Rhabdoblattella euptera 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 : 52

Rhabdoblattella euptera Anisyutkin , sp.nov.

( Figs. 4D , E, 6A–P, 11K)

Material. Holotype—male, SOUTH INDIA, state Kerala, Cardamon Hills, Valara Fall , 46 km SW of Munnar, 450–500 m; sieving in the forest near river, 25 November 1972, coll. C. Besuchet / I. Löbl ( MHNG).

Etymology. The name of species derived from the Greek words "eu"—well and "ptero"—wing, i.e. a cockroach with the well developed wings.

Description. Male (the holotype). General colour yellowish brown ( Fig. 4D , E); facial part of head yellow, with brown vertex; eyes black; pronotum, tegmina and abdomen densely speckled with small dark maculae; legs yellowish. Surfaces smooth and lustrous; antennae with lustrous proximal 12–13 segments, the rest of segments dull. Head convex ( Figs. 4 E, 6A); epicranial sutures indistinct; ocellar spots distinct; a weak transverse hollow located between antennal sockets; distance between eyes 0.8 times eye length; distance between antennal sockets about twice of the scape length (about 0.8 mm); approximate length ratio of 3rd–5th segments of maxillary palps 1.0: 1.0: 1.2. Pronotum as in Figs. 4D , 6 B. Tegmina and wings completely developed, surpassed abdominal apex, rounded apically ( Fig. 4D ). Tegmina weakly sclerotized; venation distinct; Sc thickened (well visible on ventral side of tegmen); R, M and CuA stems fused at base; CuP distinct. Anterior margin of fore femur armed as in the type B, with 6–7 spines, including 2 apical ones. Fore tibiae not thickened distally. Structure of hind tarsi as described for the genus (see above); arolium about half of the claw length. Abdominal tergites 6th and 7th specialized ( Fig. 6 C, D). 6th tergite with three median membranous areas, medial and paired laterals, median area rounded; lateral ones located along with caudal margin of tergite, with small membranous tubercles ( Fig. 6 C). 7th tergite with a larger membranous area, as compared to 6th tergite, the membranous area separated by two sclerotized arms connected in the middle of tergite; a small tripartite membranous lobe situated at the point of contact of two sclerotized arms ( Fig. 6 D). Posterolateral angles of tergites obtuse ( Fig. 6 C, D). Anal plate (tergite X) elongated, caudal margin with distinct median incision ( Fig. 6 E). Cerci longer, as compared to R. alexeevi sp.nov., flatten, with segments distinctly separated ( Fig. 6 E). Paraprocts of blaberid-type, left paraproct with caudally directed sclerotized lamellate outgrowth ( Fig. 6 F, G, l.out.). Hypandrium nearly symmetrical, with its caudal margin rounded and partly membranous ( Fig. 6 H); a median tooth present ( Fig. 6 H, I, m.t.); styli symmetrical and fusiform, bent at the base ( Fig. 6 H, I).

Male genitalia ( Figs. 6 J–P, 11K). Similar to those of R. alexeevi sp.nov., but the caudal part of sclerite R1T with cleft ( Fig. 6 J, cl.), R3 with branches of about equal length, R5 with striations, apical part of sclerite L2D (L1) absent, basal part with distinct "curved upward subsclerite" ( Fig. 6 K, L u.s.), large “chaeta-bearing area” located near L2D ( Fig. 6 K, ch.a.), sclerite L3 (L2d) without basal subsclerite, "folded structure" distinct, with small bristles ( Fig. 6 M–P, f.s.).

Female unknown.

Measurements (mm). Head length: 2.9, width 3.1, pronotum length 4.4, width 5.5, tegmina length 15.0, width 4.8.

Comparison. The new species readily differs from all its congeners, excep for R. alexeevi sp.nov., in the presence of abdominal tergal glands ( Fig. 6 C, D). From the latter species, R. euptera sp.nov. differs in having the completely developed tegmina and wings surpassing the abdominal apex, the structure of tergal glands (see under the description above) and the male genitalia.

Figures

FIGURE 4. A, D, F—general view from above; B—head and pronotum from above; C, G—general view from below; Eanterior part of body from below. A – C— Rhabdoblattella alexeevi sp. nov. (male, holotype); D, E— R. euptera sp. nov. (male, holotype); F, G— Placoblatta beybienkoi sp. nov. (male, holotype). In Figs. A, C, G, F abdominal apex removed. Out of scale.

FIGURE 6. Rhabdoblattella euptera sp. nov. (male, holotype). A—facial part of head; B—pronotum and head from above; C, D—VI (C) and VII – VIII (D) abdominal tergites from above; E—abdominal apex from above; F, G—paraprocts from caudal (F) and below (G); H—hypandrium from below; I—caudal margin of hypandrium from caudal; J—right phallomere from above; K—sclerite L 2 D from above; L—apical part of sclerite L 2 D from above; M—sclerites L 3 and L 4 U; N – P—apical parts of sclerite L 3. Dotted area shows membranous parts. Abbreviations: VI – VIII— 6 th – 8 th abdominal tergites respectively, c. p. R 1 T, cl., cr. p. R 1 T, ch. a., f. s., l. out., L 4 U, m. t., R 2, R 3, 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; h = I; i = J; j = K; k = L; l = M; m = N – P.