Cariblatta antiguensis (Saussure and Zehntner)

Lu, Wenhua, Valentine, Barry D., Perez-Gelabert, Daniel E. & Gutiérrez, Esteban, 2014, Ecology and Diversity of Cockroaches (Dictyoptera: Blattaria) from the Virgin Islands, Insecta Mundi 2014 (349), pp. 1-32 : 14-15

9. Cariblatta antiguensis (Saussure and Zehntner) ( Fig. 8 )

Theganopteryx antiguensis Saussure and Zehntner 1893: 17 ; Antigua Island.

Diagnosis. Adults 9–11 mm, elongate and narrow, with full tegmina in both sexes; pale brown with light antennae; vertex with interocular pairs of brown spots, frons with an irregular brown area below these dark spots; pronotal disc with complex, symmetrical, dark markings plus a cluster of 5 small dark spots at base; legs pale, tibiae with a small black spot at base of each spine; costal cell of tegmina without a creamy-white stripe; 7–8 costal veins thickened, clubbed radiate dark gray; underside light with lateral black markings on each segment; basal and apical articles of cerci darker than intermediate; legs, especially tibiae, with a black spot at base of each spine.

Nymphs complexly mottled; tarsi yellow with tarsomeres 2–3 usually darker, cerci darker at base and apex. Oothecae dark brown, 3–3.5 mm long, kidney-shaped, with crowded, fine, longitudinal ridges that curve towards the hinge at both ends; egg chambers not visible externally; surface with sparse, short, truncate projections that become less numerous near the hinge; open edge with about 18–20 larger marginal tubercles. Older nymphs can be sorted according to head width categories of 0.5–0.6, 0.7–0.8, 0.9–1.0, 1.2–1.3, and 1.4–1.5 mm, suggesting more than five instars (adult 1.5–1.6 mm). The sex ratio is about 2 females to 1 male.

Comments. Cariblatta antiguensis is probably arboreal and nocturnal; individuals were active at night or perching on vegetation but never under ground cover such as detritus, rocks, or logs ( Table 1). Oothecae were found in October with four adults from Guana Island and one adult from Moskito Island. Nymphs were found in the forest edge Malaise trap in all months, suggesting multiple generations per year. The abundance pattern showed two highs; the fall increase was low in number as compared with the spring increase ( Table 2). Abundance was particularly high in 2000 (237 individuals in June) ( Fig. 3 , Table 3), when annual rainfall of prior three years averaged above 3.1 mm. A spike of 15.8 mm heavy rainfall in November 2003 did not induce a striking abundance increase like that in 2000 ( Fig. 3 ).

Roth (1994) first recorded this species from Guana Island where it is abundant. It is herein recorded for the first time on St. John of USVI, Anegada, Jost Van Dyke, Little Thatch, Moskito, Necker, Tortola, and Virgin Gorda of BVI, in addition to other previous records on St. Croix of USVI, St. Barts, Antigua, and Trinidad ( Rehn and Hebard 1927, Princis 1969), Dominica and St. Martin ( Bonfils 1969), and Cuba ( Gutiérrez 1995). It is not yet recorded from Hispaniola, but ranges from east and south of Puerto Rico, all the way to Trinidad; Puerto Rico should also have this species.

Specimens examined. BDVC — 2 males, BVI, Anegada Is. , 26-27.X.2009, W. Lu & S. Valentine-Cooper ; 47 females / 25 males /12 nymphs, BVI, Guana Is .; 5 adults /1 nymph, Jost Van Dyke , 18-19.X.2010, W. Lu & S. C. Valentine-Cooper ; 1 nymph, BVI, Little Thatch Is. , 13.X.2007, W. Lu, sweep ; 1 adult, BVI, Little Thatch Is. , 25.X.2008, Valentine-Cooper & Lu ; 1 adult, BVI, Little Thatch Is. , 11.X.2010, E. Wright ; 2 females, BVI, Moskito Is. , 25.X.2007, S. C. Valentine-Cooper, sweep ; 1 male, BVI, Necker Is. , 2-5. VI.2005, W. Lu ; 3 adults /1 nymph (1 st instar), BVI, Necker Is. , 16.X.2010, W. Lu ; 2 females, BVI, Tortola Is. , Sage Mt., 11.X.2007, W. Lu ; 1 female, BVI, Tortola Is. , Sage Mt., 1600-1700 ft., 6.X.2001, B. & B. Valentine ; 2 males, BVI, Tortola Is. , Chalwell, 1500 ft., 25-27.X.2001, C. Petrovic, at light ; 1 male, BVI, Tortola Is. , Sage Mt., 1600-1700 ft., 6.X.2001, B. & B. Valentine ; 2 nymphs, BVI, Virgin Gorda, 23.X.2011, S. C. Valentine-Cooper. MAIC — 5 adults, USVI, St. John Is. , Great Cruz Bay, 15-23. VI.1996, B. & B. Valentine. MCZ — 24 adults, BVI, Guana Is., B. & B. Valentine ; 5 adults, USVI, St. John , Great Cruz Bay, 15-23. VI.1996, B. & B. Valentine. UDCC — 6 females / 2 males, BVI, Guana Is., 11.VIII.1997, 9.V-4.VI.2000, 27.X.1997, C. R. Bartlett, sweep/ Malaise trap ; 1 male, BVI, Little Thatch Is., 9.X.1994, C. R. Bartlett, sweep. VIIS — 1 female, USVI, St. John Is. , nr Lameshur Bay, 30. III.1970, L. Curry .

Figures

Figure 3. Relationship of average rainfall (mm) with monthly abundance in number of individuals of five cockroach species frequently captured in a Malaise trap within a forest edge from June 2000 through October 2011 on Guana Island, British Virgin Islands (missing 4 samples of VII/IX.2004, IV.2005, and VII.2007).

Figures 8–12. Blattellidae. 8) Cariblatta antiguensis female adult from Tortola Island and nymph from Guana Island. 9) Cariblatta sp. 2 from Tortola Island. 10) Cariblatta sp. 3 from Tortola Island. 11) Euthlastoblatta facies adult and nymph from Guana Island. 12) Nyctibora lutzi adult and nymph from Guana Island (all specimens in BDVC).