Monastria similis ( Serville, 1838 )

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 : 371-373

Monastria similis ( Serville, 1838)

Male—Figure 8.

Female—Figure 6E–H.

Blabera similis Serville, 1838: 81 .

Monastria similis Saussure, 1864a: 256 ; Walker, 1868: 11; Scudder, 1868: 54; Kirby, 1904: 161; Princis, 1958: 75, Princis, 1963: 142.

Monachoda similis Brunner v. W, 1865 : 367; Saussure, 1870: 120; Finot, 1897: 207.

Monastria flavomarginata Princis, 1946: 162 , Princis, 1963: 142 (as syn. of M. similis ).

Examined material. Brazil — Paraná: 1♀ Aurora do Iguaçu, “Fazenda Dona Iolanda”, 260m, 25°23’047”S, 54°07’048”W, 20km NE São Miguel do Iguaçu, Fragment=60ha, Forêt semp. Humide , 18 XI 2008, Jour, coll. R. Pellens & P. Grandcolas (MNHN). 2³, 1♀ Foz do Iguaçu, “Fazenda John Keller”, 220 m, 25°34’9.14”S, 54°26’7.41”W, 1km Parc National do Iguaçu, Forêt semp. humide, 20 XI 2008, R. Pellens & P. Grandcolas rec. ( MNHN). Santa Catarina: 1³ Blumenau , VI 1919 , coll. Luderm? (MZUSP). 3³, 2♀ Campo Alegre, “Ilha, Fazenda Sr. Egon ”, 830m, 26°10’29’’S, 49°16’22’’W, 1km Campo Alegre, 14 VIII 2007, Forêt d’ Araucaria, R. Pellens & P. Grandcolas rec. ( MNHN). 1♀ Campo Alegre , “ Fazenda Sr. Gilson ”, 853m, 26°12’6.61”S, 49°18’4.58”W, 5km W Campo Alegre, Forêt d’ Araucaria , 15 VIII 2007, R. Pellens & P. Grandcolas rec. ( MNHN) . 1♀ Florianopolis, “Chemin Mirante. route Lagoa da Conceiçao”, 295m, 27°35’5.05”S, 48°28’6.08”W, Forêt semp. humide, 0 1 XII 2008, R. Pellens & P. Grandcolas rec. ( MNHN) . 2♀ Joinville, “Alto da Serra Dona Franscisca”, 755m, 26°11’882” S, 49°03’144” W, 35km NW Joinville, Forêt semp. humide, III 2007, R. Pellens & P. Grandcolas rec. ( MNHN). 1³ 4♀ Lages, Brunner d. w. ( MHNG). 1³ 1♀ Rio Capivary , 1888, H. Fruhstorfer ( MHNG). Rio Grande do Sul: 2³ Lhering, ( MNHG). S„o Paulo: 1³ Poa, 13 IV 1963, Rabello col. ( MZUSP). 1³ Salesópolis, “Estação biológica de Boracéia, Trilha do poço verde”, 23°38’56.9”S, 45°52’50”W, Malaise, pt1, 17–28 IV 2003, coll. A.P. Aguiar & F.M. Rodrigues ( MZUSP). 1³ Salesópolis, “Est. biológica de Boracéia”, 850m, ( MZUSP). Paraguay: 1♀ Asun- ción, sept.1922 –apl.1923, E.G.Kent, B.M. 1925–262 ( NHM). 1³, Carlos Pfanni ( MHNG) Without locality: 1³ Brésilien, H. Fruhstorfer, 1903–321( NHM). 2♀ ( NHM). 1³ (America Meridionale/Colombie?), D. Ruhl ( MHNG). 1³ coll. Pantel, co-type ( MNHN).

Diagnosis. The apical left side of L1 with a short rounded lateral branch turned downwards with strong spines near the crown of spines and a wide region slightly concave with a slight curvature ending in a small projection towards the front on the right side. L2d sclerite hook with internal cavity strongly concave, external lateral margin very near the very narrow sub-apical notch. R2 sclerite shorter and forming a right angle. Sclerite N reduced in the dorsal region and a wide and globular ventral surface. R3d slightly curved dorsally and wider and straight in ventral view. R 3v small, triangular, with a short and slightly quadrangular latero-distal region; caudal branch short with a finger shaped apex.

Redescription. Male. Head subtriangular, with interocular space measuring nearly 1/3 of the distance between the antennal sockets. Ocelli developed and slightly deflected. Frontal suture with a slight cuticular invagination (Fig. 8C). Pronotum transverse, pentagonal, dorsal surface rough with deep striae, anterior margin rounded, lateral margins with sharp angles and round ends, hind margin nearly straight (Fig. 8B). Tegmina with orange lateral margins in the first half of its length (Fig. 8A). Legs short and robust. Fore-femora ventro-anterior margins with 21 or 22 spines decreasing in size from basal to apical; ventro-posterior margins with 3 long and 2 slightly smaller spines. Middle legs ventro-anterior margins with 10 spines. Supra-anal plate quadrangular with setae on the surface, hind margin straight and slightly rounded laterally, bilobed with an invagination in the median portion. Subgenital plate asymmetrical with long styles, funneled in the apical region. L1 sclerite with apical region with two distinct parts: a short, rounded lateral branch turned downwards, with strong spines near the crown of spines of the posterior region; a wide region slightly concave with a slight curvature ending in a small projection towards the front on the right (Fig. 8H, I). L2d sclerite hook with anterior region subconical and slightly wide and a short apical region; internal cavity strongly concave, external lateral margin very near the very narrow sub-apical notch (Fig. 8F, G). R2 sclerite cleft curved inwards with the apex very sclerotized and directed upwards; shorter and forming a right angle (Fig. 8D). Sclerite N dorsal region reduced, ventral surface wide and globular. R3d slightly curved dorsally and wider and straight in ventral view. R 3v small, triangular, with a short and slightly quadrangular latero-distal region; caudal branch short with a finger shaped apex (Fig. 8D, E).

FIGURE 8. Monastria similis , 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= 1 cm, Pronotum= 5 mm, Head= 2 mm, all other figures= 1 mm.

Female. Head rounded, with wide interocular space measuring 1/2 of the distance between the antennal sockets. Eyes with straight interocular margin. Ocelli small and located on the area slightly deflected above the antennal socket. Frons broad and flattened, frontal suture with a small cuticular depression. Clypeus distal half larger and yellow transparent (Fig. 6H). Pronotum subtriangular with anterior region rounded and slightly concave near the margins, dorsal region rough with deep striae, lateral angles rounded ending in a corner, hind margin slightly curved in the median region (Fig. 6F).

Tegmina with a rounded anterior margin, orange lateral margin, and rounded and curved hind margin. Long, reaching the fifth abdominal tergite (Fig. 6E). Legs short and robust. Fore-femora ventro-anterior margins with 21 or 19 long spines of the same size, ventro-posterior margins with 5 spines. Middle legs ventro-anterior margins with 5 spines. Supra-anal plate bilobed with a small median notch, each lobe with a slightly rounded lateral and a straight hind margin (Fig. 6G). Tergites with rounded lateral angles (Fig. 6E).

Measurements (mm). ³: Body length 49.35; pronotum length 10.95 × 16.80 maximum width; tegmen length 39.75 ×15.45 width; interocular width 1.6; interantennal width between sockets 4.6. ♀: Body length 36.65; prono- tum length 11.35 × 16.90 maximum width; tegmen length 16.50 × 11.00 width; interocular width 2.6; interantennal width between sockets 5.6.

Coloration. ³: General coloration brown (Fig. 8A). Pronotum dark brown with anterior margin buff brown; central disk orange with large dark brown mark (Fig. 8B). Head dark burnt umber; clypeus amber and labrum orange.Antennae with basal segments brown pigmented and apical segments pale brown. Ocelli white (Fig. 8C). Legs brown and spines with brown base and dark brown apex; pulvilli yellowish white; tarsal claws and arolia amber. Tegmina with orange lateral margins (Fig. 8A). Abdomen following general coloration of body but with brown tergites and sternites hind margins.

Distribution. Brazil (S„o Paulo, Paraná, Santa Catarina, Rio Grande do Sul), Paraguay (Asunción). See Fig. 17 for details.