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Issue: Vol. 4232 No. 3: 17 Feb. 2017
Type: Article
Published: 2017-02-16
DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4232.3.5
Page range: 361–375
Abstract views: 146
PDF downloaded: 1

New genus and species of cavernicolous cockroach (Blattaria, Nocticolidae) from Vietnam

Institute of Zoology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dúbravská cesta 9, 845 06 Bratislava, Slovakia.
Institute of Zoology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dúbravská cesta 9, 845 06 Bratislava, Slovakia. E-mail: uzaevidl@savba.sk Earth Science Institute, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dúbravská cesta 9, P.O. BOX 106, 840 05 Bratislava, Slovakia. E-mail: geolvrsa@savba.sk Paleontological Institute (PIN), Russian Academy of Sciences, Profsoyuznaya 123, 117868 Moscow, Russia
Department of Zoology, Faculty of natural Sciences, Comenius University, Ilkovičova 6, Bratislava 84215, Slovakia.
Department of Zoology, Faculty of natural Sciences, Comenius University, Ilkovičova 6, Bratislava 84215, Slovakia.
Museum National d’Histoire Naturelle, Laboratoire d’Entomologie, ESA 8043 du CNRS, 45 rue Buffon, 75005–Paris, France.
Institute of Measurement Science, Academy of Sciences, Dúbravská cesta 9, 841 04 Bratislava, Slovakia.
Blattaria cave lava tube tergal gland

Abstract

The new, small cavernicolous species Helmablatta louisrothi gen. et sp. n. (Nocticolidae) from the Tan-Phu cave (Vietnam) is one of the most morphologically interesting cockroaches. The extremely modified upstanding tergal gland composite from three tergites and may serve for gripping the female head during copulation. This presumption is supported by the presence of a central big hook on tergite 8. Furthermore, both wing pairs are uncommonly adapted to help releasing sex pheromones without raising the wings. Histone 3 DNA-based maximum likelihood analyses indicate a recent origin and close phylogenetic relationship between Nocticola spp. and Helmablatta sp.—consistent with the Quaternary age of the source lava tubes.

 

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