Hemelytroblatta (Mollidentoblatta) simillima ( Chopard, 1929 ) Bohn, 2024

Bohn, Horst, 2024, The spine armament of the legs as an important means for the characterisation of the genera of Corydiinae and their relationships (Blattodea, Corydiidae), Zootaxa 5482 (1), pp. 1-79 : 35

No. 34. Hemelytroblatta (Mollidentoblatta) simillima ( Chopard, 1929) , comb. nov.

Figs. 12A,B

Heterogamodes simillima Chopard, 1929: 313 .

Arenivaga (Heterogamisca) simillima : Princis 1962: 68.

Male characters. Wings: tegmina with subcosta lobe.—Femur armament: all femora without apical spine.—Tibia armament: [1.8.0][7.7.1–2(0)][9.7.4(3)], dorsal spines of hindtibia distributed in two groups (6+3). Chopard did not specify the tibia armament, but it should not be different from that of P. marismortui since he stated that the two species are extremely similar and only differ by the absence of arolia in P. simillima . But there is no agreement in the number of the dorsal spines of the hindtibia, which according to Chopard is 11 in P. marismortui [11.7.4–5], and 9 in the holotype of P. simillima [9.7.4]. The arolia are not completely missing in the latter, but very tiny; the specimens from Israel have slightly larger arolia, but have the same number of dorsal spines on the hindtibia as P. simillima . They also agree in the structure of the right phallomere with the holotype.—Tarsal arolia: present, but tiny.—Subgenital plate: with styli, Fig. 12A .—Right phallomere: Fig. 12B

Female: unknown.

Material studied. Holotype, ♂, Trans Jordan, Azrag, 6.X.1923, H.St.J.B.Philby (prep.: Bo 1384). (M. London) .—Other material: 3♂, Israel, Borot Lotz , 27.VII.1992, D.Simon (prep.: Bo 1363) ; 1♂, Israel, Kfar Rupin , 6.X.1978, A.Freidberg ; 1♂, Israel, Bor Hemet , 8, VIII.1993, light trap, Yoram Zvik. (M. Tel-Aviv) .

B. Subgenus Hemelytroblatta , subgen. nov.

Type species. Same as for genus.

Definition. Wings strongly shortened, scarcely surpassing the abdominal end, with abnormal, netlike venation, tegmina without subcosta lobe.

Number of species.1 (No. 35).

Figures

FIGURE 12. Subgenital plate (at the left, ventral view) and posterior part of the right phallomere (at the right, standard view) of male.—Species: A,B: Mollidentoblatta simillima. (A) Holotype, Bo 1384; (B) Bo 1363; C,D: Hemelytroblatta cypria, Bo 1281, right stylus lost; E,F,I: Mononychoblatta semenovi, Bo 1391; (F) in standard view, (I) main dent in ventral view, showing its backside; G,H: Nymphrytria mirabilis, from Erg er Raoui; (H) in fairly ventral view.—Phallomere type: B,D,F,I: Type 2; H: Type 5a.—Explanations: R1M, R2, R3 sclerites of the right phallomere; MD main dent of R2, stepped, ue its upper etage (B, D, F), or not stepped (H); r ridge with unregularly sculptured surface; s stylus.—Enlargements: Scale in H and I 0.1 mm, in all others 0.25 mm.