Eupolyphaga simila Qiu, 2022

Han, Wei, Qiu, Lu, Zhu, Jing, Wang, Zong-Qing & Che, Yan-Li, 2022, Exploring the diversity of Eupolyphaga Chopard, 1929 (Blattodea, Corydioidea): species delimitation based on morphology and molecular analysis, ZooKeys 1120, pp. 67-94 : 67

publication ID

https://dx.doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1120.87483

publication LSID

lsid:zoobank.org:pub:4B7BD929-48A9-4517-8DF2-7F6780BC1AD3

persistent identifier

https://treatment.plazi.org/id/903D40EF-A9B2-49A7-9296-A5749B3D6D9D

taxon LSID

lsid:zoobank.org:act:903D40EF-A9B2-49A7-9296-A5749B3D6D9D

treatment provided by

ZooKeys by Pensoft

scientific name

Eupolyphaga simila Qiu
status

sp. nov.

Eupolyphaga simila Qiu sp. nov.

Figs 6 View Figure 6 , 7 View Figure 7

Type material.

Holotype: China · male; Sichuan Prov., Lixian County, Miyaluo Town, Siboguo Village; 2944 m; 31°41.58'N, 102°44.80'E; 6 October 2019; Hao Xu, Lu Qiu, Zhi-Teng Chen leg.; SWU-B-CC-010023.

Paratypes: 2 males, same collection data as holotype; SWU-B-CC-010024 to 010025.

Other material examined.

2 nymphs & 4 oothecae, same collection data as holotype; SWU-B-CC-010026 to 010027.

Diagnosis.

The male of this new species resembles Eupolyphaga yunnanensis in external morphology. However, the male of E. simila Qiu sp. nov. has a darker abdomen (Fig. 6B View Figure 6 ) than E. yunnanensis . The female and nymph of this new species have dense black markings on their bodies (Fig. 7G, H View Figure 7 ), while E. yunnanensis is without black markings. The serrations of ootheca are bluntly rounded in this new species (Fig. 7A, B View Figure 7 ) while they are triangular in E. yunnanensis ( Qiu et al. 2018).

Description.

Male holotype: Measurements (mm). Overall length: 28.9; body length: 16.2; body width (tegmina not included): 9.4; pronotum length × width: 8.3 × 5.1; tegmina length × width: 26.3 × 9.0.

Coloration. Body fulvous (Fig. 6A, B View Figure 6 ). Vertex to the space between ocelli blackish brown, ocellar ridge slightly lighter in color, the rest of the face yellow. Antennae and labrum yellow-brown (Fig. 6D View Figure 6 ). Pronotum brown, except for the yellow anterior margin (Fig. 6C View Figure 6 ). Tegmina fawn with scattered and unequal-sized maculae. Wings nearly transparent, with sparsely small maculae terminally. Legs fulvous. Abdomen darkish brown, with a yellow vertical line in the middle (Fig. 6A, B View Figure 6 ).

Head. Round, longer than wide. Interocular space narrower than the distances between antennal sockets and ocelli. Ocelli bulged, ocellar ridge pubescent (Fig. 6D View Figure 6 ). Pronotum. Transversely elliptical, with anterior margin raised medially, and slightly truncated, the widest point located near the middle, and the posterior margin slightly arched. Boundary between anterior yellowish margin and the brownish portion fused (Fig. 6C View Figure 6 ). Tegmina and hind wings. Tegmina slender, beyond the end of abdomen 13 mm. Wings transparent. Legs. Slender and hairy, arolia large. Abdomen. Posterior margin of supra-anal plate protruded posteriorly, with a median shallow concavity (Fig. 6E View Figure 6 ). Subgenital plate slightly asymmetrical, media widely concaved, styli long (Fig. 6F View Figure 6 ). Genitalia. Genital hook (L3) roundly curved, with a sharp apex. R2 divided into two asymmetrical chunks, slightly quadrate (Fig. 6G, H View Figure 6 ).

Male paratype: Body length 29.1 mm including tegmina and hind wings, no significant differences from the holotype.

Nymph. Yellowish brown, dorsal surface black-brown to pale yellow-brown, with many black maculae. Vertex with a black strip between eyes, the space between ocelli with some black spots. Hind-clypeus black. Legs darkish brown to light yellowish brown, coxa with some black maculae. Abdomen yellow, with dark margins (Fig. 7G View Figure 7 ).

Ootheca. Light reddish brown. Surface with longitudinal lines. Serrations of the keel small and bluntly rounded. Respiratory canals absent (Fig. 7A, B View Figure 7 ).

Natural history.

This new species can be found in dry soil under cliffs along the roadside (Fig. 7C, D View Figure 7 ).

Etymology.

The species epithet is from similis (Latin) indicating this species is similar to Eupolyphaga yunnanensis .

Remarks.

Due to the outbreak of COVID-19, all living females of the new species were uncared-for in the lab during the research time. Thus, no female specimens survived for further study, but LQ has taken a photograph of a female in the wild (Fig. 7H View Figure 7 ), which provides a chance to compare the coloration with the female of E. yunnanensis . We also distinguished E. simila Qiu sp. nov. from E. yunnanensis by using DNA barcoding; the genetic divergence of the two species being 13.86-14.82%, and the ABGD analysis also supports the establishment of this new species.

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Arthropoda

Class

Insecta

Order

Blattodea

Family

Corydiidae

Genus

Eupolyphaga