Morphna plana ( Brunner von Wattenwyl, 1865 )

Anisyutkin, Leonid N., 2014, On cockroaches of the subfamily Epilamprinae (Dictyoptera: Blaberidae) from South India and Sri Lanka, with descriptions of new taxa, Zootaxa 3847 (3), pp. 301-332 : 311

Morphna plana ( Brunner von Wattenwyl, 1865)

( Figs. 1 F, G, 5 A–O)

Material. SRI LANKA, " Penadewa Ceylan I. Humbert ", " Molytria plana Br. ♂ "— 1 male ( MHNG).

Description. Male. General color yellowish brown ( Fig. 1 G); facial part of head dark yellowish, partly darkened at vertex, genae and between antennal sockets, labrum lighter ( Fig. 1 F); antennae brownish in proximal (about 16–18 basal segments), greyish in distal parts; 1st–4th segments of maxillary palps—brownish, 5th one—greyish; labial palps—yellowish; pronotum and, in lesser degree, tegmina densely speckled with small brown spots, tegmina lighter toward apex; legs, thorax and abdomen from below dirty yellow, partly brown. Surfaces smooth and lustrous, distal parts of antennae (approximately from 16–18th segments) and 5th segment of maxillary palps dull; punctation present only in basal half of tegmina; facial part of head with weak wrinkles ( Figs. 1 F, 5A). Head longer than wide ( Figs. 1 F, 5A); ocellar spots large; facial part with weak impressions between eyes and above clypeus; distance between eyes 0.5 times eye length; distance between antennal sockets 1.8 times of the scape length (1.1 mm); approximate length ratio of 3rd–5th segments of maxillary palps 1: 1: 1.2. Pronotum as in Figs. 1 G, 5B. Tegmina and wings completely developed, surpassing abdominal apex ( Fig.1 G), similar to those of M. lucida sp. nov., but rounded apically and M stem subobsolete in proximal 1/3 of tegmen length (visible as row of punctures). Anterior margin of fore femur (right femur broken off in specimen studied) armed according to the type B, with 6 spines, including 2 apical ones. Structure of hind tarsi ( Fig. 5 C) similar to that of M. lucida sp. nov. Anal plate (tergite X) triangular in shape, with triangular median incision on caudal margin ( Fig. 5 D). Cerci slightly shorter than in M. lucida sp. nov. Paraprocts of the blaberid-type, as in Fig. 5 E. Hypandrium nearly symmetrical ( Fig. 5 F), similar to that of M. lucida sp. nov.

Male genitalia ( Fig. 5 G–O). Right phallomere (R+N) as in Fig. 5 G–I, caudal part of sclerite R1T rounded ( Fig. 5 I–H, c.p.R1T), densely covered with bristles; R2 weakly curved ( Fig. 5 G); R3 deeply forked caudally ( Fig. 5 H); R4 large ( Fig. 5 I–H); R5 large, fused with sclerite R3 ( Fig. 5 G, H). Sclerite L2D (L1) with basal part very weakly widened cranially ( Fig. 5 J); apical part rounded, with distinct "dorsal outgrows", bristles completely absent ( Fig. 5 K). Sclerite L3 (L2d) ( Fig. 5 L) similar to that of M. lucida sp. nov., but slightly differs in shape of apical part ( Fig. 5 M–O). Sclerite L4U (L3d) similar to that of M. lucida sp. nov.

Measurements (mm). Head length 4.5, head width 4.2, pronotum length 7.0, pronotum width 9.8, tegmen length 27.0, tegmen width (in place where CuP running into posterior margin of tegmen) 9.0.

Notes. Morphna plana was described in the genus Epilampra Burmeister, 1838 . Later, this species was listed in the genus Molytria Stål ( Saussure 1895; Kirby 1904) and finally has been transferred by Shelford (1910) to the genus Morphna .

The male described above broadly corresponds to the original description by C. Brunner von Wattenwyl (1865, p. 183, 184). Some differences in coloration can be explained by an intraspecific variation and/or partial fading of the old dried specimen. Brunner von Wattenwyl did not list the type series in his original description. He only mentioned that it was based on both sexes from " Ceylan " and also that he had two males "before my eyes" ("que j'ai devant moi"— Brunner von Wattenwyl 1865, p. 184). Both males had the unique stylus on the right side of hypandrium ("La plaque sousgénitale du mâle, légèrement échancree, ne porte qu' un style unique du côté droit dans les deux individus, que j'ai devant moi"— Brunner von Wattenwyl 1865, p. 184). The latter fact excludes a possibility that the specimen studied in the present work belonged to the original type series. If the structure of the hypandrium studied by Brunner von Wattenwyl was not an artefact, this would be evidence that these specimens belong to a different species. In order to resolve this problem, a re-examination of the original type series is required.

The complete absence of bristles on the apical part of the sclerite L2D ( Fig. 5 K) is an unusual features in the genus Morphna and the tribe Morphnini as well. In my opinion, it could be explained by the secondary reduction.

Figures

FIGURE 5. Morphna plana (Brunner von Wattenwyl, 1865), male. A—facial part of head; B—pronotum from above; C—left hind tarsus from outside; D—abdominal apex from above; E—paraprocts from caudal; F—hypandrium from below; G, H—right phallomere from above (G) and below (H); I—sclerites R1T and R4, perpendicular to sight; J—sclerite L2D from above; K—apical part of sclerite L2D from above; L—sclerite L3; M–O—apical part of sclerite L3. Dotted area shows membranous parts. Abbreviations: c.p.R1T; d.o.; R1T; R2; R3; R4; R5—see text. Scale bar 1 mm: a = A; b = B; c = C; d = D, E; e = F; f = G, H; g = I; h = J; i = K; j = L; k = M–O.

FIGURE 1. A, D, F, H—facial part of head; B, E, G, I, J—general view from above; C—anterior part of body from below. A – C— Indoapterolampra rugosiuscula sp. nov. (male, holotype); D, E— Morphna lucida sp. nov. (male, holotype); F, G— M. plana (Brunner von Wattenwyl, 1865) (male); H – J— M. decolyi (Bolivar, 1897) (H, I—male, J—female). In Figs. B, I, J abdominal apex removed. All specimens are pinned.