Vittiblatta punctata Luo & Wang, 2023
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publication ID |
https://dx.doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1187.113403 |
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publication LSID |
lsid:zoobank.org:pub:91B4F76C-D389-4BE5-8AD0-7E3C82B75052 |
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persistent identifier |
https://treatment.plazi.org/id/337CEA3C-952C-4AEC-A463-15C46682CEB0 |
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taxon LSID |
lsid:zoobank.org:act:337CEA3C-952C-4AEC-A463-15C46682CEB0 |
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treatment provided by |
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scientific name |
Vittiblatta punctata Luo & Wang |
| status |
sp. nov. |
Vittiblatta punctata Luo & Wang sp. nov.
Figs 1 View Figure 1 , 2 View Figure 2 , 3 View Figure 3 , 7 (in part) View Figure 7
Type materials.
Holotype: China • ♂; Sichuan, Miyi County, Panzhihua City; 20.VII.2021; Lu Qiu leg.; SWU-B-BL-083301. Paratypes: China • 1♂; Sichuan, Mt Lushan, Xichang City, Liangshan Autonomous Prefecture; 21.VII.2022; Bianlun Li & Lin Guo leg.; SWU-B-BL-083302 • 1♂; Sichuan, Mt Lushan, Xichang City, Liangshan Autonomous Prefecture; 1800 m alt.; 30.VI.2015; Chao Zhou leg.; SWU-B-BL-083303 • 1♀; Sichuan, Mt Lushan, Xichang City, Liangshan Autonomous Prefecture; 21.VII.2022; Wei Han & Xinxing Luo leg.; SWU-B-BL-083304 • 2♂♂; Sichuan, Mt Daheishan, Panzhihua City; 20-21.V.2011; Keliang Wu leg.; SWU-B-BL-083305 to 083306 • 5♂♂; Yunnan, Mt Ailaoshan, Xinping County; 1988 m alt.; 24.V.2018; Lu Qiu, Wenbo Deng & Zhiwei Dong leg.; SWU-B-BL-083307 to 083311 • 1♂, 2♀; Yunnan, Mt Ailaoshan, Xinping County; 1988 m alt.; 11-13.V.2016; Lu Qiu & Zhiwei Qiu leg.; SWU-B-BL-083312 to 083314 • 4♀♀; Yunnan, Xishan Scenic Area, Kunming City; 2240 m alt.; 27.VI.2021; Jiawei Zhang & Jinlin Liu leg.; SWU-B-BL-083315 to 083318 • 1♂; Yunnan, Wenquan Street, Kunming City; 1900 m alt.; 3-4.VI.1974; Yao Zhou & Feng Yuan leg.; SWU-B-BL-083319 • 1♂; Qiongzhu Temple, Kunming City; 2166 m alt.; 14.VI.1980; collector unknown; SWU-B-BL-083320 • 2♂♂; Yunnan, Mengxima Town, Yingjiang County, Dehong Autonomous Prefecture; 1470 m alt.; 9.VI.2008; Weiwei Zhang leg.; SWU-B-BL-083321 to 083322 • 1♂; Yunnan, Menghai County, Xishuangbanna Autonomous Prefecture; 1160 m alt.; 27-31.VI.1974; Yao Zhou & Feng Yuan leg.; SWU-B-BL-083323 • 1♂; Yunnan, Baihualing, Mt Gaoligong, Baoshan City; 1523 m alt.; 19.IV.2014; Yunkong Jiang & Tian Lu leg.; SWU-B-BL-083324 • 2♂; Yunnan, Hanlongzhai, Baihualing, Mt Gaoligong, Baoshan City; 1508 m alt.; 11.VI.2023; Xinran Li & Yifeng Liu leg.; SWU-B-BL-083325 to 083326 • 1♂; Yunnan, Yuxi City; 13.V.1980; Jingrong Zhao leg.; SWU-B-BL-083327.
Diagnosis.
Combining the following characteristics, this species is easily distinguished from other species of this genus: 1) pronotum with dense punctures; 2) the middle and hind femora with sparse spines; 3) body brown and cerci yellowish brown; 4) L4C with densely spiny process; 5) the end of L2 with one long spine; 6) the distal part of R1G with a thick spine; 7) the surface of the basivalvulae with furrows and microtrichia; 8) the end capsule of the spermatheca rod-shaped.
Description.
Sexual dimorphism present. Coloration. Male body brown to dark brown and female body black; ocelli white; cerci and styli yellowish brown (Fig. 1A-D View Figure 1 ).
Male (Fig. 1A, B View Figure 1 ). Body length including tegmen: 30.6-39.5 mm; body length: 20.7-29.8 mm; pronotum length × width: 4.3-6.8 mm × 6.6-9.2 mm; tegmina length × width: 26.0-32.9 mm × 7.4-10.2 mm. Head and thorax. Vertex slightly exposed. Interocular space slightly wider than the interocellar space, shorter than the distance between antennal sockets (Fig. 1E View Figure 1 ). Antennae longer than the body. Pronotum subelliptical, with the lateral edges not curved downward; anterior margin nearly concave, the median of hind margin convex; the widest point after the midpoint, the surface thin with dense punctures (Fig. 1F View Figure 1 ). The posterior-lateral angles of metanotum without projections (Fig. 1H View Figure 1 ). Tegmina and wings well developed, surpassing the tip of abdomen (Fig. 1A, B, I, J View Figure 1 ). Tegmina with ScP strong, posterior branch of R not reaching the end of tegmina (Fig. 1I View Figure 1 ). Legs slender. Front femur of type A2 (Fig. 1G View Figure 1 ). Mid- and hind legs with sparsely spines on ventral margin. Hind metatarsus approximately equal to the remaining segments combined. Pulvilli present on 1-4 tarsal segments, claws symmetrical and unspecialized, arolium small (Fig. 7A View Figure 7 ). Abdomen. First tergite of male abdomen with visible gland, setose gland sparse and not obscured by metanotum (Fig. 1H View Figure 1 ). Supra-anal plate short, lateral margin shrunken inward; the middle part of hind margin concave at an obtuse angle. Paraprocts (pp.) long, strip-shaped. Cerci robust (Fig. 1K View Figure 1 ). Subgenital plate nearly square; the hind margin arcuate, and the middle slightly concave. Styli symmetrical and apically rounded (Fig. 1L View Figure 1 ). Genitalia (Fig. 1M View Figure 1 ). L1 composed of one elongate sclerite and membrane bearing pubescence. L4C thin ribbon-like, with a densely spiny process near basal inner margin. L2 irregular, the end with one long spine inward. L3 unciform and well sclerotized, the basal part bifurcated. The distal part of R1H broad, the inner margin bifurcated with two small spines. The distal part of R1G with a slightly curved and thick spine inward.
Female (Fig. 1C, D View Figure 1 ). Body length: 21.6-24.7 mm; pronotum length × width: 6.4-8.2 mm × 8.5-10.5 mm; tegmina length × width: 6.3-7.5 mm × 5.1-6.4 mm. Head and thorax. Interocular space slightly wider than the interocellar space and the distance between antennal sockets (Fig. 1D View Figure 1 ). Pronotum subelliptical, the widest point near hind margin; anterior margin and hind margin straight (Fig. 1C View Figure 1 ). Tegmina and hind wings reduced. Tegmina squamiform, reaching the first tergite of abdomen; the outer margin oblique (Fig. 1C View Figure 1 ). Hind wings small lobe-like. Hind metatarsus approximately equal to the remaining segments combined. Pulvilli present on 1-4 tarsal segments, claws symmetrical and unspecialized, arolium smaller than male (Fig. 7A View Figure 7 ). Abdomen. Hind margin of tergum X (TX) with median invagination, and with a membranous line inside; cerci thick and upturned (easily broken) (Fig. 2A, D View Figure 2 ). Genitalia (Fig. 1N View Figure 1 ). First valve (v.I.) well sclerotized. First valvifer (vlf.I) small. Second valve (v.II) with strip-like sclerite. Posterior lobes of valvifer II (p.l.) irregular, the outer margin slightly connected with laterosternite IX (ltst.IX). Laterosternite IX broad and irregular. The base of anterior arch (a.a.) extended downward, surface densely covered with microtrichia. Spermathecal plate (sp.pl.) small, connected to basivalvulae (bsv.) by membrane. Spermathecal opening (sp.o.) located at the base of basivalvulae. Spermatheca branched, the leading duct short, the branching duct relatively long, and the end capsule rod-shaped (Fig. 7E View Figure 7 ). Basivalvulae bulbous and flared, surface with furrows and microtrichia. Laterosternal shelf (ltst.sh.) symmetrical, the base with furrows.
Ootheca.
11.4 mm long, 5.6 mm wide, reddish brown. Overall long, ridge slightly broad with serrations (Fig. 2A, B View Figure 2 ).
Etymology.
The species epithet is from the Latin word " punctatus ", which is in reference to the dense punctures on the pronotum.
Natural history.
This species has been found in the wild not far from human habitats, on roadsides or in grassy areas (Fig. 2C, D View Figure 2 ).
Distribution.
China (Sichuan, Yunnan).
Remarks.
Stochastic chiral dimorphism was found in male genitalia of this species. The genitalia of some male samples are left-right mirrored in comparison with common arrangement of Blattinae (Fig. 3A-C View Figure 3 ). We carefully examined all male specimens, and this phenotype was found in samples from three localities: Mt Ailaoshan (normal genitalia in two samples and mirrored genitalia in three samples), Baihualing (normal genitalia in one sample and mirrored genitalia in one sample) and Mt Daheishan (normal genitalia in one sample and reversed genitalia in one sample). In addition, there are no significant differences between the two kinds of genitalia, so they should be the same species. This is the first discovery of intraspecific genital chirality in Blattodea .
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