Graciliblatta Liang, Huang & Ren

Liang, Jun-Hui, Huang, Wei-Long & Ren, Dong, 2012, Graciliblatta bella gen. et sp. n. — a rare carnivorous cockroach (Insecta, Blattida, Raphidiomimidae) from the Middle Jurassic sediments of Daohugou in Inner Mongolia, China, Zootaxa 3449, pp. 62-68 : 63

Raphidiomimidae Vishniakova, 1973

Genus Graciliblatta Liang, Huang & Ren , gen. n.

Type species. Graciliblatta bella Liang, Huang et Ren , sp. n.

Composition. Monotypic.

Derivation of name: Graciliblatta is a combination of gracilis (Latin for slim), alluding to elongated body and head, and the genus name Blatta .

Differential diagnosis. The new genus can be distinguished from other representatives of the family by the richly branched Sc. The new genus additionally differs from Liadoblattina Handlirsch, 1906 ( Vršanský and Ansorge 2007) from Early Jurassic of Germany and England in having a larger body and reticulations present in the CuA-CuP area. Graciliblatta is also different from Raphidiomima and Cameloblatta in the elongated pronotum (the length-to-width ratio of the pronotum of the new genus is 1.5, those of Raphidiomima and Cameloblatta 1.2), and distinctive divided eyes located basally, which are undivided in the other genera, which originate from the Late Jurassic of Kazakhstan.

The head and pronotum of Graciliblatta are extremely long and narrower than in Fortiblatta (Liang et al. 2009) ; vein R of the forewing is more arcuate and R1 has secondary branching not found in Fortiblatta , which is from the same locality and age as Graciliblatta. In addition, the body is smaller (length/width of head in the new genus is 2.25 vs. 1.9 in Fortiblatta ; the pronotal length/width of the new genus is 1.5 vs. 1.2 in Fortiblatta ). Coloration in the tip of wings is absent, but Graciliblatta has two dark stripes on pronotum, unlike Fortiblatta .

Description. Head and pronotum elongated. Forewing long and narrow. Sc richly branched, with 7–8 branches; R not reaching the tip of margin, slightly curved and basally with dark coloration. CuA and CuP slightly curved. Anal veins with tertiary branches. Diagonal fold present.

Hind wing with simple Sc; R1 and Rs differentiated, and R1 secondarily branched.