Panchlora sagax Rehn and Hebard

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 : 10-11

4. Panchlora sagax Rehn and Hebard ( Fig. 6 )

Panchlora sagax Rehn and Hebard 1927: 251 ; Dominica; Puerto Rico, Culebra Island.

Diagnosis. Adults 14–19 mm, flat, oval, with full tegmina in both sexes; when alive dorsum mostly pale green, with lateral submarginal borders of pronotum and costal cells of tegmina pale yellow; head with a reddish brown interocular band; venter and legs greenish yellow; ventro-posterior of hind femora without a minute spur; cerci tapering.

Comments. Panchlora sagax is delicate, rather flat, and one of the three green species recorded from the Virgin Islands. Many specimens turn pale brown after death, especially if killed with alcohol or ethyl acetate. Males are generally shorter and narrower than females. We have not found the nymphs, which are reported to be brown ( Gurney and Fisk 1987). Specimens from St John at VIIS were labeled as P. nivea but examination and comparison with Guana Island specimens indicate that they are all P. sagax , which differs from P. nivea in lacking the minute spur near the middle of the ventro-posterior margin of the hind femur.

This species is ovoviparous; a now faded brown female collected on 23.X.2008 from Moskito Island carries unborn nymphs, two of which are visible at the abdominal apex, and a green female collected on 26-28.X.2000 from Guana Island has an accidentally extruded brown egg mass. Nuptial aggregation may be normal in this species. In October 2001, approximately 30 individuals were attracted to a UV light; they formed a tight group on the trap sheet, all bodies in contact, and in simultaneous action when one moved. This aggregation phenomenon was observed for three consecutive days. Both sexes were present with males outnumbering females.

This is a common species on Guana Island, arboreal, and diurnal; we never found them under rocks or logs or active at night other than perching on vegetation or coming to lights ( Table 1). We could only find individuals in the forest edge Malaise trap in July 2000, March 2003, May 2005, and September 2006 during the 12-year period.

Roth (1994) first recorded this species from Guana Island and checked identity for some of our specimens. It is herein recorded for the first time from St. John of USVI, Little Thatch, Moskito, Necker, Tortola, and Virgin Gorda of BVI, in addition to a previous record from Colombia ( Princis 1964). It is probably of South American origin despite its Antillean type localities ( Rehn and Hebard 1927).

Specimens examined. BDVC — 3 females, BVI, Guana Is. , Quail Dove Ghut, 9. V.-9. VI.2000, W.-P. Liao, Malaise trap ; 6 females, BVI, Guana Is. , 26-28/ 30.X.2000, 1-7/ 8-14.X.2001, 13.X.2005, B. & B. Valentine, at UV ; 2 females, BVI, Guana Is. , 23.IX./ 5.X.2005, B. D. Valentine & S. C. Valentine-Cooper, at UV ; 1 female, BVI, Guana Is. , 26.IX/ 1.X.2006, J. Cokendolpher, at UV ; 3 males, BVI, Guana Is. , 23.X.2004, 22.IX.2005, B. D. Valentine & S. C. Valentine-Cooper, at UV ; 1 male, BVI, Guana Is. , 9.X.2007, W. Lu ; 3 males, BVI, Guana Is. , 16.X.2006, 29.X.2007, B. D. Valentine family, at UV ; 8 males, BVI, Guana Is. , 26-29.X.2000, 1-7.X.2001, B. & B. Valentine, at UV ; 1 adult, Jost Van Dyke , 8.X.2010, Lu & Valentine-Cooper ; 1 male, Little Thatch Is. , 18.X.2004, S. Valentine-Cooper, at light ; 2 females [1 with young nymphs], BVI, Moskito Is. , 23.X.2008, Valentine-Cooper & Lu ; 1 female, BVI, Moskito Is. , 25X.2007, W. Lu, sweep ; 1 male, BVI, Necker Is. , 2-5. VI.2005, W. Lu ; 2 females, BVI, Tortola Is. , Paraquita Bay, 28.X.2001, Chalwell, VII-VIII.2003, both C. Petrovic, at light ; 2 females, BVI, Virgin Gorda Is. , SW coast, 14.X.2004, B. & S. Valentine, at UV. MCZ — 11 adults, BVI, Guana Is. UDCC — 1 female / 7 males, BVI, Guana Is., 7.X.1994, 11.VIII.1997, 23.X.1997, C. R. Bartlett, beat/sweep/at UV ; 1 male, BVI, Guana Is. , 16.X.1993, C. Bartlett & J. Cryan ; 10 adults, BVI, Guana Is. , 21.X.1997, C. R. Bartlett. VIIS — 1 adult (missing abdomen), USVI, St. John Is., Lameshur Bay, 18-27. VII.1968, A. Gray ; 1 female, USVI, St. John Is. , Lameshur Bay, 13. VII.1970, J. B. Hanzely ; 2 females, USVI, St. John Is. , Cruz Bay, A. E. Dammann ; 1 male, USVI, St. John Is. , VIII.1968, A. E. Dammann ; 1 male / 1 female, USVI, St. John Is. , Chocolate Hole, 25.X.1968, A. E. Dammann .

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).