Neoblattella amazonensis, Lopes, Sonia Maria & Khouri, Andréa, 2009

Lopes, Sonia Maria & Khouri, Andréa, 2009, Two new species of Neoblattella Shelford, 1911 (Blattellidae, Pseudophyllodromiinae) from the state of Amazonas, Brazil, Zootaxa 2026, pp. 40-46 : 41-44

Neoblattella amazonensis n. sp.

(Figs. 1–9, 18)

General coloration light brown, glassy and brightly. Pronotum with central disk with scattered black spots (Fig. 2). Head with brown interocular space. Frons with small dark-brown spots (Fig. 1). Ocellar spots reddish. Eyes black. Antennae and palps light brown with golden surface hairs. Tegmina and wings hyaline. Legs brown, with spines. Arolia brown, and darkening towards apex. Abdomen of male yellow-brown with darker markings.

Measurements (mm), holotype 3—Total length 20; length of pronotum 4; length of tegmen 17; width of pronotum 5; width of tegmen 4.

Head small and sub-triangular, with exposed vertex under pronotum. Interocular space sub-equal, in size, to space between base of insertion of antenna. Antennae long, hairy. Maxillary palpi with smaller first and second segments, third and fourth segments equal in size and fifth segment, spatulate and more thickly hirsute than more-proximal segments. Pronotum rounded with hexagonal central disk. Cephalic femur with ventrocephalic margin armed with a row of 17 spines that gradually decrease in size from base toward apex, with three apical spines (Type A), ventro-caudal margin armed with four large well spaced spines and one apical spine; middle and posterior femora with six or seven well-developed and spaced spines, one of them apical, with a similar arrangement on both ventral margins; presence of geniculate spine. Pulvilli present on tarsal segments most developed on fourth segment. Developed arolia half the length of claws, which are symmetrical and edged with a minutely toothed flange. Tegmina and wings fully developed, tegmen narrow, elongate with slightly concave marginal sectors; elongate, convex and with oblique vein in scapular sector; convex and wide discoidal sector with longitudinal veins; broad convex anal sector. Wings long, costal area with tips of branches of radial not dilated, apical triangle and anal sector folding fanwise.

Abdomen. Dorsal surface of abdomen with modified sixth and seventh segments, with sparse hairs on both segments (Fig. 4). Supra-anal plate slightly enlarged with prominent median portion with straight apex and with latero-apically concentrated hairs. Cerci with 12 segments (Fig. 6). Subgenital plate symmetrical and wide with slight median portion, narrowing apically from the similar, simple basal portion. Styles elongate positioned close together (Fig. 7). Right phallomere hook-shaped with narrow apex (Fig. 6); right phallomere sclerite blade-like, narrow and curved at the apex (Fig. 8). Left phallomere with inverted U shape, one of the edges developed; median structure rounded and apically sclerotized (Fig. 3). Median sclerites bifurcated with an apically differentiated shank with short spikes and lateral-apical projections; on the lateral branch, three apically sclerotized spines, and next to the base a branch with hirsute outer edges (Fig. 9).

Comment: The species can be included in the “ longior ” group and is close to N. longior in the configuration of the median sclerite and other genital structures.

Etymology: This species is named for the state where the specimen was collected.

Examined Material. Holotype 3, Brazil, Amazonas, Coari, Rio Urucu, LUC-18; 4o 55'53" S / 65o13'13" W, P. F. Bührnheim, N. O. Aguiar et al cols. 19/II–01/III/1993 (mixed mercury light, MNRJ.

PLATE I. Neoblattella amazonensis sp. nov., holotype 3: Fig. 1-head, ventral view; fig. 2- pronotum, dorsal view; fig. 3- left phallomere, dorsal view; fig. 4- tergal modified on 7o abdominal segment, dorsal view; fig. 5- supra-anal plate, dorsal view; fig. 6- right phallomere, dorsal view; fig. 7- subgenital plate, ventral view.

PLATE II. Neoblattella amazonensis sp. nov., holotype 3: Fig. 8- sclerite of right phallomere, dorsal view; fig. 9- median sclerite, dorsal view; Neoblattella poecilopensis sp. nov. holotype 3: fig. 10- pronotum, dorsal view; fig. 11- cabeça, ventral view; fig. 12- supra-anal plate, dorsal view; fig. 13- right phallomere, dorsal view.

PLATE III. Neoblattella poecilopensis sp. nov. holotype 3: Fig. 14- tergal modified of 7o and 8o abdominals segment, dorsal view; fig. 15- left phallomere, dorsal view; fig. 16- subgenital plate, ventral view; fig. 17- median sclerite, dorsal view.