Morphna lucida Anisyutkin

Anisyutkin, Leonid N., 2014, On cockroaches of the subfamily Epilamprinae (Dictyoptera: Blaberidae) from South India and Sri Lanka, with descriptions of new taxa, Zootaxa 3847 (3), pp. 301-332 : 309-311

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.11646/zootaxa.3847.3.1
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:19E58554-5B31-496B-B851-A26DEE4B7929
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.3501517
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03CA2572-FFD6-FF87-8580-1409C0F2B67A
treatment provided by	Plazi
scientific name	Morphna lucida Anisyutkin
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Morphna lucida Anisyutkin View in CoL , sp. nov.

( Figs. 1D View FIGURE 1. A, D, F , E, 4 View FIGURE 4 A–M, 9 View FIGURE 9 A)

Material. Holotype — male, SOUTH INDIA, state Tamil Nadu, Nilgiri Hills, Devala , 3200 ft., May 1961, coll. P.S. Nathan ( MMUM).

Description. Male (holotype). General color light yellowish, with scattered small brown spots ( Figs. 1D View FIGURE 1. A, D, F , E, 4A, B); facial part of head yellow, with small brown dots located mostly between eyes and on the vertex ( Figs. 1D View FIGURE 1. A, D, F , 4 View FIGURE 4 A); eyes blackish brown; antennae and mouthparts yellowish; pronotum yellowish, lateral parts nearly translucent, with small brown spots at margins ( Figs. 1 View FIGURE 1. A, D, F E, 4B); tegmina yellowish, with not numerous scattered small brown spots, a pair of larger ones (one on each tegmen) located at the middle of tegmina ( Fig. 1 View FIGURE 1. A, D, F E); legs, thorax and abdomen from below yellowish. Surfaces smooth and lustrous, distal parts of antennae (approximately from 18–19th segments) and 5th segment of maxillary palps dull; fine punctation present only in basal parts of tegmina; facial part of head with transverse wrinkles between eyes, antennal sockets and above clypeus ( Figs. 1D View FIGURE 1. A, D, F , 4 View FIGURE 4 A). Head longer than wide ( Figs. 1D View FIGURE 1. A, D, F , 4 View FIGURE 4 A); ocellar spots large; facial part with weak impressions between eyes; distance between eyes 0.7 times of the eye length; distance between antennal sockets 1.5 times of the scape length (1.5 mm); approximate length ratio of 3rd–5th segments of maxillary palps 1: 1: 1.2. Pronotum as in Figs. 1 View FIGURE 1. A, D, F E, 4B. Tegmina and wings completely developed, surpassed abdominal apex, truncated apically ( Figs. 1 View FIGURE 1. A, D, F E, 9A). Tegmina with emarginated apex ( Figs. 1 View FIGURE 1. A, D, F E, 9A); weakly sclerotized; venation distinct; costal field wider and shorter as compared with those structures of Rhabdoblatta praecipua ( Fig. 9 View FIGURE 9 B) and well sclerotized; Sc thickened (well visible on ventral side of tegmen); R, M and CuA stems separated; CuP distinct. Anterior margin of fore femora armed according to the type B, with 7 spines, including 2 apical ones. Structure of hind tarsi: metatarsus slightly shorter than other segments combined, with euplantula more than 3/4 of segment length ( Fig. 4 View FIGURE 4 C); euplantulae of 2nd-4th segments large; spines absent, with exception of several delicate spinules located on metatarsal euplantula ( Fig. 4 View FIGURE 4 C, spi.); claws symmetrical, simple; arolium about half of claw length. Anal plate (tergite X) widely rounded caudally, with small triangular median incision ( Fig. 4 View FIGURE 4 D). Cerci long, flatten, with segments distinctly separated ( Fig. 4 View FIGURE 4 D). Paraprocts of blaberid-type ( Fig. 4 View FIGURE 4 E). Hypandrium nearly symmetrical ( Fig. 4 View FIGURE 4 F); antero-lateral parts short ( Fig. 4 View FIGURE 4 F, l.s.a.); caudal margin between styli rounded, with distinct median incision; styli fusiform.

Male genitalia ( Fig. 4 View FIGURE 4 G–M). Right phallomere (R+N) with caudal part of sclerite R1T subrectangular in shape ( Fig. 4 View FIGURE 4 G, H, c.p.R1T), densely covered with bristles; R2 weakly curved ( Fig. 4 View FIGURE 4 G, H); R3 distinctly widened caudally ( Fig. 4 View FIGURE 4 G, H); R4 large ( Fig. 4 View FIGURE 4 H); R5 large, fused with sclerite R3 ( Fig. 4 View FIGURE 4 G, H). Sclerite L2D (L1) divided into basal and apical parts ( Fig. 4 View FIGURE 4 I); basal part rod-like, moderately widened cranially ( Fig. 4 View FIGURE 4 I); apical part rounded, densely covered with recumbent bristles ( Fig. 4 View FIGURE 4 J); "dorsal outgrows" flat ( Fig. 4 View FIGURE 4 J, d.o.). Sclerite L3 (L2d) without basal subsclerite; "folded structure" distinct, without bristles ( Fig. 4 View FIGURE 4 K, L, f.s.); apex of L3 with "small tooth" ( Fig. 4 View FIGURE 4 K–M, s.t.), groove hge absent. Sclerite L4U (L3d) distinct and triangular.

Female unknown.

Measurements (mm). Head length 5.7, head width 5.4, pronotum length 9.2, pronotum width 12.5, tegmen length 40.0, tegmen width (in place where CuP running into posterior margin of tegmen) 13.0.

Comparison. The new species can readily be distinguished from M. auriculata , M. badia , M. clypeata , M. dotata , M. humeralis , M. imperatoria , M. maculata , M. moloch , M. plana and M. pustulata by its nearly uniform, light yellowish coloration, with brown spots being small and sparse. Morphna lucida sp. nov. can be distinguished from M. decolyi by the fully developed tegmina and wings surpassing the abdominal apex; these structures are strongly abbreviated in M. decolyi (see below for the description).

By its light coloration, the new species is somewhat similar to M. amplipennis , but differs from it in having the comparatively smaller pronotum [the ratio length of tegmen/length of pronotum in M. lucida sp. nov. is about 4.3, while in M. amplipennis —3.6], the distinctly elongated abdomen and the color pattern of pronotum and tegmina [cf. Figs 1 View FIGURE 1. A, D, F E, 4B and photos of M. amplipennis holotype in Beccaloni (2007)].