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 Africalolampra erubescens ( Gerstaecker, 1883 ) Figs 11–13 ; Table 4 Epilampra erubescens Gerstaecker, 1883: 54 . Epilampra erubescens – Borg 1902: 8 . — Shelford 1908: 29 ; 1909b: 479 ; 1910: 14 . — Rehn 1933: 451 . — Morales Agacino 1954: 95 . — Princis 1962: 210 . Heterolampra erubescens – Kirby 1904: 123 . Rhabdoblatta erubescens – Vanschuytbroeck 1970: 14 . — Kumar, 1975: 81 . — Grandcolas 1996b: 231 . Africalolampra erubescens – Anisyutkin 2016: 140 . Material examined Holotype CAMEROON • ♂ ; “Victoria; Buchholz leg.; holotype ”; ZIMG-II-27340a [pictures only]. Allotype CAMEROON • ♀ ; “Victoria Buchh., Limbar. Buchh.; allotype ”; ZIMG-II-27340b [pictures only]. Note that this female allotype has labels with two different localities (Victoria in Cameroon and Limbareni in Gabon , Fig. 11 ; see also Rehn (1933) for localities reported by Gerstaecker). Paratype CAMEROON • 1 ♂ ; “ paratype Victoria Buchh.”; ZIMG-II-27340c [pictures only] . Additional specimens CAMEROON • 1 ♂ ; “Cam. Oberth”; MNHN-EP7613 • 1 ♂ ; “Camerun; Sjöstedt”; NHRS , NRM-BLAT 0002106 [pictures only] • 1 ♂ ; “Camerun, Itoki; 31/1 91, 31.I.1891 ; Sjöstedt”; NHRS , NRM-BLAT 0002107 [pictures only] . GABON • 1 ♂ ; “Gaboun; Coll. Br. v. W.; Standinger; 21.299”; LUHM . NIGERIA • 1 ♀ ; “Biafra, Escalena”; NHRS , NRM-BLAT 0002108 [pictures only] . Differential diagnosis and history The male and female were described from specimens collected in Victoria, Cameroon , and in Lambarene (= Limbareni), Gabon ( Gerstaecker 1883 ), and largely redescribed from specimens collected in Bitje, Cameroon ( Rehn 1933 ), with drawings of the head and male subgenital plate. Later, Princis (1962) and Anisyutkin (2016) complemented those descriptions, including male and female genitalia as well as the shape of the tergal specialization on the 1 st tergite. Described in the genus Epilampra Burmeister, 1838 , it was first transferred to the genus Rhabdoblatta ( Princis 1967 ) and then to the genus Africalolampra ( Anisyutkin 2016 ) . We complement previous descriptions with pictures of the habitus and diagnostic characters of the male – including genitalia – and female ( Figs 11–13 ). Note that in one of the two male specimens dissected, a slightly sclerified sclerite has been observed, ventrally to the apical part of L3; it could be homologous of the ‘trigonal’ sclerite sensu Roth (1995) , but it deserves further examination to be ascertained. As reported in Kumar’s key (1975), the shape of the tergal specialization ( Fig. 11H ) is the main diagnostic character for this species, especially by comparison with A. camerunensis . Note that, like A. camerunensis and contrary to Kumar’s key, A. erubescens does have serrated claws ( Anisyutkin 2016 ; Fig. 11I ). Measurements of adults Male (n = 2): pronotum length ×width: 5.1–5.4 ×6.7–7.2, tegmina length: 20.1–21.4, overall length ×width: 21.8–25.6 × 8.6–8.9. Habitat Unknown, but this species is believed to be relatively frequent in West Africa ( Rehn 1933 ). Distribution This species is known from Cameroon , Gabon , Togo , Ghana , Nigeria , Central African Republic and Congo Republic ( Fig. 1 ). Details of localities are provided in Table 4 .