Polyphagidae

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 : 26

Family Polyphagidae

25. Polyphagid sp. 1 ( Compsodes sp. 1 ) ( Fig. 21 ), NEW RECORD

Diagnosis. Male adults very small, delicate, 5 mm, elongate, with full tegmina; pale brown but head and pronotum slightly darker; pronotum and tegmina finely setose; anterior and lateral margins of pronotum pale; tegmina membranous with raised veins, cells minutely reticulate with larger setose punctures; venter and legs entirely paler; subgenital plate apically truncate; cerci as long as mid tarsi, with dense long setae, with intermediate articles thicker, apical articles sometimes darker.

Comments. Hebard (1917) described the genus Compsodes ; the online catalogue ( Beccaloni 2007) indicates that it contains four species and ranges from Panama to southern USA. Compsodes was first recorded from the Antilles based on five specimens taken in semi-dry forests in the Dominican Republic ( Gutiérrez and Perez-Gelabert 2000) and was recently described as Compsodes perezgelaberti by Gutiérrez (2012b). Our species is different from the Dominican species and may be new. It is the first record of the genus for the Virgin Islands, and the second record for the Antillean region. It seems to be rare and comes to lights ( Table 1). Roth (1994) recorded a possible polyphagid nymph from Guana Island, which may be this species.

Specimens examined. BDVC — 1 male, BVI, Guana Is., 9-15.X.2002, B. & B. Valentine, at UV ; 1 male, BVI, Guana Is., 17.X.2007, W. Lu, at light ; 1 male, BVI, Guana Is., 2-7.X.2003, B. & B. Valentine, at UV. NMNH — 1 specimen, BVI, Guana Is., 16-22.X.2002, B. & B. Valentine, sandpit Malaise trap .

Figures

Figures 21–22. Polyphagidae. 21) Polyphagid sp. 1 (Compsodes sp. 1) adult from Guana Island. 22) Polyphagid sp. 2 nymph from Guana Island (all specimens in BDVC).