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 Rhabdoblatta lyncea ( Gerstaecker, 1883 ) Figs 28–30 ; Table 10 Epilampra lyncea Gerstaecker, 1883: 53 . Epilampra electa Borg, 1902: 10 . Epilampra infinita Borg, 1902: 11 . Epilampra sjostedti Borg, 1902: 12 . Heterolampra lyncea – Kirby 1904: 122 . Epilampra infinita – Shelford 1909b: 479 ; 1910: 14 . — Anonymous 1910: 579 . — Sjöstedt 1933: 7 . Epilampra electa – Shelford 1910: 14 . — Sjöstedt 1933: 7 . Epilampra sjostedti – Shelford 1910: 14 . — Sjöstedt 1933: 7 . — Chopard 1945: 163. — Princis 1947: 59 . Epilampra lyncea – Shelford 1910: 14 . — Rehn 1933: 408 , 451. — Princis 1962: 209 . Rhabdoblatta lyncea – Vanschuytbroeck 1970: 14 . — Kumar 1975: 80 . Material examined Paratype CAMEROON • 1 juv. ; “Mungo Buchh.; Epilampra lyncea Gerst. , juv.; Zool. Mus. Greifswald II 27341”: ZIMG . Additional specimens CAMEROON • 1 ♂ , with genitalia slide; “1969; 1494, 18 512, 237; Nat. Kabinet Stuttgart, Coll. Br. v. W.”; LUHM • 1 ♀ ; “ Camerun ; Sjöstedt ; 400 57; type of Epilampra electa Borg ; Epilampra lyncea Gerst. ♀ , det. K. Princis 1957”; NHRS , NRM-BLAT-0002103 [pictures only] • 1 ♀ ; “ Camerun ; Sjöstedt ; 396 57; type of Epilampra infinita Borg ; Epilampra lyncea Gerst. ♀ , det. K. Princis 1957”; NHRS , NRM-BLAT-0002104 [pictures only] • 1 ♂ ; “ Camerun , N’dian; 23/5 91, 23.V.1891 ; Sjöstedt ; 397 57; type of Epilampra sjöstedti Borg ; Epilampra lyncea Gerst. ♂ , det. K. Princis 1957”; NHRS , NRM-BLAT-0002105 [pictures only] . Fig. 28. Rhabdoblatta lyncea ( Gerstaecker, 1883 ) , paratype, juvenile (ZIMG-II 27341). Habitus in dorsal and ventral views, with labels. Photographed by Lara Lopardo (ZIMG). Scale bar = 5 mm. Fig. 29. Habitus and labels of the holotypes of the synonyms. A . Epilampra electa Borg, 1902 , holotype, ♀ (NRM-BLAT 0002103). B . Epilampra infinita Borg, 1902 , holotype, ♀ (NRM-BLAT 0002104). C . Epilampra sjoestedti Borg, 1902 , holotype, ♂ (NRM-BLAT 0002105). Photographed by Gunvi Lindberg ( © 2023 Naturhistoriska riksmuseet). Original photos cropped, light levels and contrast adjusted. Made available by the Swedish Museum of Natural History under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International Public License, CC-BY 4.0. Scale bars = 5 mm. Diagnosis and history This species was described from a female specimen, with a juvenile as a paratype ( Gerstaecker 1883 ). At ZIMG, only the paratype remains ( Fig. 28 ) and the female holotype is most likely lost, as previously suggested ( Rehn 1933 ). This species has three junior synonyms, described and illustrated by Borg (1902) , synonymized by Princis (1962) , and whose types are deposited at NHRS ( Fig. 29 ). Kumar (1975) included this species in his key to species of Rhabdoblatta found in West Africa and the Congo Basin; the male specialization on the 4 th adbominal tergite is a diagnostic character (Kumar erroneously mentioned the 5 th tergite in his key; see Fig. 30 and Princis 1962 ). Genitalia of the male specimen from LUHM were already prepared; they are pictured here ( Fig. 30G ) for the record although hardly visible. Fig. 30. Rhabdoblatta lyncea ( Gerstaecker, 1883 ) , male specimen (LUHM). A . Habitus in dorsal and ventral views. B–C . Abdomen and close-up on tergal gland (C) in dorsal views. D . Abdomen in ventral view. E . Pronotum. F . Head and front femorae. G . ‘Cristallized’ slide of male genitalia. Scale bars: A = 5 mm; B, D–F = 1 mm. C, G not to scale. Table 10. List of published localities for Rhabdoblatta lyncea ( Gerstaecker, 1883 ) .

Combination in publication	Locality	Reference
Epilampra lyncea	Victoria, Cameroon	Gerstaecker 1883
Epilampra lyncea	Mungo, Cameroon	Gerstaecker 1883
Epilampra electa	Cameroon	Borg 1902
Epilampra infinita	Cameroon	Borg 1902
Epilampra infinita	Equatorial Guinea [Spanish Guinea]	Shelford 1909b
Epilampra infinita	Cabo San Juan, Equatorial Guinea	Anonymous 1910
Epilampra sjostedti	N’dian, Cameroon	Borg 1902
Epilampra sjostedti	N’Kongsamba, mont N’Lonako, Cameroon	Chopard 1945
Epilampra sjostedti	Masisi, NW of Kiwu-see, Democratic Republic of the Congo	Princis 1947
Epilampra lyncea	Mundame, Cameroon	Princis 1962
Epilampra lyncea	Johann-Albrechtshöhe, Cameroon	Princis 1962
Epilampra lyncea	Batoki, Cameroon	Princis 1962
Epilampra lyncea	campement Despierres, 4 km S of Makak, Cameroon	Princis 1962
Epilampra lyncea	Yaoundé, Cameroon	Princis 1962
Epilampra lyncea	Gabon	Princis 1962
Epilampra lyncea	Fernando Poo, Equatorial Guinea	Princis 1962
Rhabdoblatta lyncea	Mukondje Farm, Cameroon	Vanschuytbroeck 1970
Rhabdoblatta lyncea	Erin-Odo, Nigeria	Kumar 1975
Rhabdoblatta lyncea	Principe Island, São Tomé and Príncipe	Kumar 1975

Measurements of adults Male (n = 1): pronotum length ×width: 4.9 ×6.7, tegmina length: 21.1 [specimen examined, too damaged for other measurements]. Habitat Unknown. Distribution This species is known from Cameroon , Democratic Republic of the Congo , Equatorial Guinea , Gabon , Nigeria and São Tomé and Príncipe ( Fig. 1 ). Details of localities are provided in Table 10 .