Periplaneta banksi Hanitsch, 1931

Lucanas, Cristian C. & Lit, Ireneo L., 2016, Cockroaches (Insecta, Blattodea) from caves of Polillo Island (Philippines), with description of a new species, Subterranean Biology 19, pp. 51-64 : 55-56

Taxon classification Animalia Blattodea Blattidae

Periplaneta banksi Hanitsch, 1931

Periplaneta banksi : Hanitsch 1931: 401 (Holotype: ♂, Philippines, The Natural History Museum (BMNH), London); Bruinjing 1948: 110; Princis 1966: 441; Asahina 1980: 113.

Material examined.

8 males, 10 females, 3 nymphs: Philippines: Polillo Island (Quezon Province): Bulalon Cave, Poblacion, Burdeos, 23.ii.2013 (IL Lit, Jr/ OL Eusebio/ AR Larona, UPLBMNH BLA-00232-00234, ♂, -00235 ♀); 25.v.2007 (IL Lit, Jr/ OL Eusebio/ AR Larona, UPLBMNH BLA-00236-00242, ♂, -00243-00245, ♀, -00246-00248, nymphs); 11.vi.2008 (OL Eusebio, UPLBMNH BLA-00528-00531, ♀).

Diagnosis.

Reddish-brown throughout. Fore femur A2 (Fig. 2C). Tegmina well developed (Fig. 2A). Arolia minute. Tarsal claws simple, symmetrical. Male supra-anal plate symmetrical, deeply divided, each lobe rounded and with minute round projection apically (Fig. 2G). Cerci erect, pointed (Fig. 2G). Genital hook (Fig. 2E: L3) angulate, with minute sub-apical process.

Hanitsch (1931) noted the relatively large size of the species compared to other Periplaneta species.

Description.

Size (mm): ♂ TL: 45.71 ± 2.29; BL: 37.42 ± 3.69; Pn: 11.57 ± 0.79 × 14.86 ± 1.46; Tg: 35.71 ± 2.29; ♀ TL: 48.5 ± 2.01; BL: 41 ± 2.53; Pn: 11.6 ± 0.51 × 15.8 ± 1.03; Tg: 37.7 ± 2.41.

Male. Reddish-brown throughout. Vertex exposed. Ocelli present. Pronotum wider than long, markings indistinct. Tegmina well-developed, extending beyond abdomen. Fore femur A2. Pulvilli present on four proximal tarsi. Minute sub-apical spine present on three proximal tarsi. Mid- and hind tibia with several minute spines on outer aspect. Hind basitarsus longer than succeeding tarsi combined. Arolia minute. Tarsal claws simple, symmetrical. Abdominal tergal gland absent. Supraanal plate testaceous, deeply divided, each lobe rounded with minute round projection. Genitalia as illustrated, genital hook angulate, with minute sub-apical process.

Female. Similar to male except that supra-anal plate rounded with deep division. Subgenital plate valvular.

Distribution.

Philippines, Taiwan

Ecology.

This is the first record of the species inside caves. The species is abundant and most individuals hid among the crevices of the cave walls. They were found from the twilight to the dark zone. Nymphs and mating pairs were often seen, suggesting that the species can complete their life cycle within the cave. Despite that, Periplaneta banksi is classified as troglophilic because of the lack of distinct troglobiotic characters and the possibility of the species surviving outside cave conditions.

Both nymphs and adults are possibly preyed upon by whipspiders, Charon sp., and huntsman spiders, Heteropoda sp.

Remarks.

Hanitsch (1931) described Periplaneta banksi from a single female specimen from the Philippines without any further details on its collection locality. Asahinai (1980) later described another female specimen from Taiwan. This is the first time the male of this species is described.

The species resembles Periplaneta lata (Herbst, 1786), but differs primarily by its larger size. Bruinjing (1948) noted the possibility of the two species being synonyms, but a detailed examination of the male genitalia of Periplaneta lata is needed to confirm this.