Supella longipalpa
Creators: name: Anisyutkin, Leonid N.
name: Vasilenko, Dmitry V.
name: Perkovsky, Evgeny E.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2024
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Blattodea
Ectobiidae
Supella
Supella longipalpa

description: Supella longipalpa (Fabricius, 1798)
(Fig. 1A–C)
Material. Yemen, “Jemen, PS1 [?—illegible inscription—L.A.] Sanaa 17. X N. Filippov ”— 1 male; Turkey, “Constantinople 31 V 09 Pliginskii” (label in Russian); “ Supella supellictellium Serv. det. B.-B.” [Bey-Bienko— L.A.]— 1 female.
The detailed descriptions of this species (as S. supellectillium) were provided by J.A.G. Renh (1947) and J.W.H. Rehn (1951). In the latter paper, the structure of the tegmina and wings is examined in detail. Nevertheless, we consider it necessary to redescribe the structure of the tegmina and wings of S. longipalpa for the following reasons.
Firstly, Rehn (1951) limited his description to fully alate forms only. The females of S. longipalpa are brachypterous (sensu Anisyutkin 2022) and varying degrees of shortening of the tegmina and wings are common among members of the genus (Rehn 1947). Secondly, Rehn (1951) ignored intercalated veins in his description and illustrations, whereas they are numerous in the tegmina and wings (Fig. 1A–D). Ignoring intercalated veins can lead to serious errors, especially in interpreting fossil material where it is difficult to trace the bases of all the veins.
Redescription. Male. Tegmina and wings fully developed (Fig. 1A, B), surpassed abdominal apex (forma macroptera sensu Anisyutkin 2022). Tegmina (Fig. 1A) with costal field short and narrow; radial field large, about as wide as fused median and cubital ones; anal field elongated, about one third of tegmen length. Tegminal venation subobsolete in medio-posterior part of tegmen (proximal parts of posterior rami of M+CuA in medial part of tegmen indistinct) and in anal field; Sc simple, distinctly thickened and short, about 1/3–1/4 of tegmen length; R curved proximally, with 18 regular or pectinate anterior rami and 4 branched apical rami, 1st anterior ramus (1st vein behind Sc) weak; M and CuA not separated, with 12–14 simple or branched oblique veins; intercalated veins numerous, present in median and cubital fields; bifurcated vein of unclear nature located before CuP; CuP distinct, weakly curved; plical notch indistinct; 5 weak anal veins present; transverse veins weak and very few in number, present in medio-cubital field only.
Wings (Fig. 1B) with weak and simple Sc; R1 weak, with 2–3 rami, posterior ramus weakly clubbed; RA with 9 anterior rami, 5 of them weakly clubbed; M long and weak, twice bifurcated distally; CuA pectinate, with 4 complete and 1 incomplete (not reaching to wing margin) veins; long and simple basally interrupted vein (Fig. 1B, 1 pl.) located posterior to CuA, probably corresponding to 1st plical vein (sensu Rehn 1951) or CuP (probably CuP +A1 sensu Bey-Bienko 1950); next vein (Fig. 1B, 2 pl.) short and incrassated basally, incomplete, probably corresponding to 2nd plical vein (sensu Rehn 1951) (probably A2 sensu Bey-Bienko 1950); third vein (Fig. 1B, 3 pl.) simple and basally interrupted, probably corresponding to 3rd plical vein (sensu Rehn 1951); anal fan consisting of 12 veins; 1st anal vein with 4 branches; intercalated veins absent, weak transverse veins present.
Female. Brachypterous, tegmina and wings approximately equal in length, reaching 5th abdominal tergite. Tegmina with distinct venation (Fig. 1C), pattern of venation similar to those of macropterous form; Sc simple, curved and distinctly thickened; R with 15 regular or pectinate anterior and apical rami, 1st–3rd anterior rami close to each other; M and CuA not separated, with 10 simple or branched oblique veins; intercalated veins short and weak, present in median and cubital fields; CuP distinct, weakly curved; plical notch indistinct; 4 weak anal veins present; transverse veins weak, present in medio-cubital field only. Wings with distinct venation, similar to that of the macropterous form, but simplified.
Notes. It should be noted that the shortening of the brachypterous tegmina in females occurs due to a decrease in the length of the distal part of the tegmen. The proximal part of the brachypteran tegmen (approximately proximal to the anal field) is practically unchanged as compared with macropterous form.
Some discrepancies in our description and that of Rehn (1951), namely number of veins or branches, in our opinion are explained by intraspecific variability.
description: Published as part of Anisyutkin, Leonid N., Vasilenko, Dmitry V. & Perkovsky, Evgeny E., 2024, New data on the genus Supella Shelford, 1911 (Dictyoptera: Pseudophyllodromiidae) with description of female of S. eocenica Anisyutkin et Perkovsky, 2023 from Rovno amber, pp. 439-445 in Zootaxa 5448 (3) on pages 440-442, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5448.3.7, http://zenodo.org/record/11232043