Rhabdoblatta pluriramosa ( Karny, 1915 )

Mbia, Donald-L’or Nyame, Ngon, Eric Belmond Biram à, Legendre, Frédéric & Menbohan, Samuel Foto, 2024, Semi-aquatic Epilamprinae cockroaches (Blattodea: Blaberidae) in Cameroon: towards a revision of continental African species of Rhabdoblatta Kirby, 1903 and Africalolampra Roth, 1995, European Journal of Taxonomy 946 (1), pp. 1-57 : 35-38

Rhabdoblatta pluriramosa ( Karny, 1915)

Figs 22–25 ; Table 7

Ischnoptera pluriramosa Karny, 1915: 144 .

Epilampra pluriramosa – Lamotte & Roy 1961a: 4040; 1961b: 4209; 1962: 26. — Princis 1963a: 138. Rhabdoblatta pluriramosa – Kumar 1975: 81. — Lamotte & Roy 2003: 62.

Material examined

REPUBLIC OF GUINEA • 1 ♂; “ Guinée , Nimba, Camp I; 12-13 XII 1951; Lamotte et Roy leg.”; LUHM • 1 ♂; “ Guinée , Nimba; XII 56 –V 57; Lamotte, Amiet, Vanderplaetsen; n°52”; MNHN-EP7616 • 1 ♂; “ Guinée , Nimba, Pr. Camp I; 5 avril 57, XII 56–V 57; Lamotte, Amiet, Vanderplaetsen; R. Roy det. 1961”; MNHN-EP7617 • 1 ♂; “ Nimba (Guinée), Mt To (1600m), Camp 1; II. VI. 42; M. Lamotte ”; MNHN-EP7621 • 3 ♀♀; “ Nimba (Guinée); II. VI. 42; M. Lamotte ”; MNHN-EP7618–20 • 1 juv.; “ Nimba (Guinée), Camp I, ravin; IX 56 – XI 56, 23/10/1956; Lamotte”; MNHN-EP7605 .

Diagnosis and history

This species, devoid of tergal specialization, was erroneously described in the genus Ischnoptera from a male specimen. It owes its specific epithet to its hindwing veination ( Karny 1915). The type specimen was not found in Vienna (NMW); its location is unkown. Princis (1963a) described male, female and nymph specimens from several localities ( Table 7 ). We complement these descriptions with pictures of male, female and juvenile specimens, as well as male genitalia ( Figs 22–25 ). Females are readily distinguished from all other species except R. wittei because of their short wings. The shape of these wings distinguish the two species ( Kumar 1975). Males are distinguished by their absence of a tergal specialization, combined with a pair of styli.

Description of male genitalia ( Fig. 24 )

Genitalia weakly sclerotized overall; left phallomere R complex (L1 of MK64 and R70, and R2+R3+N of G96); cleft between R1T and R2, thin, without protuberance; R3 Y-shaped (sensu Anisyutkin 2016), the base of the Y less sclerotized. Sclerite L2d with its basal sclerite rod-shaped, tapered, thinner and more sclerotized near the apex (L1 of G96); apical sclerite of L2d (L2vm of MK64, L2v of R70 and L1 of G96) quadrangular. Sclerite L3 (R2 of MK64, R70, and L2d of PG96) rather short, with a strong hook; inner margin of the basal part of L3 slightly crenulated. No sclerite ventrally to L3.

Measurements of adults

Male(n= 3): pronotum length×width:2.9–3.3 ×4.1–4.7, tegmina length:13.3–12.6, overall length×width: 12.3–12.5 ×4.7–4.8.

Female (n =3): pronotum length×width: 3.5–3.7×4.7–5.1, tegmina length: 3.5–3.8, overall length×width: 13.4–13.6×6.3–7.

Habitat

Orophilous ( Lamotte & Roy 1961b, 1962).

Distribution

This species is only known from the Republic of Guinea ( Table 7 ). Note that an unidentified specimen at MNHN from the surroundings of Kisangani ( Congo) could belong to this species.

Figures

Fig. 22. Rhabdoblatta pluriramosa (Karny, 1915), male specimen (MNHN-EP7616). A. Habitus in dorsal and ventral views. B. Pronotum. C. Front femur. D. Subgenital plate. E. Supra-anal plate. F. Tarsi and claws of hind leg. Scale bars: A = 5 mm; B–F = 1 mm.

Fig. 23. Rhabdoblatta pluriramosa (Karny, 1915), female specimen (MNHN-EP7618). A. Habitus in dorsal and ventral views. B. Pronotum and tegmina. C. Supra-anal plate. D. Subgenital plate. E. Face. Scale bars: A = 5 mm; B–E = 1 mm.

Fig. 24. Rhabdoblatta pluriramosa (Karny, 1915), male genitalia (MNHN-EP7621). Scale bar = 0.5 mm.

Fig. 25. Rhabdoblatta pluriramosa (Karny, 1915), juvenile specimen (MNHN-EP7605), habitus in dorsal and ventral views. Scale bar = 5 mm.