., t. s., u. s. — see text. Scale bar 1 mm: a = A; b = B; c = C; d = D; e = E; f = F; g = G; h = H; i = I, J; j = K; k = L; l = M; m = N – P.

FIGURE 10. Morphna srilankensis sp. nov., male, holotype. A—facial part of head; B—abdominal apex from above; Chypandrium from below; D—right phallomere from above; E—sclerites R 3 and R 5 from below, outlines; F—sclerites L 2 D and L 4 U from above; G—apical part of sclerite L 2 D from above; H – J—apical parts of sclerite L 3. Dotted area shows membranous parts. Abbreviations: ap. cr., c. p. R 1 T, l. o., L 4 U, p. a., R 3, R 4, R 5, u. s. — see text. Scale bar 1 mm: a = A; b = B; c = C; d = D, E; e = F; f = G; g = H – J.