Nyctibora lutzi Rehn and Hebard

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 : 18

14. Nyctibora lutzi Rehn and Hebard ( Fig. 12 ), NEW RECORD

Nyctibora lutzi Rehn and Hebard 1927: 193 ; Puerto Rico.

Diagnosis. Adults 31–36 mm, with full tegmina in both sexes; broadly oval, dorsum entirely dark brown and densely covered with very short, fine, cinereous setae. Nymphs very dark reddish-brown to almost black, densely covered with similar setae which can be partially absent (especially on pronotum) due to abrasion. Adults and larger nymphs with one or more pairs of faint, glabrous, pronotal grooves, each pair convergent anteriorly; last tergite narrow and triangular with weak apical emargination; male supra-anal plate trilobate apically.

Comments. Among the cockroach species in the Virgin Islands, Nyctibora lutzi is readily recognized by its large size (> 30 mm), densely and finely tomentose dorsum, full tegmina, and uniform dark brown color in both sexes. The pronotal widths of 11 nymphs suggest six instars. It is a nocturnal ground dweller ( Table 1). On Guana Island in October 2008 adults were observed at night actively foraging and courting on the orchard flat. Nymphs were often found in rotten Agave ; this habitat is similar to that in epiphytic bromeliads for the Dominican Republic species ( Gutiérrez and Perez-Gelabert 2000). A female specimen collected in June 1996 from St. John carried an oothecum. Originally described from Puerto Rico, this is not a common species on Guana and is recorded for the first time on St. John of USVI, Guana, Little Thatch, and Tortola of BVI, in addition to a previous record on Puerto Rico ( Gutiérrez and Fisk 1998).

Specimens examined. BDVC — 1 male, BVI, Guana Is. , 26.X.2004, B. D. Valentine & S. C. Valentine- Cooper ; 7 nymphs, BVI, Guana Is. , 10.X.2003, B. & B. Valentine ; 2 nymphs, BVI, Guana Is. , 11/ 13.X.2004, B. D. Valentine & S. C. Valentine-Cooper, at UV ; 1 nymph, BVI, no other data; 1 female, BVI, Little Thatch Is. , 19.X.2012, W. Lu ; 2 males / 1 female /1 nymph, BVI, Tortola Is. , Lock Hill , 15. VI.2002, C. Petrovic, at light. MCZ — 1 female [with oothecum], USVI, St. John , Great Cruz Bay, 15-23. VI.1996, B. & B. Valentine. NMNH — 1 male, BVI, Guana Is., 27.IX.2003, W. Lu & S. Lazell ; 1 female, BVI, Guana Is. , 8.X.2003, W. Lu .

Figures

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).