Pycnoscelus surinamensis (Linnaeus)

Lu, Wenhua, Valentine, Barry D., Perez-Gelabert, Daniel E. & Gutiérrez, Esteban, 2014, Ecology and Diversity of Cockroaches (Dictyoptera: Blattaria) from the Virgin Islands, Insecta Mundi 2014 (349), pp. 1-32 : 12

6. Pycnoscelus surinamensis (Linnaeus) ( Fig. 7 )

Blatta surinamensis Linnaeus 1758: 424 ; Surinam; circumtropical, of Asian origin.

Diagnosis. Adults 15–22 mm, oval, with full tegmina in both sexes, bicolored with black and pale brown; head dark brown; pronotum dark brown to almost black, with narrow yellowish (pale brown) anterior and lateral margins that are sometimes interrupted anteriorly; tegmina pale brown, contrasting with pronotum, with many basal punctures usually in double rows; abdominal apex not covered fully by tegmina in some. Nymphs reddish to dark brown to almost black, thorax and first 3 visible abdominal tergites smooth and shining, but segments 4–8 dull and very finely tuberculate, less evident in some very small individuals.

Comments. Pycnoscelus surinamensis adults appear to be all female, which is consistent with being parthenogenetic. It is common on Guana under debris, and a nocturnal ground-dweller ( Table 1). Individuals are active and abundant at night in the pasture area, perhaps as scavengers on the donkey dung there. It is known throughout the Greater Antilles and tropical America ( Princis 1964, 1967). It has more than 10 synonyms probably due to its edificarian circumtropical distribution.

Shelford (1910) first recorded this species from St. Thomas and Trinidad; Miller (1994) reported it in a shipment of plants being unloaded on Guana Island. It is herein recorded for the first time on Anegada, Cooper, Jost Van Dyke, Little Thatch, Moskito, Tortola, and Virgin Gorda of BVI, in addition to other previous records on St. Croix of USVI ( Rehn and Hebard 1927), Puerto Rico ( Gutiérrez and Fisk 1998), and Hispaniola ( Gutiérrez and Perez-Gelabert 2000).

Specimens examined. BDVC —1 nymph, BVI, Anegada Is. , airport vicinity, 22.X.2004, Valentines & Sibleys ; 4 nymphs, BVI, Cooper Is. , 12.X.2007, W. Lu ; 2 females, BVI, Guana Is. , 22.IX/ 10.X.2005, B. D. Valentine & S. C. Valentine-Cooper, at UV ; 5 females, BVI, Guana Is. , 19/ 21.X.2006, 9/ 20.X.2007, B. D. Valentine family, at UV ; 2 females, BVI, Guana Is. , 15.X.2007, W. Lu ; 1 female, BVI, Guana Is. , 5-19.X.2005, B. D. & B. S. Valentine ; 2 nymphs, BVI, Guana Is. , 8/ 14.X.2001, B. D. Valentine family, at UV ; 8 nymphs, BVI, Guana Is. , 4/ 10-11.X.2005, B. D. Valentine & S. C. Valentine-Cooper ; 1 nymph, BVI, Guana Is. , 20.X.2007, B. D. Valentine family, at UV ; 1 nymph, BVI, Guana Is., White Beach , 15.X.2007, W. Lu ; 1 adult, Jost Van Dyke , 18-19.X.2010, W. Lu & S. C. Valentine-Cooper ; 1 female, BVI, Little Thatch Is. , 23.X.2005, W. Lu, sweep ; 2 females, BVI, Moskito Is. , 23.X.2012, E. Hill ; 1 female, BVI, Tortola Is. , Chalwell, II.2003, C. Petrovic, at light ; 2 females, BVI, Virgin Gorda Is. , The Valley, 27.X.2003, J. Egelhoff ; 1 female, BVI, Virgin Gorda Is. , Oil Nut Bay , 12.X.2008, S. C. Valentine-Cooper [mango tree litter]. NMNH — 1 female, BVI, Virgin Gorda Is., The Valley, 27.X.2003, J. Egelhoff .

Figures

Figures 4–7. Blaberidae. 4) Colapteroblatta sp. 1 nymph from Tortola Island. 5) Hemiblabera brunneri male adult from Guana Island and nymph from Little Thatch Island. 6) Panchlora sagax from Guana Island. 7) Pycnoscelus surinamensis from Guana Island (all specimens in BDVC).