Schistopeltis

Valverde, Alejandra Del Carmen, Crespo, Francisco Antonio & Iglesias, Mónica Sandra, 2012, Morphologic study of male genitalia and female description of Schistopeltis lizeri Rehn (Blaberidae, Zetoborinae, Triboniini), Zootaxa 3326, pp. 62-66 : 65-66

Schistopeltis spp

Male. The right paraproct has a hooked-shape and its tip is directed apically in S. lizeri , while in S. microschistos the paraproct is humped and ends directed caudally.

L1. Similar to S. microschistos ( Fig. 11 ) with a sigmoid shape and narrow open angle while S. peculiaris ( Fig. 19 ) presents a wider angle and its cleft has a concave shape.

L2vm. The posterior apophysis has a particular shape for each species. In S. peculiaris ( Fig. 20 ) it has a wide base tapering to its blunt apex. S. lizeri ( Fig. 16 ) presents a similar smaller structure. S. microschistos has a different shape ( Fig. 12 ).

L2d. In S. microschistos ( Fig. 12 ), it extends upwards but has a sigmoid shape and surpasses the posterior apophysis of L2vm to the right ( Fig. 12 ). In S. lizeri , it has the same sigmoid shape but it is placed under the posterior apophysis of L2vm ( Fig. 16 ). In S. peculiaris , the process extends arched upwards towards the posterior apophysis of L2vm ( Fig. 20 ).

R2. S. lizeri presents a globulous base and its hook has a shallow and narrow subapical incision; the lamina has the shape of a blade with a rounded apex ( Figs. 17–18 ). S. microschistos has a thinner base and its hook has a similar shape to that in S. lizeri but the subapical incision is wider and deeper and the lamina presents a rounded blade apex ( Figs. 13–14 ). S. peculiaris has a base similar to that in S. lizeri and a subapical incision wider than that in S. microschistos , but the apex of the blade ends in an acute angle ( Figs. 21–22 ).

Female. Female body length of S. lizeri and S. microschistos differ but male measurements overlap ( Table 1).

S. lizeri female pronotal fissures are deep but less widened than those of the male and differs from both sexes of S. microschistos .

The comparative study Schistopeltis species allows the incorporation of new characters for more accurate identification of species. The addition to the currently used taxonomic key ( Vélez & Gutiérrez, 2010) of traits—such as interocular distance of the males and females now recorded—would be helpful.

Taxonomic notes. The species belonging to the subfamily Zeroborinae are grouped into the tribes Zetoborini, Phortioecini and Triboniini ( Roth 1970), according to the shape of the male genital sclerites L2vm and L2d. The genera Schistopeltis and Tribonium are grouped in Triboniini, which is defined by the following characters: L2vm with a well developed apophysis extending dorsally and L2d extending upwards and curved to this outgrowth. The subapical incision of R2 is clearly defined at about the middle of the hook.

We found that the male genitalia of the genera may be distinguished by the different shapes of the apophysis of L2vm. The base measure of L2vm apophysis of Schistopeltis spp is similar to or bigger than the measure of its extension. The apophysis base is less widened in Tribonium spp (see Roth 1970; Lopes 1978; Lopes & De Oliveira Cardoso Da Silva 2010).

Rehn (1916) erected the genus Schistopeltis based on a unique external character that distinguishes it from Tribonium : the pronotal fissures. The common pattern of the male genitalia found in the species of Schistopeltis supports the taxonomic status of the genus.

Our results support Vélez & Gutiérrez’s (2010) rediagnosis of Schistospeltis genus in relation to the characters: fissures shape variable (arcuate-truncated, rounded, or V shaped). Male genital phallomere L2, the wide base of apical apophysis of L2vm is similar or longer than its length. Male and female with tegmina complete reaching or surpassing apex of abdomen; wings complete in both sexes; adults and nymph with front legs type D, antero ventral margin of middle and hind femora similar, arolia present.

Figures

FIGURES 11 – 22. S. microschistos (11 – 14, photo credit. Vélez & Gutiérrez, 2010). 11. Left phallomere L 1. 12. Left phallomere: L 2 vm and L 2 d. 13. Right phallomere R 2. 14. Scheme, apex R 2. S. lizeri (15 – 18) 15. Left phallomere L 1. 16. Left phallomere: L 2 vm and L 2 d. 17. Right phallomere R 2. 18. Scheme, apex R 2. S. peculiaris (19 – 22). 19. Left phallomere L 1. 20. Left phallomere: L 2 vm and L 2 d. 21. Right phallomere R 2. 22. Scheme, apex R 2. Scale: 1 mm. ap: apophysis; cl: cleft; dp: dorsal process; L 1: left phallomere; L 2 d: left phallomere dorsal; L 2 vm: left phallomere ventromedial; R 2: right phallomere; si: subapical incisure.