Semi-aquatic Epilamprinae cockroaches (Blattodea: Blaberidae) in Cameroon: towards a revision of continental African species of Rhabdoblatta Kirby, 1903 and Africalolampra Roth, 1995
Author
Mbia, Donald-L’or Nyame
5CE07C5E-9C4A-4A42-87C8-BBC8432FA2FA
Laboratory of Hydrobiology and Environment, Faculty of Science, P. O Box 812, Yaounde, Cameroon.
nyamedonal@gmail.com
Author
Ngon, Eric Belmond Biram à
169E7869-A6D2-418D-90D3-C16DA625DE61
Laboratory of Hydrobiology and Environment, Faculty of Science, P. O Box 812, Yaounde, Cameroon. & Institute of Geological and Mining Research, P. O Box 4110, Yaounde, Cameroon.
birame.eric@yahoo.fr
Author
Legendre, Frédéric
73B1BA6E-E129-4B14-A604-44B2220673C5
Institut de Systématique, Evolution, Biodiversité (ISYEB), Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, EPHE, Université des Antilles, CP 50, 57 rue Cuvier, 75005 Paris, France.
frederic.legendre@mnhn.fr
Author
Menbohan, Samuel Foto
2B6302EA-0D70-4716-8CBB-3B80F355AFD0
Laboratory of Hydrobiology and Environment, Faculty of Science, P. O Box 812, Yaounde, Cameroon.
sfotomenbohan@yahoo.com
text
European Journal of Taxonomy
2024
2024-07-26
946
1
1
57
https://europeanjournaloftaxonomy.eu/index.php/ejt/article/download/2615/11981
journal article
10.5852/ejt.2024.946.2615
2118-9773
13177205
EFC377D4-50BD-43BD-A2E0-F2256AC38523
Genus
Africalolampra
Roth, 1995
Type
species
Africalolampra ehrmanni
Roth, 1995
.
Diagnosis and history
The genus
Africalolampra
was erected to accommodate the new species
Africalolampra ehrmanni
Roth, 1995
. Later,
Anisyutkin (2016)
transferred two species of
Rhabdoblatta
to this genus:
A. erubescens
and
A. punctipennis
. According to
Roth (1995)
, the following combination of characters is diagnostic of the genus
Africalolampra
: weak sexual dimorphism (tegmina and wings completely developed in both sexes – although this is not true for
A. punctipennis
), metatarsus with 2 rows of spines along lower margin, tarsal claws distinctly serrated, first abdominal tergite of male with medial specialization (this is not true either for
A. punctipennis
), left stylus absent. This combination of characters is also found in two species from continental Africa belonging to the genus
Rhabdoblatta
, and we thus propose the following new combinations:
Africalolampra camerunensis
and
Africalolampra stipata
. We also reinstate
Rhabdoblatta punctipennis
because it does not share the apomorphies of
Africalolampra
. Note that
R. lyncea
(
Gerstaecker, 1883
)
and
R. pallida
(
Borg, 1902
)
also have a tergal specialization but on the 5
th
and at the junction of the 8–9
th
abdominal tergites, respectively.
Rhabdoblatta lyncea
may also have slightly serrated claws (
Kumar 1975
) but two styli, whereas
R. pallida
has a single stylus. Finally, Malagasy species are reported but males of some species have not been observed, so we do not dwell further on their generic affiliation, which would require further examination.
Below is the updated diagnosis of the genus
Africalolampra
, slightly modified from
Roth (1995)
and
Anisyutkin (2016)
:
Weak sexual dimorphism, with tegmina and wings fully developed in both sexes. Anteroventral margin of front femur
type
B2; genicular spine absent from fore femur, present on mid and hind femora; spines present on antero- and posteroventral margins of all femora; pulvilli on four proximal tarsomeres; ventral margin of first tarsal segments with two rows of spines; tarsal claws symmetrical and serrated, arolia well-developed. Male with glandular specialization on first abdominal tergite; subgenital plate weakly asymmetrical, with only a single, small, right style (i.e., left style absent).