Sinatablatta magdalenensis Vélez & Daza, 2021

Vélez-Bravo, Andrés & Daza, Juan M., 2021, Molecular systematics and genital morphology of the Neotropical cockroaches from the genus Xestoblatta (Blattellidae), Zootaxa 5057 (3), pp. 301-328 : 317-318

Sinatablatta magdalenensis Vélez & Daza , sp.n.

( Figs 4A–H )

Type material. HOLOTYPE ♂, “ Colombia, Antioquia, Maceo, Cañón del río Alicante , 6.551138, -74.641275, 415 m, A. Vélez-Bravo leg., 27–29 Aug. 2016 ” ( CEUA 86086 ) . PARATYPES: 4 ♂ ( CEUA 86087 , CEUA 86088 , CEUA 86089 , CEUA 88090 ) , 5 ♀ ( CEUA 86091 , CEUA 86092 , CEUA 86093 , CEUA 86094 , CEUA 86095 ). Same locality of holotype .

Diagnosis. Adults of S. magdalenensis sp.n. can be distinguished by the presence of the following combination of characters: tergal modification on abdominal segments I, II, III and VII. First three tergites centrally depigmented. Tergite VII with a fold of the cuticle that forms a deep transverse groove covering almost three quarters of its width. Left lateral margin of subgenital plate with a row of heavy spines stacked and directed inwards. Right style long, thick, straight and with two short spines at the base. It meso-distal bifurcated forming two projections, each one with apical acuminate spine. Left style long, thin, curved and with an apical acuminate spine, meso-dorsally with a short spiniform projection. This species can be differentiated from similar species such as S. hamata comb. nov. and S. hoplites comb. nov. by the shape of the styles. The right style of S. hoplites comb. nov. has no spines at its base. This meso-distally bifurcates forming two projections, but the innermost projection in turn divides into two, resulting in a style with three projections. The left style is long and straight but it does not project beyond the lateral margin of the subgenital plate. This style can only be observed by dissecting the plate. While S. hamata comb. nov. has shorter styles compared to S. hoplites comb. nov. and S. magdalenensis sp.n. The right style has two spines at its base as in S. magdalenensis sp.n. but its length is less than half the width of the subgenital plate. The left style is short and straight and is hidden as in S. hoplites comb. nov.

Description. Species of medium size (24 mm) with body and legs light brown. Pronotum, tegmina and hind wings brown. Tegmina with marginal field yellow ( Fig. 4A ).

Head triangular with big reniform eyes. Interocular distance equal to distance between antennal sockets (1.3 mm). Globose face. Front with many short setae, gena bare.

Pronotum parabolic with posterior margin convex and posterior margin obtuse-angulate produced. The two pairs of wings surpassing the cerci apexes. Fore wings with discoidal sector longitudinal and rounded apex. Ulnar vein of hind wings vary from 10 to 12 branches. Number of incomplete branches vary from 5 to 6 and complete ones from 5 to 6.

Legs long and slender.Antero-ventral margin of front femur with a row of heavy spines which decrease gradually in size meso-distal and with two terminal spines. Postero-ventral margin of front femur with four heavy spines and one terminal spine. Both margins of middle and hind femora with heavy spines of almost the same length, with genicular spine. Tarsal claws simple and symmetrical, arolium present.

Abdomen often convex and long with tergal modification on abdominal segments I, II, III and VII ( Figs 4A, B ). First three segments centrally depigmented. In contrast, segment VII with a fold of the cuticle that forms a deep transverse groove covering almost three quarters of its width. Segment VII with thickened lateral margins and with disto-lateral angles greatly produced. Supra-anal plate trapezoidal with posterior margin slightly bilobed ( Fig. 4D ). Right paraproct voluminous and elongated, with scattered spines dorsally. Left paraproct smaller and transverse, with a projection towards the central axis of the body and three ones towards the outside ( Fig. 4C ). Subgenital plate asymmetric with left lateral margin with a row of heavy spines stacked and directed inwards. Right style long, thick, straight and with two short spines at the base, meso-distally bifurcated forming two projections, each one with an apical heavy spine ( Fig. 4E ). Left style long, thin, curved and with an apical heavy spine, with a meso-dorsal short spiniform projection.

Genital sclerites. Sclerite L2 thin and elongated. Region L2d and the process “via” strongly sclerotized, both closely articulated (articulation 10). The process “via” V-shaped ( Fig. 4F ). The sclerotized region of hla-hook (sclerite L3) with distal area narrow and elongated. In addition to the notch “45”, the hook also exhibits groove “hge” along of its lower margin ( Fig. 4G ). Basal area of L3 twice the length of the apical area. Membranous tube of the hla-hook with long and docile setae. Sclerite L4 as small lateral slightly sclerotized plate with setae.

Region R1 as a large and bulky structure at the right postero-lateral region of sclerite R. Subregions R1v and R1d sclerotized only near their caudal margin. Complex R 1t + R2 free, not other sclerite covers it. Both elongated and with apex truncate. R2 extending beyond caudal margin of R3. Subregion R2i articulates with lower left corner of R3. R2i with two projections approximately the same length. Right projection with apical region wider than in the left projection. Region R3 as a slightly sclerotized triangle shaped plate. Corners of posterior margin nearly aligned, both on close horizontal axes. Region R4 as a strongly sclerotized plate articulated with left corner of posterior margin of R1 ( Fig. 4H ).

Female. Similar to the male in the external features, except in the number of branches of ulnar vein. Total number of branches vary from 9 to 13, incomplete branches from 4 to 7 and complete branches from 5 to 7.

Measurements in table 3.

Etymology. The specific name refers to the middle Magdalena river valley, locality where the holotype was collected. One of the richest regions in blattofauna in northern South America.

Biology. The same as was described for the genus.

Distribution. Currently, northwestern South America in the middle Magdalena river valley, Colombia. Apart from the locality type, specimens were collected in the following localities:Alejandría (6.361725, -75.02723), Anorí (6.972300, -75.0907), San Luis (5.994191, -75.023701) and San Roque (6.517938, -74.925503). The populations are distributed altitudinally from 415 m in Maceo, Antioquia to 1375 m in Alejandría, Antioquia.

Figures

FIGURE 4. Sinatablatta magdalenensis gen. et sp.n. (male). A, Habitus (dorsal) of holotype (CEUA 88086). Red arrows indicate the tergal modification on the abdominal segments I, II and III. The following drawings are based on the paratype CEUA 88087, B, Abdominal segment VII (dorsal); C, Left paraproct (ventral); D, Supra-anal plate (dorsal); E, Subgenital plate (ventral), Left style = L, Right style = R. F-H, Genital sclerites, (F) L2 (dorsal), the dashed lines represent membranes, (G) L3 (ventral), and (H) R (dorsal). Scale bar 1 mm.