Muzoa Hebard, 1921

Velez-Bravo, Andres H., 2013, Cockroaches of genus Muzoa: morphology of the male genital sclerites and description of one new species (Dictyoptera, Blattodea, Ectobiidae, Nyctiborinae), ZooKeys 278, pp. 65-74 : 67-69

Muzoa Hebard, 1921

Dichotomous key to the species of Muzoa

Remarks.

Although the original descriptions of Muzoa madida (Fig. 2) and Muzoa simplex (Fig. 1) are extensive and detailed (see Hebard 1921 and Rehn 1930), these do not address the male genital sclerites, and in none other subsequent publication those structures have been described. Below are described and illustrated the male genital sclerites of these two species.

Redescription for the genus.

Species of medium size (24-27 mm male, 20-26 mm female), with body dark brown. The legs and antennae are entirely brown. Pronotum and tegmina reddish brown.

Head triangular and with big reniform eyes, extending antero-laterally beyond to the antennal socket, eyes are not globose; intraocular distance of the same length than distance between ocellar fenestra; face globose; gena and pleurostoma undivided, at least externally, so that the subgenal suture only present in the inner margin of pleurostoma; subantenal suture ending next to the inferior margin of the eye; the face and gena bare. Antennae filiform and setosas along their length; the first flagellar segment of the same length that the pedicel.

Pronotum parabolic, with its cephalic margin convex and the caudal margin truncated. In either sex, both pairs of wings are developed surpassing slightly the apex of the cercus, except in Muzoa curtalata sp. n. in which the males are brachypterous. Fore wings with the base of the remigium narrower than the base of vanal region (vannus) and the apex rounded; with discoidal sector longitudinal. Tegmina and pronotum densely covered with fine silky pubescence. Legs long and slender; cephalic coxa with a diagonal carina; antero-ventral margin of the front femur without spines heavy, only with short and heavy setae and with three terminal spines; postero-ventral margin of the hind femur with terminal spine; tarsomeres 1-4 with pulvilli, the first metatarsomere with its pulvilli covering only a 1/3 of its length; tarsal claws simple and symmetrical; arolium present.

Abdomen often convex and short; first tergite unspecialized. Supra-anal plate tranverse and with the caudal margin produced and bilobed (Figs 7, 8). Cerci long, thick and subspatulate, composed of 9 to 12 segments; last segment small and narrower than the remaining segments. Ventrally, right paraproct specialized and transverse, this is articulated directly with the lateral margin of the supra-anal plate throughout its right lateral margin. Male subgenital plate symmetric, with styles similarly shaped (Figs 11, 12). Internally, attached to this plate, is located the membranous pouch with genital sclerites L2, L3, and R (right phallomere).

Genital sclerites.The male genital sclerites of the species of the genus Muzoa are formed by sclerites L2 (Figs 14, 15), L3 (Figs 18, 19), and R (right phallomere) (Figs 21, 22).

Genital sclerite L2 thin and elongated. Sclerotized region L2a and process “via” separated but closely articulated (Articulation 10 (A10), see Klass 1995) (Figs 14, 15). Process “via” finger-shaped, slender and elongate except for Muzoa madida in which it is shorter and thicker (Fig. 15). Region L2a is at least four times longer than process “via”. Whole region is slightly sclerotized.

Hook “hla” of sclerite L3 with the typical shape observed in most Ectobiidae and Blaberidae species, with distal area narrow and elongated; in addition to the notch “45”, the hook also exhibit groove “hge” along of its lower margin (Figs 17-19). In ventral view, basal area of hook “hla” longer than its apical area; left lateral margin of basal area, straight. Membranous tube of hook “hla” not covered by setae.

Genital sclerite R (right phallomere) formed by the sclerotized regions R1, R2, R3 and R4 (Figs 20-22). Region R1 as a large and bulky structure at the caudal region of sclerite R; subregion R1v broader than subregion R1d, which is a longitudinal narrow and elongated band, extending along the left lateral margin of R1; in species like Muzoa madida and Muzoa simplex this band does not reach the caudal margin of R1. Subregion R1d passing over the complex R1t+R2, surpassing its farthest right margin; its size varies among species. As in the other genera of Nyctiborinae , regions R1 and R3 articulated by the lower right corner of R3 and the upper right corner of R1. In all species of Muzoa the upper right corner of R1 (R1c) slightly projected (Figs 20-22). Subregion R1t is not fused with other areas of R1. Left arm of the complex R1t+R2 thicker than right arm, varying from apically rounded in Muzoa simplex to pointed in Muzoa madida . Complex R1t+R2 similar in size to region R3, located on its left margin, below the subregion R1d. Apex of R1t and R2 extending beyond caudal margin of R3.

Region R3 as a slightly sclerotized plate articulated by its lower right corner to R1c. This plate is longer than wide and its apex is rounded (Figs 20-22).

Region R4 as an elongated dorsal plate, covering R1 and R1t+R2 complex in part (Figs 20-22).