Diploptera elliptica, Li & Wang, 2015

Li, Xinran & Wang, Zongqing, 2015, A taxonomic study of the beetle cockroaches (Diploptera Saussure) from China, with notes on the genus and species worldwide (Blattodea: Blaberidae: Diplopterinae), Zootaxa 4018 (1), pp. 35-56 : 45-46

Diploptera elliptica sp. n.

( Figs. 15–16 , 22–24 , 37–41 )

Diagnosis. D. elliptica sp. n. is as large and has a similar color pattern to D. punctata , but has a suboval pronotum with a pair of C-shape depressions opening towards each other.

Description. General. Size medium. Holotype, male, overall length 15.8mm; body length 15.4mm; pronotum length×width 3.8mm × 4.7mm; tegmen length 11.6mm; wing length 19.3mm. Paratypes, female, overall length (= body length) 20.0− 24.8mm; pronotum length×width 3.9mm ×6.0mm − 4.6mm ×7.0mm; tegmen length 16.0−19.0mm.

Body blackish brown to black. Antennae with basal one-fifth blackish and apical four-fifths brownish; apical part of clypeus and basal part of labrum yellowish brown. Tegmina brownish in females but darker in male. Spines of legs yellowish brown. Apical part of cerci and whole styli yellowish brown.

Pronotum suboval, widest at nearly the middle, densely setose, with a pair of C-shape depressions opening towards each other ( Figs. 15–16 ). Tegmina with dense setae and punctations, slightly exceeding the end of abdomen in male, whilst almost reaching that in females. Venation of hindwings almost the same as that of D. punctata .

Male (holotype). Subgenital plate relatively broad at sides. Sclerite L3’ with basal part broad and gradually narrowing to the curved part, resulting in smooth edges; the apex of hook forked.

Distribution. South China (south of Yunnan Province).

Etymology. Latin word elliptica means “elliptical, oval”, referring to the shape of pronotum.

Remarks. The tegmen of male is somewhat different from that of female, it is a bit harder and darker than the latter, and in the same color as pronotum, whilst the latter is lighter than pronotum, and resembles that of D. punctata .

These insects were found underneath the bark of dead wood.

Type materials examined. HOLOTYPE ( MHBU), male, China, Yunnan, Cangyuan , Banhong , 1130m, 2008. VII.16–18, coll. Ji-Shan Xu & Zhen-Hua Shao; PARATYPE (NWSUAF), female, China, Yunnan, Mohan, 900m, 2005. IX.3, light trap?; PARATYPE ( MHBU), female, China, Yunnan, Puer, Meizihu, 2007. VII.27, coll. Guo-Dong Ren, Wen-Jun Hou & Ya-Lin Li; PARATYPES ( MHBU), 2 females, China, Yunnan, Mengla, Mohan, 2007. VIII.2–4, coll. Guo-Dong Ren, Wen-Jun Hou & Ya-Lin Li.

Figures

FIGURES 2 – 16. Pronota of Diploptera spp. & subspp. presented in monochrome, i. e., white indicates unicolor or lighter coloration, whilst black is for darker portion. 2 – 3 D. punctata; 2 male; 3 female; 4 – 5 D. minor; 4 female; 5 male; 6 D. erythrocephala, male; 7 – 8 D. parva; 7 male; 8 female; 9 D. naevus sp. n., male; 10 D. nigrescens nigrescens, male; 11 – 12 D. nigrescens guani subsp. n.; 11 male; 12 female; 13 D. bicolor, male; 14 D. maculata, female; 15 – 16 D. elliptica sp. n.; 15 male; 16 female. (Dashed lines indicate depression. Scale bar = 2 mm)

FIGURES 17 – 30. Diploptera spp. & subspp. distributed in China. 17 – 18 D. punctata, female from Yunnan, Menglun; 19 – 21 D. punctata, lectotype (ZMMU) from Hawaii instead of China, photographed by Dr. Andrey L. Ozerov, copyright ZMMU, published with permission; 22 – 24 D. elliptica sp. n.; 22 – 23 male holotype from Yunnan, Cangyuan, Banhong; 24 female paratype from Yunnan, Mengla, Mohan; 25 – 26 D. naevus sp. n., male holotype from Xizang, Motuo, Beibeng; 27 – 28 D. nigrescens guani subsp. n., male holotype from Guangxi, Chongzuo, Daqingshan; 29 – 30 D. nigrescens nigrescens, male syntype (NTU) from Taiwan, photographed by Yi-Ho Liu and downloaded from NTU website, copyright Insect Museum Digital Archives Project, Department of Entomology, National Taiwan University. (Scale bars = 5 mm.)

FIGURES 37 – 41. Diploptera elliptica sp. n., holotype. 37 terminal segment of dorsal abdomen, in ventral view; 38 subgenital plate in dorsal view; 39 – 41 phallic sclerites in dorsal view; 39 sclerites R’; 40 sclerites L 2 ’; 41 apex of left complex hook, showing sclerite L 3 ’. (m. = membranous. Scale bars = 1 mm for 37 – 38, 500 µm for 39 – 41.)