Monastria itubera Tarli, Grandcolas & Pellens, 2018

Tarli, Vitor Dias, Grandcolas, Philippe & Pellens, Roseli, 2018, Taxonomic revision of the genus Monastria Saussure, 1864 (Blattodea: Blaberidae Blaberinae) from the South American Atlantic forest, with the descriptions of five new species, Zootaxa 4524 (3), pp. 359-391 : 377-380

Monastria itubera Tarli, Grandcolas & Pellens sp. n.

Male—Figure 11.

Female—Figure 12A–D.

Type material. Holotype ³, Brazil, Bahia, Itubera, “Reserva ecológica Michelin”, 92–383m, 13°48’4.62’’S, 39°10’23.2’’W. 100km N Itabuna, Forêt semi-décidue, 28 VIII 2007, R. Pellens & P. Grandcolas rec. ( MZUSP).

Allotype ♀, and Paratype ³, same data as holotype ( MNHN) .

Diagnosis. This species is characterized by having triangular head. L1 sclerite lateral branch slightly curved with some spines turned downwards and a slightly concave region with irregular distal margins with grooves ending in a long projection towards the front; L2d sclerite hook with subconical slightly narrow anterior region, short apical region, and a large space connecting them. Apex internal cavity concave with small lateral external margin and narrow subapical notch with pointy margin; R2 sclerite cleft curved inward with a conic opening at its base and with a sclerotized apex directed upwards. Sclerite N wider on the dorsal region, narrow and small in ventral surface. R3d narrow in the right and rectangular in the left when in dorsal view. R 3v sclerite small, subtriangular, with rounded latero-distal end.

Description. Male. Head triangular, with narrow interocular space measuring approximately 1/6 of the distance between the antennal sockets. Ocelli developed and slightly deflected; frontal suture with a strong cuticular invagination (Fig. 11C). Pronotum transverse, pentagonal, dorsal surface rough with deep striae; anterior margin rounded; lateral margins with sharp angles, round ends and a conspicuous small protuberance; hind margin nearly straight (Fig. 11B). Legs short and robust. Fore-femora ventro-anterior margins with 20 or 18 spines of the same size; ventro-posterior margins with 4 small spines. Middle-legs ventro-anterior margins with 5 or 4 large spines. Supra-anal plate quadrangular with setae on the surface, hind margin straight and slightly rounded laterally, bilobed with a slight invagination in the median portion. Subgenital plate asymmetrical with long styli, left funneled in the apical region, right with same caliper all along. L1 sclerite apical region with two distinct parts, a lateral branch slightly curved with some spines turned downwards and the right branch slightly concave region with irregular distal margins with grooves ending in a long projection towards the front. Crown with less robust spines in the posterior region (Fig. 11H, I). L2d sclerite, hook with subconical slightly narrow anterior region and short apical region, with a large space connecting them. Apex internal cavity concave with small lateral external margin and narrow subapical notch with pointy margin (Fig. 11F, G). R2 sclerite cleft curved inward with a conic opening at its base and with a sclerotized apex directed upwards (Fig. 11D). Sclerite N wider and near of R2 on the dorsal region, and a narrow and small ventral surface. R3d narrow in the proximity of R2, and wider and rectangular in the distal region when in ventral view (Fig. 11D, E). R 3v sclerite small, subtriangular, with rounded latero-distal end (Fig. 11E).

FIGURE 11. Monastria itubera sp. n., Holotype ³: A) Habitus, dorsal view; B) Pronotum, dorsal view; C) Head, ventral view; D) Right phallomere, dorsal view; E) Right phallomere, ventral view; F) Left phallomere (L2d), ventral view; G) Left phallomere (L2d), dorsal view; H) Median sclerite (L1), dorsal view; I) Median sclerite (L1), detail (see Fig. 5 for abbreviations). Scales: Habitus= 1cm, Pronotum= 5mm, Head= 2 mm, all others = 1 mm.

FIGURE 12. Figs. A–D, Monastria itubera sp. n., Allotype ♀: A) Habitus, dorsal view; B) Pronotum, dorsal view; C) Supra-anal plate, dorsal view; D) Head, ventral view. Figs. E–H, Monastria itabuna sp. n., Allotype ♀: E) Habitus, dorsal view; F) Pronotum, dorsal view; G) Supra-anal plate, dorsal view; H) Head, ventral view. Scales: Habitus= 1cm, Pronotum= 5mm, Supra-anal plate= 5mm, Head= 2 mm.

Female (Allotype). Head rounded, with interocular space measuring approximately 1/3 of the distance between the antennal sockets. Eyes reniform with rounded interocular margin. Ocelli developed and deflected. Concavity between eyes and ocelli reaching the frontal suture. Frons with a prominence (Fig. 12D). Pronotum subtriangular, anterior region rounded with a depression near the margins; dorsal surface rough with deep striae, presence of small spine at the end of lateral region, hind margin nearly straight (Fig. 12B). Tegmina with rounded lateral anterior angle, hind margin truncated with a slight curvature in the region of radial vein and merging to the CuP vein at the end, not extending further than the second abdominal tergite (Fig. 12A). Legs short and robust. Fore-femora ventroanterior margins with 21 or 20 spines of the same size, ventro-posterior margins with 4 spines. Middle-legs ventroanterior margin with 8 spines, plus one near the apex. Supra-anal plate bilobed with a median incision and each lobe slightly rounded (Fig. 12C).

Measurements (mm). Holotype ³: Body length 52.98; pronotum length 12.61 × 18.49 maximum width; teg- men length 42.22 × 15.43 width; interocular width 0.4; interantennal width between sockets 2.6. Paratype ³: Body length 40.98; pronotum length 0 9.21 × 15.14 maximum width; tegmen length 31.22 × 14.31 width; interocular width 0.2; interantennal width between sockets 1.8.

Allotype ♀: Body length 35.79; pronotum length 9.70 × 17.05 maximum width; tegmen length 8.90 × 11.15 width; interocular width 1.5; interantennal width between sockets 4.5.

Coloration. Holotype ³: General coloration brown (Fig. 11A). Pronotum brown with the anterior margin pale brown; central disk pale brown with scattered black marks (Fig. 11 B). Head dark brown/black; clypeus and labrum brown. Antennae with basal segments dark pigmented and apical segments whitish yellow. Ocelli light brown (Fig. 11C). Legs dark brown. Spines and tarsal claws brown, pulvilli and arolia pale brown. Tegmina and abdomen following general coloration of body, but with tergites and sternites dark hind margins (Fig. 11A).

Etymology. The specific name refers to the type locality Itubera, state of Bahia, northeast Brazil

Distribution. Brazil (Bahia). See Fig. 17 for details.