Rhabdoblattella disparis, Wang & Yang & Wang, 2017

Wang, Zhenzhen, Yang, Rong & Wang, Zongqing, 2017, First record of Rhabdoblattella (Blaberidae, Epilamprinae) from China with descriptions of two new species, Zootaxa 4294 (3), pp. 381-388 : 386

Rhabdoblattella disparis sp. n.

( Figs. 9–12 , 26–30 )

Description. Measurements (mm). Holotype, male, Overall length 20.2; head length × width 2.5 × 2.5; prOnOtum length × width 4.1 × 4.3; tegmina length × width 16.0 × 5.5. Paratype, female, Overall length 22.7; head length × width 2.6 × 2.6; prOnOtum length × width 4.1 × 4.7; tegmina length × width 18.4 × 6.4.

BOdy yellOwish-brOwn. Eyes dark brOwn, Ocelli pale yellOwish. Antennae yellOw. Legs, thOrax and abdOmen sterna withOut spOts, light yellOw ( Fig. 11 ). Tegmina subcOstal vein pale yellOwish, veins yellOwish. Cerci yellOwish.

Head expOsed, interOcular width slightly less than the space between antennal sOckets. Distance between eyes abOut 1.3 times Of Ocellus. Labrum with a black strip. Vertex and upper part Of frOns with small brOwn spOts ( Fig. 11 ). PrOnOtum subpentagOnal, smOOth, impunctate, glOssy and cOvered with irregular large rufOus spOts ( Fig. 12 ). Tegmina and wings cOmpletely develOped with rOunded apex. The median vein Of the tegmina presents dark spOts On its basal third and weakly brOwn spOts On its distal third. FOre femur type B2, with six large spines alOng anteriOr margin and twO apical spines ( Fig. 27 ). First segment Of hind tarsus with twO raws Of spines alOng mOst part Of its length, lOnger than the Other segments cOmbined, the 2nd–4th segments spined beneath; claws symmetrical, simple, arOlia well develOped. AbdOminal terga 1st–7th specialized, each segment with a brOwn papilla prOcess near the middle ( Fig. 12 ). Supra-anal plate triangular, shallOw caudal emarginatiOn at middle. ParaprOcts blaberid-type, asymmetrical. Sclerite L4U distinct ( Fig. 29 ). Hypandrium with the right caudal side brOadly excavated, with a small dOrsally directed triangular tOOth near the middle, left hind margin cOncavity (ventral view). Styles similar, small, cylindrical, widely separated ( Fig. 29 ). Cerci extended slightly beyOnd hind margin Of the Supra-anal plate.

Male genitalia. Right phallOmere is similar tO R. hainanensis sp. n., but R3 with branches Of abOut equal wide ( Fig. 28 ); Sclerite L2D divided intO basal and apical parts, basal part rOd-like, mOderately widened cranially, apical part cap-shaped, withOut bristles ( Fig. 26 ); Sclerite L3 with apex pOinted ( Fig. 30 ).

Female. Very similar tO male, but a little mOre rObust ( Figs. 9–10 ). AbdOminal sterna yellOw with small and fewer large brOwn dOts, large brOwn dOts alOng the hind margins Of the segments ( Fig. 10 ). FOre femur with fOur large spines alOng anteriOr margin and twO apical spines.

Distribution. China (Yunnan).

Type materials examined. HOLOTYPE: male, Yunnan, Yinjiang, Nabang , 2012. VII.11, cOll. DOng WANG and Lin DU; PARATYPE: 1 female, same data as the hOlOtype.

Etymology. Latin wOrd disparis means “different”, referring tO abdOminal terga specialized and abdOmen sterna withOut spOts in male which differ it frOm the Other species Of genus Rhabdoblattella .

Discussion. R. disparis sp. n. is as large as R. hainanensis sp. n. AlthOugh this species abdOminal terga 1st–7th specialized with a brOwn papilla prOcess near the middle Of each segment, which is ObviOusly different frOm Other species Of genus Rhabdoblattella , we included R. disparis sp. n. in genus Rhabdoblattella by the fOllOwing characters: 1) male genitalia (apical part Of sclerite L2D cap-shaped and Sclerite L3 with apex pOinted) and hypandrium Of this species is similar tO R. delicata . 2) R. disparis sp. n. mOrphOlOgical characteristics almOst in line with generic characters. TherefOre, accOrding tO abdOminal terga whether specialized Or nOt we subdivide this genus intO twO species grOups: the R. cambodiensis grOup and the R. disparis grOup.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 12. Rhabdoblattella spp. 1 – 2 R. hainanensis sp. n., male holotype from Hainan, Mt. Limushan; 3 – 5 R. annamensis, male LECTOTYPE (OUM) from southern Vietnam, photographed by Katherine Child copyright OUM, published with permission; 6 – 8 R. annamensis, female PARALECTOTYPE (OUM) from southern Vietnam, photographed by Katherine Child copyright OUM, published with permission; 9 – 10 R. disparis sp. n., female PARATYPE from Yunnan, Yinjiang, Nabang; 11 – 12 R. disparis sp. n., male HOLOTYPE from Yunnan, Yinjiang, Nabang.

FIGURES 19 – 30. Male genitalia of Rhabdoblattella spp. 19 – 25 R. hannanensis sp. n. male holotype from Hainan, Limushan; 19 subgenital plate, dorsal view; 20 supra-anal plate and paraprocts, ventral view; 21 hind tarsus; 22 L 2 D, dorsal view; 23 front femur; 24 right phallomere, dorsal view; 25 L 3, dorsal view. 26 – 30 R. disparis sp. n. male holotype from Yunnan, Yinjiang, Nabang; 26 L 2 D, dorsal view; 27 front femur; 28 right phallomere, dorsal view; 29 subgenital plate, dorsal view; 30 L 3, dorsal view. Scale bars = 0.5 mm.