Luridiblatta habbachii, Bohn, 2022

Bohn, Horst, 2022, Revision of the genus Luridiblatta (Blaberoidea, Ectobiidae, Ectobiinae), Zootaxa 5215 (1), pp. 1-72 : 17-18

6. Luridiblatta habbachii , sp. nov.

Figs. 1C , 2C , 3A , 4F , 5B , 21J , 22A–H,L , 39 , 43

Diagnosis. In the male sex from L. trivittata distinguished by the different structure of T6—missing a transversal ridge, but having an anterior bristle stripe ( Fig. 1C )—and by the obliquely cut tegmina ( Fig. 22G ).

Etymology. The species is named after the Algerian scientist Wafa Habbachi (Université Badji Mokhtar in Annaba, Algeria) who had together with his collaborator N. Aberkane collected this species during their studies about the insect fauna of the National Park of Chelia.

Material studied. Type material. Holotype, 1♂, ALGERIA, Prov. Batna, National Parc of Chelia (btw. Bouhamama & Medina), 35°18’29.7”N 6°37’30.6”E–35°18’36.7”N 6°37’23.9”E, 1890–1930 m, spring 2018, leg. W.Habbachi & N.Aberkane (completely on one slide: Al 36/7). (Coll. Bohn, ZSMC). Apart from the holotype no additional material available.

Description. Size. Male. Length of pronotum 1.5 mm, length of tegmina 3 mm.

Wings. Male. Tegmina: Long, almost reaching the end of the abdomen, apex obliquely cut, with broadly rounded corners ( Fig. 22G ). Hindwings: broadening towards apically, apex with a very weak median concavity ( Fig. 21J ).

Male abdomen. Tergites. Fig. 22A–F. T 6 as in L. trivittata mesally with relatively strongly produced anterior border and laterally with a pair of small deepenings, but differing by the absence of a transversal ridge and the distribution of large spatular bristles extending till near to the anterior border of the tergite (anterior bristle stripe, Figs. 1C , 2C , 3A ), anterior deepening (ad) formed as a funnellike hole ( Fig. 5B ), posterior deepening (pd) similar as in L. trivittata ( Fig. 4F ); for more details see under characters of the genus. T7. Pit size: moderately long, size 3 ( Fig. 22E,F ). Anterior pit wall (aw) below the strongly sclerotised area sa with a pair of rather shallow excavations (ec, Fig. 22F ); stabilising bracelet relatively broad (s, not visible in Fig. 22F ), other structures of the anterior pit wall not well visible. Posterior pit wall (pw) with a pair of well developed hemispherical bulges (bu) ( Fig. 22F ). Glandular pouches (gp) long, surpassing the anterior border of the tergite for more than the length of T7 at its lateral border ( Fig. 22E ); length of tubules not analysable. Genital hook not saved.

Female. Not known.

Distribution. Only known from the type locality in Eastern Algeria.

Remarks. The type specimen was found in a mixture of specimens from two closely adjacent localities containing also several specimens of L. trivittata . It is, therefore, not clear whether the two species were found at the same locality.

III. The beybienkoi- species group

Characters (all group specific, differing from those of the other two species groups)

Male T6. Strongly specialised:Anterior border mesally not produced, but tergite as a whole curved towards anteriorly, with the shortest length among the three species groups ( Figs 1D , 6B–D ); additionally well characterised by the unique bristle pattern and the so-called “draining system” consisting of the specialised deepenings and trenches connecting them ( Figs. 2D–H , 3B , 4B–D , 5A,C,D ); for more details see description under genus characters.

Wings. Male tegmina fairly reaching up to the abdominal end, apex symmetrically rounded ( Figs. 23F ; 25G ; 29G ; 31G ); hindwings in both sexes as in the trivittata -group broadening towards apically, apex usually with a shallow concavity ( Figs 23H,I ; 25I,J ; 29I,J ; 31I,J ).

Tergite 1–5 covered only with very short bristles having a pointed tip ( Fig. 36D ).

Orientation of T7 pit. Pit with an inclination of about 45° descending from the opening towards ventroposteriorly.

Pit opening at the lateral angles elongated to a narrow and low gutter almost reaching the lateral borders of T7 (gu in Fig. 33A–J ).

Anterior pit wall without strongly sclerotised and sculptured cuticle along the upper margin, stronger sclerotisation restricted to the upper edge of the wall, appearing as a thin dark contour line (ab in Figs. 24A ; 27A ; 30B ; 32D ).

Window frame bordering the windows of the anterior pit wall below the arc on both sides with a number of closely approached transversal folds (tf in Figs. 24C ; 27A,B ; 30A ; 32G ).

Anterior border of T8 mesally weakly convex ( Fig. 25E,F ), straight ( Fig. 23D,E ), or shallowly concave ( Figs. 29E,F ; 31E,F ), only far laterally with rough cuticle.

Genital hook with an unusually broad shaft, diameter at middle length equals about a half of the total length ( Fig. 23J,K ), part of the species moreover with huge crest and two antler processes ( Figs. 25K,L ; 29K,L ; 31K,L ).

Colouration of tegmina. Dispersed bristles of the lightly coloured area between the dark longitudinal stripes arising in the center of a dark dot ( Figs. 24F,G; 24H,I ; 26A,B ; 32A,B ).

Colouration of male and female tegites. Males very lightly coloured, T1–5 at most with a relatively small mesal patch, sometimes only present on the more anterior tergites ( Figs. 23A ; 25A,B ; 29A,B ; 31A,B ). Females much darker coloured, with 3–7 patches per tergite ( Fig. 35E–H ).—Mesal patch of T 1 in female broadly T-shaped ( Fig. 35E–H ). [Pre-ridge area not considered; for a more detailed description see under characters of the genus.]

Colouration of meso- and metanotum in larvae of medium and higher age. With three longitudinal dark stripes as in the preceding species groups, but both nota additionally with a pair of dark patches in between ( Fig. 36B ).

Additional features, applying to all species of the group: Glandular pouches long, considerably surpassing the anterior border of T7; glandular tubules very short, virtually stretched not reaching the lateral borders of the tergite; the structures of the pit are also very similar in all species of the group. In the following descriptions the various structures are usually only mentioned and the figures cited on which they are well visible, but not further described.

Figures

FIGURE 1A–D. Structures of male T6 of Luridiblatta; overview pictures to show the differences between the three species groups of the genus: A: longitubulata-, B,C: trivittata-, D: beybienkoi-group. The figure shows an exemplary selection of species of the three groups; the remaining species are similaraly depicted on Figs. 5E,F and 6A–D.—Abbreviations: ab anterior border of the tergite; ad, pd anterior, posterior deepening; arrows point to the anterior bristle stripe; mi group of lightly coloured spots indicating the insertion of dorso-ventral muscles; tr transversal ridge, not present in C,D; pr, po pre-ridge, post-ridge area of tergite.—Identifications: A (Sp 45/2, holotype), B (Sz 7/4), C (Al 36/7, holotype), D (Is 23/1).

FIGURE 2A–H. Stuctures of male T6 in more detail. A–F: Cut-outs from the left side of T6 containing the deepenings ad and pd; mi site of muscle insertions; tr transversal ridge. G,H: Mesal end of the left anterior bristle stripe with anterior and posterior trench at, pt and their fusion point fp.—Enlargements: Same scale forA–H.—Identifications:A (Sp 45/2, holotype), B (Sz 7/4), C (Al 36/7, holotype), D (Is 23/1), E (Cy 23/1), F (Ty 3/1), G (Is 14/2), H (Ty 3/1).

FIGURE 3A–B. Structures of male T6. Anterior bristle stripe in full length and surroundings shown for the species L. habbachii and L. quadrivittata.—Orientation: Turned clockwise about 45° (compare with Fig. 1C,D).—Abbreviations: ad, pd anterior, posterior deepening; at, pt anterior, posterior trench and their fusion point fp.—Identifications: A (Al 36/7, holotype), B (Is 23/1).

FIGURE 4A–H. Structures of male T6.—A–D: Anterior deepenings ad, (A–C) from the left, (D) from the right side; in the longitubulata-group (A) without peculiar structures, in the beybienkoi-group (B–D) with a slitlike opening (arrows). E– H: Posterior deepenings pd, in the trivittata- (E,F) and beybienkoi-group (G), and their homologon mi (H) in the species of the longitubulata-group; the light oval spots are the sites where dorso-ventral muscles insert; all from the left side.—Other abbreviations:br bristles of the anterior bristle stripe, out of focus; the upper part of (ad) in (C) also out of focus.—Enlargements: Same scale for A–H.—Identifications: A (Sa 21/19), B (Cy 25/1), C (Cy 18/1, holotype), D (Is 11/1), E (Sz 7/4), F (Al 36/7, holotype), G (Is 23/1), H (Sp 45/2, holotype).

FIGURE 5A–F. Structures of male T6. A-D: Higher enlargement of anterior deepenings ad with their surroundings, (A,C) from the left side of T6, (B,D) from the right side. E,F: Continuation of overview pictures of male T6, species L. gibberosa (E) and L. fenestrata (F) (longitubulata-group).—Abbreviations: ad anterior deepening; mi insertion site of dorso-ventral muscles, homologon to the site where the anterior deepenings of the species of the trivittata-group develop; tr transversal ridge.— Enlargements: Same scale for A–D.—Identifications:A (Is 11/1), B (Al 36/7, holotype), C (Cy 25/1), D (Cy 23/1), E (Ma 14/10), F (Ma 16/19, holotype).

FIGURE 6A–D. Structures of male T6. Continuation of overview pictures of male T6, species: L. vesiculosa (longitubulata- group), with fully developed transversal ridge tr; L. cyprica, L. beybienkoi and L. graeca (beybienkoi-group), without transversal ridge, but with ad, pd anterior, posterior deepening; fo membraneous fold; arrowhead indicates w-shaped dark line.—Identifications: A (Ma 5/1), B (Cy 18/1, holotype), C (Ty 3/1), D (Kr 23/2, holotype).

FIGURE 21A–J. Structures of L. trivittata (A–I) and L. habbachii (J).—A,B. Left male (A) and female (B) tegmen (anteriorly at the right, posterior border below), bristles of the lightly coloured area between the dark longitudinal stripes not inserted in the center of a dark spot (arrowheads, compare Fig. 24F–I).—C–I. Structures of the T7 glandular pit. Abbreviations: ab, pb anterior, posterior border of pit opening; aw anterior pit wall with ec excavation, s stabilising bracelet (only partly visible), sa strongly sclerotised area, and w transparent window; pw posterior pit wall with bu hemispherical bulges. C,D: Slitlike pit opening, (C) focus stacking not further down than to the pit opening, (D) focus stacking throughout the whole object; E: Specimen showing a wider pit opening, s more completely visible, window w becoming visible; F: Same specimen in higher magnification, with bottom of pit in focus, showing the outlets of the T7 glands into the pit: pouches gp via their strongly narrowed tailpieces tp, tubules tu with a wider opening, presumably near ot; hemispherical bulge bu, in this figure out of focus; G,H: Specimen with moderately long pit, focus stacking in (G) superficial, in (H) throughout the whole object, in the latter bulge bu visible, the horizontal line xy presumably caused by a bend or fold in the posterior pit wall; I: Specimen with relatively long pit (size 4).—J. Right hindwing lobe l of the male of L. habbachii.—Identifications:A (Sz 7/10), B (Sz 7/8), C,D (It 34/3), E,F (It 34/2), G,H (Al 34b/1), I (Sa 21/19), J (Al 36/7, holotype).

FIGURE 22A–M. Male structures of L. habbachii and of L. spec. A.—A–H,L. L. habbachii, male holotype. A: T2,3; B: T4; C: T5; D: T6; E: T7 with glandular pit pi and pouches gp, the latter not well stretched; F: pit in more detail: ab, pb anterior, posterior border of pit opening; aw, pw anterior, posterior pit wall, the first with the strongly scerotised area sa, and a slight posterior excavation ec, the latter with apair of hemispherical bulges bu; G,H:left tegmen, (G) lightlycoloured area beween the arrows shown in (H) in more detail: bristles lost, but circular bases still visible; they are not positioned in the center of a dark spot (arrowhead); L: pronotum.—I–K,M. Luridiblatta sp. A. I–K: tegmina; (I) left tegmen, lightly coloured area between arrows shown in (J) in more detail, (K) respective aerea from the right tegmen: some of the bristle bases in the center of a—though only weakly—dark spot; M: pronotum.—Enlargements: Same scale in A–E.—Identifications:A–H,L (Al 36/7, holotype), I–K, M (Bo 1298)

FIGURE 23A–K. Main structures of L. quadrivittata.—A–E. Male tergites. A: T1–5; B: T6; C: T7, with glandular pouches gp, tubules tu, pit pi, and gutter gu; D,E: T8, (E) anterior part in more detail, rough cuticular structures along the anterior border only far laterally (arrow).—F,G. Left tegmen of male (F) and female (G).—H,I. Hindwing lobe l, with part of metanotum mt of male (H) and female (I).—J,K. Male genital hook, with sh shaft, ve velum, cl claw, cr crest (for more details see Fig. 24D,E).—Enlargements: Same scale for A–D, for F,G, and for J,K.—Identifications: A,C (Is 13/1), B,D,F (Is 23/1), E,K (Is 12/1), G (Is 23/3), H (Is 10/1), I (Is 11/3), J (Is 11/1).

FIGURE 24A–I. Structures of species of the beybienkoi-group.—A–E. Male structures of L. quadrivittata. A: T7 with glandular pouches gp; B,C: pit structures in more detail, focus stacking in B superficial, in C deeper. Abbreviations: ap, pb anterior, posterior border of pit opening; aw, pw anterior, posterior pit wall; bo pit bottom (profile); bu bulge; gu gutter; s stabilising bracelet; “sa” position of the strongly sclerotised area in the species of the first two species groups; tf transversal folds; ts surface cuticula of the tergite. D,E: apical part of the hook, in D focus on the apical process of the shaft ap, in E on the tip tc of the claw cl, cr crest.—F,G and H,I: Left male (F,H) and female (G,I) tegmina (anteriorly at the right, posterior border below) of L. quadrivittata (F,G) and L. beybienkoi (H,I): each bristle of the lightly coloured area between the dark longitudinal stripes inserted in the center of a dark spot (arrowheads).—Identifications: A–C,F (Is 23/1), D,E (Is 11/1), G (Is 23/3), H (Is 14/2), I (Is 18/2).

FIGURE 25A–L. Main structures of L. cyprica.—A–F. Male tergites. A: T1–4; B: T5; C: T6; D: T7, with glandular pouches gp, and pit pi; E,F: T8, (F) anterior part in more detail, rough cuticular structures along the anterior border only far laterally (arrow).—G,H. Left tegmen of male (G) and female (H).—I,J. Hindwing lobe l with part of metanotum mt of male (I) and female (J).—K,L. Male hook, with shaft sh, its apical process ap, velum ve, claw cl with crest cr, the latter with two strong antlerlike processes an.—Enlargements: Same scale forA–E, for G,H, and for K,L.—Identifications:A–G,I (Cy 18/1, holotype), H (Cy 16/2), J (Cy 29/3), K (Cy 27/1), L (Cy 17/1).

FIGURE 26A–D. Structures of L. cyprica.—A,B. Left male (A) and female (B) tegmen (anteriorly at the right, posterior border below), each bristle of the lightly coloured area between the dark longitudinal stripes inserted in the center of a dark spot (arrowheads).—C,D. T7 of the male holotype, region with transversal folds tf in D depicted in more detail, with focus on anterior pit wall; gp glandular pouch. For other structures of T7 see Figs. 28, 29.—Identifications: A,C,D (Cy 18/1, holotype), B (Cy 16/12).

FIGURE 27 A,B. Structures of male T7 in L. cyprica (specimen Cy 16/1). A: Overview, focus stacking throughout the whole object: ab, pb anterior, posterior border of the pit opening; bo bottom of pit (profile); bu bulge of the posterior pit wall pw; gp glandular pouch; gu gutter; tf transversal folds at the anterior pit wall (see below); B: area of pit in more detail, focus stacking about at the plane of the anterior pit wall aw, structures of the latter: stabilising bracelet s; window frame wf and its transversal folds tf; glandular pouch and its tailpiece tp (also in focus, though in the picture situated below, but quite close to the anterior pit wall); tu tubules; bu and pb far out of focus.

FIGURE 29 A–L. Main structures of L. beybienkoi.—A–F. Male tergites. A: T1–4; B: T5; C: T6; D: T7, with glandular pouches gp, pit pi (for more details see Fig. 30B); E,F: T8, (F) anterior part in more detail, rough cuticular structures along the anterior border only far laterally (arrow).—G,H. Left tegmen of male (G) and female (H).—I,J. Hindwing lobe l with part of metanotum mt of male (I) and female (J).—K,L. Male genital hook, with shaft sh, its apical process ap, velum ve, claw cl with crest cr, the latter with two strong antlerlike processes an.—Enlargements: Same scale for A–E, for G,H, and for I,J.— Identifications:A–F,H (Ty 3/1), G (Is 17/2), I (Is 16/1), J (Is 22/3), K (Bo 376, holotype), L (Is 14/2).

FIGURE 30 A,B. Structures of male T7 in L. beybienkoi. Abbreviations: ab, pb anterior, posterior border of pit opening; aw, pw anterior, posterior pit wall, the latter with a shallow bulge bu; gu gutter; gp glandular pouch; tf transversal folds; arrows in (A) indicate a gap in the sclerotisation of the pit bottom, present also on the right.—Identifications: A (Ty 1/1), B (Ty 3/1).

FIGURE 31 A–L. Main structures of L. graeca.—A–F. Tergites. A: T1–4; B: T5; C: T6; D: T7, with ab anterior border of the pit opening, ed edge, gp glandular pouches, gu gutter, pi pit and tu tubules; E,F: T8, (F) in more detail, rough cuticular structures along the anterior border only far laterally (arrow).—G,H. Left tegmen of male (G) and female (H).—I,J. Hindwing lobe l with part of metanotum mt of male (I) and female (J).—K,L. Male genital hook, with shaft sh, its apical process ap, velum ve, claw cl with crest cr, the latter with two strong antlerlike processes an.—Enlargements: Same scale for A–E, and for G,H.—Identifications: A–G,K (Kr 23/2, holotype), H (Gr 1/8), I (Kr 20/2), J (Gr 1/7), L (Gr 1/6).

FIGURE 32 A–G. Structures of L. graeca.—A,B. Left male (A) and female (B) tegmen (anteriorly at the right, posterior border below), each bristle of the lightly coloured area between the dark longitudinal stripes inserted in the center of a dark spot (arrowheads).—C–G. Male structures of T7 in more detail. C: Overview with focus stacking throughout the whole object; D: center of tergite in superficial focusing, not deeper than the borders of the pit opening; E: deepest focusing, down to the bottom bo of the pit; F: focusing in medium depth, presenting structures of both pit walls; G: structures of the anterior pit wall aw in higher magnification.—Abbreviations: ab, pb anterior, posterior border of the pit opening; aw, pw anterior, posterior pit wall; bo bottom of the pit; bu bulge of the posterior pit wall; ed edge; gp glandular pouches; gu gutter; s stabilising bracelet; tf transversal folds; ts tergite surface; tu tubules; w transparent window; wf window frame.—Identifications: A (Kr 25/3), B (Gr 1/9), C–G (Kr 21/18).

FIGURE 33 A–J. Left side of male T7 in the species of the beybienkoi-group. In all species the lateral angles of the pit opening are drawn out to a rather narrow gutter gu almost reaching the lateral border of the tergite. In L. graeca the anterior border of the pit opening continues laterally into a narrow edge ed converging with the gutter and approaching it closely near the lateral border of the tergite.—Further abbreviations: ab, pb anterior, posterior border of the pit opening; aw, pw anterior, posterior pit wall; gp glandular pouch; tu glandular tubule.—Identifications: A (Is 11/1), B (Ty 3/1), C (Is 21/1), D (Ty 1/1), E (Cy xx/1), F (Cy 18/1, holotype), G (Cy 21/1), H (Gr 1/5), I (Kr 23/2, holotype), J (Kr 10/5).

FIGURE 35 A–I. Colouration of female tergites in Luridiblatta species.—A–C. Longitubulata-group (comparable colouration also in L. gibberosa).—D. Trivittata-group (colouration of the female of L. habbachii not kown).—E–H. Beybienkoi-group (similar colouration also in L. beybienkoi).—Abbreviations of the dark patches: m mesal, sm submesal, l lateral, sl sublateral, ts transversal stripe; arrows point to the mesal patch of T1 showing characteristic differences between the first two and the third species group.—Identifications: A (Sp 47/15), B (Ma 3/20), C (Ma 16/Y), D (Sa 21/17), E (Is 13/4), F (Gr 1/8), G (Cy 25/3), H (Cy 30/3), I (Bo 1302).

FIGURE 36 A–K. Characters of the genus Luridiblatta and its species groups.—A,B. Colouration of thoracal nota in halfgrown or older larvae of Luridiblatta. Meso- and metanotum in the species of the beybienkoi-group (B, L. beybienkoi) as compared to the other two species groups (A, L. trivittata) with two more dark patches (arrow).—C,D. Bristles on T5 in the species of the longitubulata- and trivittata- group (C, L. trivittata) mainly large and of spatular shape, with clavate tip, in the beybienkoi-group (D, L. graeca) small, with acute tip.—E,F. Female terminalia of L. vesiculosa, with genital sclerites, ventral view, posterior on top. Dorsal complex (E), with c cerci, pp paraprocts, v valves of ovipositor, bd, bv dorsal, ventral basivalvular sclerites; right (bd) much longer than left one, median part by (bv) covered. Ventral complex (F): laterosternal shelf ls, with relatively long arms a, right one apically damaged.—G,H. Male subgenital plate S9 (G), with genital sclerites (except the hook), dorsal view: anterior apodemes aa, endophallus apodeme ea, cleft sclerite cs, R3 sclerite, and stylus s; the latter in higher magnification (H), partly covered with tiny scales.—I–K. Male terminalia of L. fenestrata, with posterior border of the supraanal plate pt, cerci c.—Enlargements: Same scale for E,F and for I–K.—Identifications:A (It 34/7), B (Is 20/2), C (Sz 7/4), D (Kr 23/2, holotype), E,F (Ma 46/3), G,H (It 34/3), I,J,K (Ma 14/12,13,11).

FIGURE 39. Distribution of the species of Luridiblatta occurring in Algeria. The determination of the four larval specimens from locality Al 30 (with question mark) as L. longitubulata is only supported by geographical considerations.

FIGURE 43. Cladogram of the Luridiblatta species reconstructed via the states of five characters listed below. The crown species on the tree are well distinguished by autapomorphies; but since these cannot contribute to the analysis of the phylogeny they are not inserted on the tree.