PARAMUZOA (NYCTIBORINAE), A NEW COCKROACH GENUS PREVIOUSLY CONFUSED WITH PARASPHAERIA (EPILAMPRINAE) * BY Louis M. ROTH Pioneering Res.Oa.rch Labo.ratory U.S. Army N atick Laboratories Natick, Massachusetts o76o Kirby (9o4, p. 94) placed Parasphaeria Brunner in the Peri- sphaeriinae, probably because Brunner (I865) stated that the genus was near Perisphaeria Burm. Princis (964) placed the. genus in the Perisphaeriidae. While studying the male genitalia o.f genera which Princis assigned to the Perisphaeriidae, I found the phallo- meres of Parasphaeria ovata (Blanchard) (type of genus, PTincis, 964, P. a40) to be more typical of the genitalia of genera which bel.ong to the Epilamprinae and that Paras'phaeria linearis (Serville) is not a member of ovoviviparous Parasl)haeria, but is .an oviparous species. All ovoviviparous cockroaches belong to one famil.y, the Blaberidae (McKittrick, 1964) and the arrangement of their male genital phal- lomeres are similar with the hook (Re) always on the right side (Fig. o.). The Plect.o.pterinae (Blattellidae) also. have the hook on the right, but in the other 4 blattellid subfamilies (Anaplectinae, Blattellinae, Ectobiinae, and Nyctiborinae), the male genitalia .are the mirror image of those of t'he Plectopterinae and Blaberidae, hav- ing the retractable hook on the left side, (McKittrick, 1964). The hooked phallomere (L3) of Parasphaeria linearis (Fig. 9) is on the left and the phallomere Lad clearly shows a close relationship to members of the Nyctiborinae, in which subfamily I place this species. In this paper, I shall redescribe Parasl)haeria ova:ta, and erect a new genus for Parasl)haeria linearis, in part from speci'mens used by Brunner (1865) when he described the genus. I have examined the and types of Blatta ovata Blanchard, and Brunner was correct in his determination of his specimens of this species. Complete synonyms for these 2 species can be found in Princis (t964). Paramuzoa, n. gen. T.ype species: Blatta linearis Serville (present designation) Paramuzoa appears to. be close to Muzoa Hebard, having sym- *Manuscritt received by the editor October 2, 1973 I79 8o Psyche [September Figs. 1-5. Adults of Paramuzoa linearis. 1. Male (Brazil). 2. Head (O) (From specimen shown in Fig. 1). 3. Female (Brazil). 4. Lef.t side of female mesonotum showing the deep, incomplete lateral incision (arrow) resulting in a tegmenlike lobe. 5. Supra-anal plate and cerci (dorsal) of (Figs. 4 and 5 from female shown in Fig. 3. adults from Brunner's. (Both collection at the Natural History Museum, Vienna; scale: figs. 1, ram, figs. 2, 4-5 mm). 1973] Roth Paramuzoa metrical tarsal claws; in other genera of Nyctiborinae symmetrical claws are found only in Megaloblatta (Hebard, I92, p. 32). Although the shape of L2d (Fig. 9) of Paramuzoa differs from that of Muzoa madida Rehn, both have this phallomere tapering to.. a sharp point directed to the left. In addition to specic differences which distinguish it rom Muzoa, the male of Paramuzoa has an asymmetrical subgenital plate and the right and left styles .differ markedly in size (Fig. 8); in _/lluzoa the subgenital plate is sym- metrical and the styles are equal. Femoral armament also. differs between the 2 genera. The female of Paramuzoa is wingless and the mesonotum is modified laterally to form lobes which appear to be movable tegrnina (Fig. 3) but anteriorly are actually part of the mesonotum (Fig. 4). The females of Muzoa are fully winged. Paramuzoa linearis Serville.) n. comb. (Figs. I-9) Syn. Blatta lin.earis Serv. (Serville, I83I Ann. Sci. nat. 22, p. 4 I, 0 Paraphaera lineari (Serv.) (Brunner, 865 34, c and ) o (Figs. , 6).NViolaceous black. Head black, except for a broad testaceous band above the labrum; surface pitted (Fig. 2). Last segment of labial and maxillary palps black, the others testa- ceous. Eyes wide apart, the interocular space larger than the width ot: one eye. A.ntennae black, except for about 6 distal yellowish segments terminating in severa.1 apical black segments (Fig. 6). Pronotum densely pitted, piliferous, anterior and posterior margins rounded, widest at posterior border, metallic blackish except for 2 smooth orange spots below the middle. Tegmina piliferous, the an- terior portion distinctly pitted. Wings infuscated (Fig. 6). Legs black. Ventral femoral margins: Front femur; anterior margin lined with small piliform setae, those on the distal hal closer to- gether; distal spine present, genicular spine absent. Mid emur: pilit:orm spines on both margins; hind margin with large spine, absent on anterior margin, distal spines o.n both margins, the anterior larger than the one on the posterior margin, genicular spine present. Hind femur: anterior margin with piliform spines only, plus a distal spine; posterior margin with piliform spines and one large spine, distal spine absent, genicular spine present. Tarsi with large pulvilli on all segments; tarsal claws simple, equal, with large arolia. Supra- anal plate with sides .straight, hind margin unevenly convex; cerci about 4 times as long as wide, piliferous (Fig. 7). Subgenital plate 182 Psyche [September Figs. 6-8. Paramuzoa linearis. 6. Adult 8 and left wing (So Paulo, Cipo, Brazil, 25-XI-1967, leg. V. N. Alin, U.S. National Museum; det. Gurney). 7. Supra-anal plate and eerei (dorsal). 8. Subgenital plate and styles (ventral). (Figs. 7 and 8 KOH preparations from specimen shown in Fig. 6; scale: fig. 6 mm, figs. 7-8----1 mm). 7] Roth Paramuzoa I83 asymmetrical, the hind margin rounded; styles slender, the left about e.5x longer than the right (Fig. 8). Genitalia shown in figure 9; Re with a subapical incision; Lad touching, but not attached to. Le vm, tapering to a sharp point directed to the left. Measurements (mm.) of Brunner's specimen (Brazil) as follows: width and length of pronotum 5.4 and 4.e respectively; length and width of tegrnen 17 and 4 respectively; body length 5. 9 (Fig. 3) --Larger than and differs from male as follows: Head hidden under anterior margin of pronotum. Pronotum with hind margin slightly convex, the lateral corners curved backwa.rds. What appear to be movable tegmina are actually a modification of the mesonotum which is deeply incised laterally forming a small lobe having a broad longitudinal convex swelling; anteriorly the meso- notum is entire and the mesad margin of the lobe continues as a groove in the mesonotal surface (Fig. 4) enhancing the impression of a freely moving tegmen (Fig. 3). Wings absent. Ventral hind margin .of mid femur with e large spines. Tergites with fine recum- bent hairs, their insertions giving a finely pitted appearance. Sternites somewhat similar to tergites. Supra-anal plate piliferous, the hind margin strongly rounded with a shallow mesad indentation; cerci flattened dorsally, convex ventrally, about twice as long as wide, extending well beyond the hind margin of the supra-anal plate (Fig. 5). Mid portion of subgenital plate weakly convex, laterally strongly curved dorsad, hind margin rounded, laterally undulate. Measurements (mm.) of Brunner's specimen (Brazil) as follows: Widfh .and length of pronotum 8 and 5.6 respectively; width and length of tegmen e.5 and e.8 respectively; length of body about I9 ram. Parasphaeria ovate Blancha,rd (Figs. IO-I9) d (Figs. I, 4). Head brown, exposed beyond anterior mar- gin of pronotum; interocular space about 1.6x width of a.n eye; interocellar space l.ess than distance between eyes; labrum and clypeus testaceous; antennae brown, longer than body. Pronotum widest at about the middle, hind border convex, disk chestnut brown, impressed, resulting in an uneven surface'; anterior and lateral borders testa- ceous. Tegrnina very long, basally relatively narrow and expanding beyond, testaceous, nearly transparent; veins testaceous, prominent, especially on the basal half. Wings as long as tegmina, hyaline, veins testaceous. Front femur: basal half of ventro-anterior margin with 184 Psyche [September Figs. 9-10. Male genitalia (dorsal). 9. Paramuzoa linearis (From speci- men shown in Fig. 6). 10. Parasphaeria ovata (From specimen shown in Fig. 14). Phallomeres numbered according to McKittrick (1964). (KOH preparations; the phallomeres have been separated somewhat, and flat- tened; Figs. 9 and 10 to same scale). 1973] Rotk Paramuzoa Figs. 11-16. Adult males .o.f Parasphaeria oe:ata. 11. Chile (U.S. Na- tional Museum, det. Gurney). 12. Supra-anal plate, eerci, and paraprocts (ventral). 13. Subgenital plate (ventral). (Figs. 12-13 from 8? shown in Fig. 11). Chile (Brunner's specimen from the Natural History Museum, Vienna). 15. Supra-anal plate (dorsal). 16. Subgenital plate (ventral). (Figs. 15-16, from 8 shown in Fig. 14; scale: figs. 11, 14--5 mm, figs. 12- 13, 15-16-- 0.5 mm). 186 Psyche [September widely spaced piliform spines followed by a row of smaller more closely spaced fine spines, small distal spine present, genicular spine absent. Mid and hind femora" ventro-anterior and posterior mar- gins unarmed (except for some small piliform spines), distal spines absent, small genicular spines present. Tarsal claws simple, equal, arolia and pulvilli well developed. Abdomen testa.ceous, lacking tergal glands; hind margin of supra-anal plate rounded and pili;er- ous; surface covered with small setae, more numerous on the pos- terior half (Fig. I5); right and left paraprocts bulbous (Fig. 12); subgenital plate asymmetrical, slightly indented on the right; styles absent (Figs. 3, 6). Genitalia shown in figure IO; R2 on right side, with a subapical incision; L2d separa.ted from L2vm and with a lateral lobe which is directed dorsad; L with a deep upturned cleft, heavily sclerotized along the margins; lower lobe (below cleft) without setae (what appears to be setae are. actually on a membrane which overlaps the lobe). TABLE 1. Measurements (mm) of Paraskhaeria ovata Ov era 11 Pronotum Tegmen body length length width length width Chile, Type (Paris Museum) 21 4.3 5.7 25.5 Chile (Brunner's specimen 22 4.4 5.8 26 Vienna Museum) Chile, Type (Paris Museum) 26 6.1 9 .2 .1 Peru (Brunne,r's specimen 28 6.1 8.3 4.1 2.9 Vienna Museum) Aneud, Chil.o6 Island, Chile 25 6.5 9.1 4-.