Rhabdoblatta ecarinata, Yang, Rong, Wang, Zhenzhen, Zhou, Yanshuang, Wang, Zongqing & Che, Yanli, 2019

Yang, Rong, Wang, Zhenzhen, Zhou, Yanshuang, Wang, Zongqing & Che, Yanli, 2019, Establishment of six new Rhabdoblatta species (Blattodea, Blaberidae, Epilamprinae) from China, ZooKeys 851, pp. 27-69 : 39-42

Rhabdoblatta ecarinata sp. n. Figure 7 A–T

Rhabdoblatta carinata Liu et al., 2017: 78 (nomen nudum).

Diagnosis.

The outer-lateral margin of the sclerite L3 hook without carina, and it is similar to Rhabdoblatta monticola (Kirby, 1903), but subcosta of Rh. monticola is white (Figure 8A), and this species is yellowish brown.

Measurements (mm).

Male, pronotum: length × width 5.0-6.0 × 7.5-8.0, tegmen length: 22.0-24.0, overall length: 26.0-28.0; female, pronotum: length × width 7.8-8.0 × 8.4-9.0, tegmen length: 31.0-32.0, overall length: 37.0-38.0.

Description.

Male. Body yellowish brown (Figure 7A). Vertex and apex of frons with scattered brown spots. Eyes black. Ocelli pale yellow. Labrum, labial palpi, and maxillary palpi yellow (Figure 7B). Pronotum yellowish brown, with many near round small or a few big brown spots on the surface and longitudinal short stripes along hind margin (Figure 7I). Tegmina yellowish brown, with several large dark brown spots on the surface or not. Wings with costal field, radial field, and mediocubital field yellowish brown, and anal field gray, with veins obvious and yellow (Figure 7K, L). Legs yellow. Abdominal sterna yellow, 4 th– 7th segments with dark brown spots. Cerci dark brown (Figure 7B).

Vertex slightly exposed. Distance between eyes slightly wider than interocular space, the length ca. 2/3 of the space of antennal sockets (Figure 7B). Pronotum subelliptical, the widest part in the middle, anterior and lateral margins rounded, middle of hind margin convex (Figure 7I). Tegmina and wings fully developed extending well beyond the end of the abdomen, the apex of the tegmina arc-shaped and veins distinct (Figure 7 A–D, K, L). Anteroventral margin of front femur type B2 (Figure 7J). The inner margin of the metatarsus of hind leg with two rows small spines. Tarsal pulvilli present on the apex of 1 st– 4th tarsomeres. The pretarsus with arolium, claws symmetrical and unspecialized (Figure 7B).

Male genitalia. Supra-anal plate symmetrical, nearly rectangular, the middle of the hind margin with concavity (Figure 7O). Subgenital plate with hind margin unsymmetrical, with a cambered convexity in the middle, the left stylus shorter than the right (Figure 7P). Left phallomere with sclerite R3 intamescent at apex, R4 wide and nearly square (Figure 7Q). The basal sclerite of L2D slender and rod-shaped, base slightly intamescent; apical sclerite small, the surface on the apical membrane with fine bristles (Figure 7R). Sclerite L3 with small hook, outer-lateral margin without carina, inner margin with a tooth-shaped convexity at apex (Figure 7S).

Female. Female similar to male but slightly larger (Figure 7E, F, M, N).

Female genitalia. Weakly sclerotized. Ovipositor back to brood sac. Tergal process of the eighth and ninth abdominal tergite obviously vestigial. First valves of ovipositor wide, apex membranous. Second valves of ovipositor fine and tube-shaped, completely covered by the first valves of ovipositor. Third valves of ovipositor slightly wider and flat, length shorter than the first valves of ovipositor. Gonangulum and sclerotized lobes of the second and third pairs of valves not obvious. Anterior arch of second valvifer obviously vestigial. Basivalvula with semicircular arms, the mid sclerite with incomplete separation, linked with membrane. Vestibular sclerite membranous, wider than the basivalvula. Transverse sclerotized plate absent. Brood sac membranous and without sclerotized section (Figure 7T).

Nymph. Body brown. Spine on the tibia robust. The length of antennae nearly equal to the body’s length (Figure 7G, H).

Remarks.

This species was named as Rhabdoblatta carinata by Liu et al. (2017) in the book Cockroaches of Southeastern China (page 78). However, no exact deposition of the type specimens was mentioned, although the authors listed three collections in the material and method. Based on Article 16.4.2 of the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature (ICZN 1999), the name Rhabdoblatta carinata is not available. Based on the material we examined, males of the species have intraspecific variation, with some individuals having dispersed large dark brown spots on tegmina, while others do not (Figure 7 A–D).

Etymology.

This species name is derived from the Latin word ecarinatus, referring to the outer-lateral margin of the sclerite L3 hook without carina.

Type material.

Holotype: male, Hainan Prov., Yinggeling Nature Reserve, Nanfa Conservation Station, 650m, 21-IV-2015, Lu Qiu & Qi-kun Bai leg. Paratype: 8 males and 5 females, Hainan Prov., Yinggeling Nature Reserve, Nankai Conservation Station, 284-308m, 20-IV-2015, Xin-ran Li & Zhi-wei Qiu leg.; 2 females, Hainan Prov., Lingshui County, Diaoluoshan Mountain, 15-IV-2015, Lu Qiu & Qi-kun Bai leg.; 1 female, 1 male, 1 nymph, Hainan Prov., Lingshui County, Diaoluoshan Mountain, 24-V-2014, Shun-hua Gui & Xin-ran Li leg. (all in SWU).

Distribution.

China (Hainan).