Molytria Stål, 1874

Anisyutkin, Leonid N., 2020, New and little known Epilamprinae (Dictyoptera: Blaberidae) from the collections of the Muséum d’histoire naturelle de Genève and the Zoological Institute of Saint Petersburg. Part 4, Revue suisse de Zoologie 127 (1), pp. 105-117 : 108

Genus Molytria Stål, 1874

Type species: Epilampra inquinata Stål, 1860 , by monotypy.

Remarks: This genus was originally monotypic and established for Epilampra inquinata from Sidney, Australia ( Stål, 1860). The original diagnosis of the genus was based on the structure of the hind tarsus: “planta nuda articuli primi tarsorum posticorum per magnam partem articuli extensa” ( Stål, 1874: 12). Later two additional species were described: M. perplexa Shelford, 1910 from Victoria, Gippsland ( Shelford, 1910) and M. vegranda Roth, 1999 from New South Wales ( Roth, 1999). The genus was reviewed by L. Roth (1999). The wing venation of a Molytria sp. was illustrated in details by Cui et al. (2018).

The genus Molytria is similar to the genus Morphna in the presence of large euplantulae along the lower margin of the hind tarsi and in the structure of its female genitalia, i.e. widely rounded and medially divided basivalvula ( Figs 23-24 cf. Anisyutkin, 2018a: figs 21- 23) and vestibular sclerite with median outgrowth and lateral branches ( Fig. 23 cf. Anisyutkin, 2018a: figs 21- 24). The short-winged species from India and Sri Lanka [ Morphna decolyi ( Bolivar, 1897) , M. indica Anisyutkin , in Anisyutkin & Yushkova, 2017 and M. srilankensis Anisyutkin , in Anisyutkin & Yushkova, 2017] are in their habitus very similar to females of the genus Molytria . However, both genera can be distinguished by the presence of two distinct rows of spines in the basal part of the metatarsus in Molytria ( Figs 25-26 ; these spines are absent or vestigial in Morphna ) and by the absence of a dorsal outgrowth in the apical part of sclerite L2D of the male genitalia in Molytria [ Fig. 32 ; this structure is present in representatives of Morphna (see Anisyutkin, 2018a: figs 34-39)].

Species included: Three species from Australia (South Australia, New South Wales, Victoria and Tasmania), as given in Beccaloni (2014).

Figures

Figs 21-24. Molytria inquinata (Stål, 1860), female. (21) Abdominal apex, dorsal view. (22) Genital plate, ventral view. (23) Abdominal apex, ventral view, genital plate removed. (24) Basal part of ovipositor, dorsal view. Dotted areas show membranous parts, except for valves of ovipositor. Abbreviations: aa., a.Par., bd.s., bsv., gg., Par., pl., s.bd.s., te.VIII., teIX., v.I., v.II., v.III., vs. - see chapter “abbreviation used in figures”; IX, X – abdominal tergites IX-X, for details see text. Scale bars 1 mm: a (21-22), b (23), c (24).

Figs 25-35. Molytria vegranda Roth, 1999, male. (25-26) Left hind tarsus, ventral (25) and inner (26) view. (27) Abdominal apex, dorsal view. (28) Hypandrium, ventral view. (29) Sclerites L2D, L4U and outlines of caudal part of hypandrium, dorsal view. (30-31) Right phallomere, ventral (30) and dorsal (31) view. (32) Apical part of sclerite L2D, dorsal view. (33) Sclerite L3. (34, 35) Apex of sclerite L3. Dotted areas show membranous parts.Abbreviations: a.s., b.L2D, b.L3, c.p.R1T, f.s., L4U, R2, R3, R4, R5, s.t., scl.a. - see chapter “abbreviation used in figures”, for details see text. Scale bars 1 mm: a (24-25), b (27-29), c (30-31), d (32), e (33), f (34-35).