Schistopeltis microschistos, Vélez, Andrés & Gutiérrez, Esteban, 2010

Vélez, Andrés & Gutiérrez, Esteban, 2010, The Neotropical genus Schistopeltis (Blattaria: Blaberidae, Zetoborinae) with a new species from Colombia, Zootaxa 2411, pp. 53-58 : 56-58

Schistopeltis microschistos , n. sp.

( Figs. 6–18 )

Type material. Holotype male, Colombia, Antioquia, Amalfi, campamento los Cedros, Porce II, Bloque 16, 650 m, attracted to the light, manual collection, September 21, 2005, J. A. Posada ( CEUA 39312). Paratypes: Colombia: Male (genitalia), Antioquia, Puerto Berrio, Cristalina Township, Reserva Unidad, Naturaleza y Armonía, 400 m, intra-domicile, attracted to the light, manual collection, September 22, 2005, Andrés Vélez ( CEUA 38705); male, Antioquia, Amalfi, Cañón del rió Porce, 1000 m, forest, August 18, 1999, E. Vergara ( MEFLG 12313); female, Andes, La Bodega farm, decaying tree, manual collection, March 7, 2004, D. Calderón ( CEUA 38704), female (illustrated), Amalfi, la Guyana Township, intra-domicile, attracted to the light, manual collection, February 12, 2001, Adrián Vélez ( CEUA 29011).

Male: Head exposed, interocular space 1.5 mm less than the distance between antennal sockets (2 mm) ( Fig. 7 ); antennae three-fourths as long as body ( Fig. 8 ); maxillary palpomeres short, the fourth shorter than the third and almost as long as the fifth. Pronotum transverse, elliptical, wider than long; anterior margin with cephalic section fissured on each side of the supra-cephalic portion of the disk (bifissate), separating the disk from the wing-like lateral sections of the pronotum, fissures V shaped ( Figs. 6, 8 ). Tegmina and wings fully developed, extending beyond margin of abdomen; hindwings complete; cubitus with incomplete branches. Antero-ventral margin of front femur unarmed, type D; tarsal segments with pulvilli, tarsal claws symmetrical, unspecialized, arolia present. Supra-anal plate transverse, bilobate, apico-lateral margin rounded, posterior margin with V-shaped mesad emargination ( Fig. 10 ); right paraproct hook-shaped, left paraproct entire ( Fig. 9 ). Subgenital plate slightly asymmetrical, styles simple ( Fig. 11 ). Genitalia as in Figs. 12–14 : left phallomere (L1) with a characteristic heavily sclerotized cleft ( Fig. 12 ), hook on the right side (R2) with a preapical incision ( Fig. 14 ), median phallomere (L2vm) with a posterior dorsal production ( Fig. 13 ).

Color: General dorsal coloration beige. Pronotum margins finely outlined with black, thicker on caudallateral angles; disk with two black spots ( Figs. 6, 8 ). Head dark chestnut; clypeus and labrum pale chestnut; areas adjacent to antennal sockets pale yellowish ( Fig. 7 ). Tegmina beige, with blackish maculae on the base of the subcosta area and anal (plical) vein; discoidal field veins blackish brown with maculae ( Fig. 8 ). Exposed mesonotal area between tegmina dark chestnut. Abdominal terga chestnut with beige lateral margins and black tubercles; abdominal sterna chestnut. Legs chestnut; tibia I–II bicolored (chestnut and beige). Supra-anal plate pale chestnut, darker along the midline; cerci with two terminal segments white ( Fig. 10 ).

Female differing from male in size (see measurements), shape and color of supra-anal and subgenital plates ( Figs. 17, 18 ), shallower pronotal fissures ( Fig. 15 ), and shape of maculae on pronotum and tegmina ( Figs. 15, 16 ).

Measurements (mm) (female in parentheses). Body length, 25 (27–28.5); pronotum length x width 5.3–5.5 x 10.8–11 (5.8 x 12 –12.5); tegmen length x width 23.5– 24 x 8 (27 x 9); interocular width 1.5 (1.7–1.8); interantennal sockets width 2.0 (2.1–2.2).

Distribution. Department of Antioquia, Colombia.

Differential diagnosis. Schistopeltis microschistos n. sp. differs from previously known species in having the fissures of the pronotal anterior margin smaller and V- shaped. The new taxon is similar to S. lizeri in having the postero-lateral pronotum angles rounded in both species.

Etymology. micros (G) = small, schistos (G) = fissure. The name refers to the small size of the fissures present on the anterior margin of the pronotum.

Figures

FIGURES 4 – 14. Schistopeltis spp.: 4, Schistopeltis peculiaris Rehn, male holotype from Brazil, pronotum (dorsal). 5, Schistopeltis lizeri Rehn, male holotype from Bolivia, pronotum (dorsal). 6 – 14, Schistopeltis microschistos n. sp.: 6 – 8, male holotype: 6, pronotum (dorsal); 7, head; 8, habitus (dorsal); 9 – 14, male paratype: 9, paraprocts (rp: right, lp: left); 10, supra-anal plate (sa) and cerci (c) (dorsal); 11, subgenital plate (sg) and styles (s) (ventral); 12, first genital sclerite of left phallomere L 1 (dorsal); 13, median sclerite L 2 vm, L 2 d (dorsal); 14, hooked sclerite of right phallomere R 2 (ventral). Arrows indicate pronotal fissures.

FIGURES 15 – 18. Schistopeltis microschistos n. sp., female paratype: 15, pronotum (dorsal) with black arrows indicating fissure variation between the sexes; 16, habitus (dorsal); 17, supra-anal plate and cerci (dorsal); 18, subgenital plate (ventral). Arrows indicate pronotal fissure.