Protagonista Shelford, 1908

Wang, Chenchen, Wang, Zongqing & Che, Yanli, 2016, Protagonista lugubris, a cockroach species new to China and its contribution to the revision of genus Protagonista, with notes on the taxonomy of Archiblattinae (Blattodea, Blattidae), ZooKeys 574, pp. 57-73 : 58-59

Genus Protagonista Shelford, 1908 new record from China

Protagonista Shelford, 1908: 158; Shelford 1910: 22; Hanitsch 1923: 443; Bruijning 1948: 117; Princis 1965: 388; Grandcolas 1996: 520; Roth 2003: 33. Type species: Protagonista lugubris Shelford, 1908.

Generic diagnosis.

The genus Protagonista is remarkable on account of the shape of the pronotum (as long as broad, quadrangular, with rounded angles, sides not de flexed), and the pubescence on its pronotum and tegmina (after Shelford 1908). The other three genera of Archiblattinae differ from it by the apterous female and the unarmed or weakly-armed femur ( Archiblatta and Catara ) or by the tibia having three rows of spines ( Eroblatta ).

Description.

Antennae slightly moniliform. Ocelli present. Pronotum as long as broad, quadrangular, with rounded angles, sides not deflexed and not covering vertex (Figs 1-6 appears to show it covering the vertex, however this is an artifact of the photo angle). Pronotum and tegmina with fine pubescence. Tegmina and hind wings fully developed in the male, exceeding the apex of the abdomen. Tegmina short and truncated in the female, hind wing vestigial to a small lobe. Styli present and cerci moderate. Legs slender; front femora Type A2; hind tibia with 2 rows of spines along outer margin; hind metatarsus very long, considerably exceeding the remaining joints in length; the tarsal pulvilli present on the proximal four tarsomeres; arolia minute.

Distribution.

Vietnam; Malaysia (Malacca State); Sumatra; Borneo; China (new record; Hainan, Guangxi).

Figures

Figures 1 - 6. Protagonista lugubris Shelford. 1 - 2 Male from Hainan: 1 dorsal view 2 ventral view 3 - 4 Female from Hainan: 3 dorsal view 4 ventral view 5 - 6 Male from Guangxi: 5 dorsal view 6 ventral view. Scale bars: 1.0 cm.