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

Author

Ľubomír Vidlička
Peter Vršanský
Tatiana Kúdelová

Files

Publication Date

February 2017

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.

Keywords

Blattaria, Cave, Lava Tube, Tergal Gland

Document Type

Article

Notes

Zootaxa, Vol. 4232, no. 3.

Identifier

SFS0072925_00001

Recommended Citation

Vidlička, Ľubomír; Vršanský, Peter; and Kúdelová, Tatiana, "New genus and species of cavernicolous cockroach (Blattaria, Nocticolidae) from Vietnam" (2017). KIP Articles. 3807.
https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/kip_articles/3807