Globula, Vršanský, 2009

Vršanský, Peter, 2009, Albian cockroaches (Insecta, Blattida) from French amber of Archingeay, Geodiversitas 31 (1), pp. 73-98 : 80-81

Genus Globula n. gen.

ETYMOLOGY. — After globus (Latin for globe) – alluding to the large globular head.

DIAGNOSIS. — Head extremely large, globular. Apical femoral spur extremely long and sharply curved. Coxa with reticulations ( Fig. 7C ).

DESCRIPTION

Head large, globular, with eyes projected beyond the head outline. Antenna very long (1.5 times longer than the total body length), with long sensilla chaetica in several rows. Palps of short-type (characteristic of the Blattulidae ), but unusually long, with the third segment curved. Legs thin and slender, the hind leg with very robust and long, curved apical spur. Tarsi and cerci extremely long.

REMARKS

The present taxon is preliminary categorized within Blattulidae based on characteristic antennal sensilla chaetica, large globular head, short and robust palps. Nevertheless, the curved second segment of palps, slender hind legs and extremely long apical femoral spur are characters unknown in any Blattulidae , and thus the attribution within some other families ( Caloblattinidae or some unknown family) cannot be definitively excluded. Moreover the extremely long slender cercus is uncharacteristic of the Blattulidae . The erection of a new family based on unperfectly preserved nymph appears not supported enough.

If belonging to the Blattullidae, the present taxon is well established basing on the abovementioned differences, and can be related only to the Nula Vršanský, 2008 from the Cenomanian Sisteron amber based on the reticulations of the coxa. On the other hand, Nula is a standard blattulid with a completely different habitus with head of a standard size. The coxa reticulations may be eventually plesiomorphic and characteristic for the Caloblattinidae (structure of coxae are unknown in Caloblattinidae ) or some unknown family.

Figures

FIG. 7. — A, B, Batola nikolai n. gen., n. sp., ventral and dorsal views of the hind leg, ARC-57.2 (length of tibia 1,6 mm); C, hind leg of Globula lake n. gen., n. sp., ARC-263.14 (length of tibia 1,7 mm); D, undetermined Caloblattinidae, ARC-152.3 (length of tibia 2,3 mm).