Dziriblatta (Dz.) altotuberculata, Bohn, 2021

Bohn, Horst, 2021, Revision of the genus Dziriblatta Chopard, 1936 (Blattodea, Ectobiidae, Ectobiinae) III. The species of the subgenus Dziriblatta, Zootaxa 4964 (2), pp. 201-250 : 212-213

8. Dziriblatta (Dz.) altotuberculata , spec. nov.

Figs. 17A–N , 18, 19, 27, 28, 29

Diagnosis. In the male sex similar to Dz. (Dz.) planotuberculata , distinguished by the longer and narrower lateroposterior corners of T7, and—in common with Dz. (Dz.) ramososacculata —by the higher and more strongly sculptured elevations on the posterior wall of the pit, and by the elongated pre-glandular margin of T7; from the latter distinguished by the pouch lobes having no or only few side branches.

Etymology. The species name refers to the relatively high (in Latin: altus) mound (in Latin: tuber) inside the glandular pit.

Material studied. Type material. MOROCCO. Holotype, 1♂, Moyen Atlas , Jbel Tazzeka ( SW Taza), 1900 m, 4.VI.1989, leg. B. & H. Bohn (completely on two slides: Ma 11a/5). (Coll. Bohn, ZSM).

Additional material. MOROCCO. Same locality and collectors as holotype: 6♀, 16.VIII.1984 (Ma 11) / 3♂, 20♀, same date as holotype (slides: 2♂, Ma 11a/1,2; 2♀, Ma 11a/3,4); 1♂, 4♀, 1O, Moyen Atlas, 11 km N Merhraoua (S Taza), 1300 m, 28. V.1997, leg. B. & H. Bohn (slide: ♂, Ma 12a/1; ♀, Ma 12a/2) ; 6♂, 10♀, 1L, Moyen Atlas , Tazzeka Mountains ( SW Taza), near Bab-Bou-Idir, 1500 m, 4. VI.1989, leg. B. & H.Bohn (slides: 2♂, Ma 102/1,2) ; 9♂, 6♀, ex L: 1♀, Moyen Atlas , S slope of Jbel Tazzeka ( SW Taza), 1600–1800 m, 28.IV.1998, leg. B. & H. Bohn (slide: 1♂, Ma 185/5). (Coll. Bohn, ZSM) .

Description. Size. Length of pronotum in male 2.34–2.50 mm (mean 2.39 mm), in female 2.43–2.56 mm (mean 2.50 mm); N 6/2.

Male structures. Very similar to the preceding species (7), distinguished as follows: posterior border of T6 medially usually with a deeper sinusoidal excavation ( Fig. 17I–K ); T7 with latero-posterior corners still more produced and narrower ( Figs. 18 , 19 ); pre-glandular margin (pm) distinctly longer; opening of glandular pit wider, with a more strongly curved anterior margin; posterior ridge (pr) and central elevation (ce) at the posterior wall of the pit higher and more strongly sculptured, the latter due to the steeper ascent in the images appearing as a transversal ridge crossing the posterior ridge; bulge (bu) posteriorly of the opening usually narrower but more elevated and more strongly set off from the neighbouring tergite surface. In the following characters very similar to the preceding species: Pouch lobes tubular, long, wriggled, at most with weak signs of a branching ( Fig. 18 ), cuticular lining with long bristlelike microtrichial processes, inclining towards the exit. T10 with median part of posterior border shallowly but distinctly concave ( Fig. 17H ). Spatular bristles laterally on T5–7: densely arranged only on T7 ( Figs. 17E–G ). No glandular pores on T2.

Colouration. Tegmina in both sexes transparent, posterior border at the base slightly darkened, otherwise without darker markings. Male. Mainly dark (brown). Head dark, with yellowish post-interocular stripe; legs usually dark apart from lighter coloured coxa-trochanter and femur-tibia joints usually dark, but frequently with more extended lightly coloured areas; discs of thoracic nota dark, margins transparent ( Fig. 17L ); T2–6 anteriorly of ridge uniformly dark, posteriorly of ridge mostly dark, but not seldom partly, especially laterally, lightened and then disclosing a dense covering with medium-sized dark patches ( Figs. 17 A-C, I-K), T7 between bulge and lateral margin with a strikingly lightened area, sometimes only restricted to the anterior part of this area ( Figs. 17D , 18, 19); sternites completely dark. Female. Head dark, with yellowish post-interocular stripe; legs almost completely yellowish; discs of thoracic nota dark, sometimes with smaller or larger lightenings ( Fig. 16M, N ), margins transparent; tergites on a yellowish ground colour with a moderately developed maculose pattern; sternites mainly dark, lateral margins broadly yellowish.

Distribution. This species further continues the distribution of the two preceding species along the Middle Atlas in the northern part of Jebel Bou Iblane and the Jebel Tazzeka, adjoining in the Northwest, at elevations of 1300–1900 m ( Figs. 27 , 28 ).

Figures

FIGURE 14. A–N. Structures of Dziriblatta (Dz.) planotuberculata.—A–K. Male tergite structures. A: T1–4; B: T5; C: T6; D: T7, with latero-posterior corners only slightly produced; p tubular pouch lobes; gl glandular pit; tl trail; ce central elevation on the posterior wall of the pit, weakly developed; bu sagittal bulge posteriorly of the pit, in this preparation hardly visible (compare with Fig. 16); E–G: spatular bristles on the lateral parts of T5 (E), T6 (F), and T7 (G), only T7 with densely arranged spatular bristles; H: terminalia showing the excavated posterior border pt of T10, c cercus; I–K: T6 of three specimens showing the variabilty in the shape of the posterior border of the tergite; n median notch; pa pre-ridge-area; tr transversal ridge.—L–N. Thoracic nota with tegmina of male (L) and female (M,N).—Enlargements: Same scale for A–D, for E–G, and for L–N.—Identifications: A–G,I,L (holotype, Ma 13a/6), H,N,M (Ma 81/1,2,3), J (Ma 80/1), K (Ma 178/1).

FIGURE 17. A–N. Structures of Dziriblatta (Dz.) altotuberculata.—A–K. Male tergite structures. A: T1–4; B: T5; C: T6; D: T7, with latero-posterior corners strongly produced and narrowly rounded; p tubular pouch lobes; gl glandular pit with trail tl and an elevation ce on the posterior wall of the pit; bu bulge; E–G: spatular bristles on the lateral parts of T5 (E), 6 (F), and 7 (G), only T7 with densely arranged spatular bristles; H: terminalia showing the excavated posterior border pt of T10, c cercus; I–K: T6 of three specimens showing the variability in the shape of the posterior border of the tergite; n median notch; pa pre-glandular area; tr transversal ridge.—L–N. Thoracic nota with tegmina of male (K) and female (L,M; the latter with adhering T1).—Enlargements: Same scale for A–D, for E–G, and for L–N.—Identifications: A,B (Ma 11a/1), C–I,L (holotype, Ma 11a/5), J (Ma 12a/1), K (Ma 185/1), M (Ma 11a/3), N (12a/2).

FIGURE 18. Dziriblatta (Dz.) altotuberculata, T7 of male, holotype (Ma 11a/5). Abbreviations: arrowheads point to slight signs of side branches; bu bulge, angularly set off (arrow); ce central elevation; gu gutter; p pouch lobes; pb approximate level of the posterior border of the pit opening; pm pre-glandular margin of the tergite; pr posterior ridge; tl trail.

FIGURE 19. Dziriblatta (Dz.) altotuberculata, T7 of male with pouch lobes (Ma 102/1). At the posterior border of the tergite slightly damaged; for the identification of structures see preceding figure.

FIGURE 27. Distribution of the species of subgenus Dziriblatta in Morocco and southern Spain (for mountains and locality numbers see Fig. 28). The lobososacculata-species group is distributed along the main mountain ranges of the Middle and High Atlas and the Rif, the bolivari-species group mainly further North: along the western Tell Atlas in Algeria (see fig. 32 in Bohn 2019), in northern Morocco including the northern part of the Middle Atlas, and in southern Spain along the Cordillera Penibetica, West of the Sierra Nevada up to Algeciras. The names of the species and their symbols are listed in the sequence of their distribution, which in the bolivari-species group is from East to West, in the lobososacculata-species group from North to South.The numbered arrows indicate localities with the common occurrence of two different species of subgenus Dziriblatta. In most cases Dz. (Dz.) algerica is found associated with another species, at locality 1 with Dz. (Dz.) bolivari, at 2 with Dz. (Dz.) ramososacculata, and at 4 with Dz. (Dz.) lobososacculata; at locality 3 Dz. (Dz.) ramososacculata is occurring together with Dz. (Dz.) planotuberculata.—Abbreviation: indet. females = indetermined females, only in Spain.

FIGURE 28. Locality numbers of all species of subgenus Dziriblatta found in Morocco (Ma) and Spain (Sp.).