Decoralampra, Lucañas, 2017

Lucañas, Cristian C., 2017, Some new brachypterous cockroaches (Blattodea: Blaberidae: Epilamprinae) from the Philippines, Zootaxa 4294 (1), pp. 130-136 : 130-131

Genus Decoralampra gen. nov.

Diagnosis. Males: Vertex slightly exposed ( Fig. 1 A). Ocellar spots present, slightly above the antennal socket ( Fig. 1 C). Pronotum parabolic, posterior margin almost straight. Brachypterous. Tegmina reduced, apically rounded, reaching only up to fifth abdominal tergite; Venation indistinct except for CuP, basal part of Sc and intercalated remnants of distal CuA ( Fig. 1 D). Wings reduced, reaching only up fifth abdominal tergite. Fore femur type B (stout proximal spines followed by a row of piliform spinules terminating in a large spine ( Fig. 1 E). Hind metatarsus slightly longer than the remaining tarsomeres combined, armed with 2 rows of spines and large apical pulvilli ( Fig. 1 F). Suceeding tarsomeres armed only with spines surrounding the large pulvilli that occupies the entire ventral area of the tarsomere. Tarsal claws simple, symmetrical. Arolium large. Abdominal tergites unspecialized. Tergite 8 with spiracular breathing tube. Supra-anal plate almost entire, with shallow mesal indentation ( Fig. 1 G). Cerci short and stout. Subgenital plate slightly asymmetrical. Style short, similarly sized. Male genitalia typical of the subfamily Epilamprinae ( Fig. 1 H), bristles present right below L2d. Hook-like phallomere (L3) on the right side; blunt, with small subapical knob, folded structure indistinct short, indicated only by bristles.

The brachypterous nature of the male distinguishes it from fully-winged Epilamprinae : Africalolampra Roth, Aphelixia Roth , Anisolampra Bey-bienko, Aspidopsis Saussure, Aptera Saussure, Ataxagamia Tepper , Blepharodera Burmeister , Calolampra Saussure , Calolamprodes Bey-bienko, Capucinella Hebard , Cariacasia Rehn , Colapteroblatta Hebard , Epilampra Burmeister , Galiblatta Hebard , Gurneya Roth , Hedaia Saussure and Zehntner , Homalopteryx Brunner , Litopeltis Hebard , Molytria Stal , Morphna Shelford , Notolampra Saussure , Phlebonotus Saussure , Phoraspis Serville , Pinaconota Saussure , Poeciloderrhis Stal , Poroblatta Hebard , Pseudocalolampra Roth and Princis , Pseudophoraspis Kirby , Rhabdoblatta Kirby , Rhabdoblattella Kirby , Rhicnoda Brunner , Stictolampra Hanitsch , Thorax Saussure , Ylangella Roth ; and from micropterous and apterous genera, Howintoniella Roth , Indoapterolampra Anisyutkin , Juxtacalolampra Roth , Opisthoplatia Brunner , Paracalolamprodes Anisyutkin and Placoblatta Bey-Bienko.

It differs from Antioquita Hebard by its rounded apex of the tegmina (truncate in Antioquita ), forefemur B1 (A 1 in Antioquita ) and similarly sized style (one larger in Antioquita ) ( Hebard 1933). Meanwhile, it differs from Haanina Hebard in terms of its exposed vertex (covered in Haanina ) and the structure of L2d and R phallomeres ( Roth 1990). It also differs with Orchidoeca Gurney and Roth in terms of its coloration, the unspecialized first abdominal tergite (with bifurcate tubercle in Orchidoeca ), slightly symmetrical subgenital plate (strongly assymetrical, curved on Orchidoeca ), and the structure of male genital phallomeres ( Gurney and Roth 1976).

The new genus resembles the coloration of female Calolamprodes laevis (Brunner) but differs from the male in terms of the shape of pronotum, abbreviation of tegmina and wings, and slightly symmetrical subgenital plate (Bey- Bienko 1969). Its coloration and wing reduction also resembles that of Princisola Gurney and Roth , but differs in the shape of the pronotum, absence of excavation on the right side of the subgenital plate, similarly sized style, large pulvilli on the hind metatarsomere and the structure of left and right phallomere. It is also similar with the South American Dryadoblatta Rehn in terms of its coloration and wing reduction but differs in the punctures on the pronotum and tegmina of Decoralampra and the structure of the right and left-median phallomere ( Roth 1971).

The bristles on the folded structure in L 3 may indicate close relation with the brachypterous Cyrtonotula Uvarov and Howintoniella Roth. Those bristles were also noted on Aspidopsis, several Epilampra , Hedaia , Phlebonotus and Thorax ( Roth 1970; Van Herrewege & Van Waerebeke 1957; Anisyutkin 2014). It differs from Cyrtonotula and Howintoniella by the nearly straight posterior margin of the pronotum, tegmina reaching up to fifth abdominal tergite, indistinct tegminal venation, hind wings present not lobiform, slightly symmetrical subgenital plate, short and stubby cerci, short L3 with indistinct folded structure marked by bristles.

Distribution. Philippines

Etymology. From “decora” referring to its distinct coloration + “lampra” suffix for members of subfamily Epilamprinae

Type species. Decoralampra fulgencioi , by monotypy.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Decoralampra fulgencioi gen. et. sp. nov.: Habitus, (A) dorsal and (B) ventral; (C) head; (D) right tegmina, dorsal view (Sc: subcosta vein; CuP: Cubitus posterior vein); (E) prothoracic leg, anterior view; (F) hind basitarsomere, ventral view; (G) supraanal plate, ventral view; (H) male subgenital plate and genital phallomeres, dorsal view (fs: folded structure; L 3: hook-like phallomere; L 2 d: median phallomere; R 1 – R 5: sclerites of R phallomere).