Rhabdoblatta similsinuata, Yang, Rong, Wang, Zhenzhen, Zhou, Yanshuang, Wang, Zongqing & Che, Yanli, 2019

Yang, Rong, Wang, Zhenzhen, Zhou, Yanshuang, Wang, Zongqing & Che, Yanli, 2019, Establishment of six new Rhabdoblatta species (Blattodea, Blaberidae, Epilamprinae) from China, ZooKeys 851, pp. 27-69 : 32-34

Rhabdoblatta similsinuata sp. n. Figure 2 A–P

Diagnosis.

This species is similar to Rh. sinuata Bey-Bienko, 1958 in the male genitalia, only with minor differences as follows: hind margin of subgenital plate with an inverted V-shaped concavity at middle, and left lobe slightly processed (with an inverted U-shaped concavity in the middle and left lobe not processed). But this species can easily be differentiated from Rh. sinuata in the following characteristics: 1) existence of sexual dimorphism：male macropterous, but female brachypterous (tegmina and wings of male and female fully developed extending well beyond the end of the abdomen in the latter); 2) abdominal sterna with obviously longitudinal bands in the middle (bands absent in the latter).

Measurements (mm).

Male, pronotum: length × width 4.3-4.7 × 6.1-6.5, tegmen length: 25.2-25.6, overall length: 29.5-30.3; female, pronotum: length × width 5.2-5.5 × 7.6-8.0, tegmen length: 12.6-13.2, overall length: 21.9-22.4.

Description.

Male. Body pale yellow (Figure 2A). Eyes blackish brown. Ocelli yellowish white. Antennae dark brown. Vertex, frons and basal of clypeus dark brown, the other part yellow (Figure 2B). Pronotum yellow, with many near round small or a few big black spots on the surface (Figure 2E). Tegmina pale yellow, covered with spots similar to those on pronotum, R and M very close to each other basally (Figure 2G). Wings with costal field, radial field and mediocubital field pale yellow and anal field pale gray, whose veins brown (Figure 2H). Legs yellow. The middle of 3 rd– 6th abdominal sterna with dark brown longitudinal bands forming an inverted triangle, with dispersedly brown spots on the surface of the segments. Cerci brown, apical segment blackish brown (Figure 2B).

Vertex slightly exposed (Figure 2B). Distance between eyes slightly longer than interocular space (Figure 2B). Pronotum subelliptical, the widest part in the middle, anterior and lateral margins rounded, middle of hind margin convex (Figure 2E). Tegmina and wings fully developed extending well beyond the end of the abdomen, the apex of the tegmina arc-shaped and veins distinct (Figure 2A, B, G, H). Anteroventral margin of front femur type B1. The inner margin of the metatarsus of hind leg with two rows small spines. Tarsal pulvilli present on the apex of 1st-4th tarsomeres, small and spiked, 1 st– 3rd with spines around. The pretarsus with arolium, claws symmetrical and unspecialized (Figure 2B, F).

Male genitalia. Supra-anal plate symmetrical, subtrapezoid, the middle of the hind margin concave. Right and left paraprocts unsymmetrical, the right with a big, finger-shaped bulge, the end bent (Figure 2K). Subgenital plate with distal part unsymmetrical, with an inverted V-shaped concave in the middle. The base of the inner plate bifurcated and symmetrical. Styli long and flat, whose length approximately 1/3 of interstyli space (Figure 2L). Left phallomere with sclerite R1T apex nearly rectangle, end of R2 rounded, R3 and R5 interlinked, the base of R3 turned over, and without bifurcation at apex, R4 nearly rectangular and existing independently (Figure 2M). The basal sclerite of L2D slender and rod-shaped, with base slightly intumescent; apical sclerite short and small, the surface on the apical membrane with fine bristles, cap-shaped (Figure 2N). Sclerite L3 long, hook deeply bent and with semicircular carina, margin smooth and with a process; inner margin with tooth-shaped convexity at apex (Figure 2O).

Female. Female brachypterous. Tegmina and wings extending to hind margin of 5th abdominal tergum. Cerci yellow, apical segment blackish brown. Abdominal sterna with longitudinal broad band in the middle, and finger-like spots along the hind margin, and brown spots dispersed on the surface of the segments (Figure 2C, D, I, J).

Female genitalia. Weakly sclerotized. Ovipositor back to brood sac. Tergal process of the eighth abdominal tergite obviously vestigial, getting narrower from the base to the end, length approximately half of tergal process of the ninth abdominal tergite. Tergal process of the ninth abdominal tergite slightly wider, connected to the ninth tergum. First valves of ovipositor with narrow and fine membrane at the apex, inner margin with clearly fine and long bristles. Second valves of ovipositor tube-shaped, completely covered by the first valves of ovipositor. Third valves of ovipositor slightly wider, length shorter than the first valves of ovipositor. Gonangulum and sclerotized lobes of the second and third pairs of valves absent. Anterior arch of second valvifer slender. Basivalvula with semicircular arms, the middle sclerite incompletely separated, semicircular. Vestibular sclerite weakly sclerotized, the middle sclerite slightly membranous. Transverse sclerotized plate absent. Brood sac membranous and without sclerotized section (Figure 2P).

Remarks.

The status of Rhabdoblatta similsinuata sp. n. is proven to be valid according to our morphological and molecular data (the interspecific genetic distance between this species and Rh. sinuata : 0.120).

Etymology.

Latin word similis means similar, referring to the male genitalia being similar to Rh. sinuata Bey-Bienko, 1958.

Type material.

Holotype: male, Yunnan Prov., Xinping County, Ailao Mountain, Yaonan Village, 11-13-V-2016, Lu Qiu & Zhi-wei Qiu leg. Paratype: 11 males and 17 females, same data as holotype; 1 female, Yunnan Prov., Xinping County, Ailao Mountain, Yaonan Village, 23-V-2018, Lu Qiu, Wen-bo Deng & Zhi-wei Dong leg. (all in SWU).

Distribution.

China (Yunnan).