Supella eocenica Anisyutkin et Perkovsky 2023
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 eocenica

description: Supella eocenica Anisyutkin et Perkovsky, 2023
(Figs 1D, 2A–D)
New material. SIZK UA- 29000, Rovno amber, late Eocene. Syninclusions: Acari: Bdellidae; Aranei; Collembola, Entomobryomorpha; Collembola, Poduromorpha; three specimens of Drepanosiphidae (Aphidoidea) from three different species; Psychodidae; two specimens of Sciaridae from different species; Thysanoptera; worker of the ant Ctenobethylus goepperti Mayr; stellate hairs (Fig. 2A).
Description. Female (previously unknown). General coloration, as far as can be judged from the cockroach inclusion, light yellowish (Fig. 2B–D); head, pronotum from below, thoracal and abdominal sternites, tegmina, wings, coxae and femora from below and ootheca with scattered dark (black?) dots; larger dots present on tegmina, two large dark spots present on trochanter and genital plate.
Dense pubescence present on antennae and tarsi (Fig. 2B–D); cerci, genital plate and in less degree adjacent abdominal sternites and ootheca densely covered with large chaetae. Surfaces smooth, visible punctuation absent.
Structure of head practically indistinguishable. Antennae long, longer than length of body. Pronotum widened caudally, with lateral margins widely rounded and posterior—weakly caudally projected (Fig. 2B). Tegmina and wings approximately equal to length of the abdomen or slightly surpassed abdominal apex (Figs. 1D, 2A–D). Tegmina (Figs. 1D, 2B, C) with costal field narrow; radial field large, about as wide as fused median and cubital ones; anal field about one third of tegmen length. Tegminal venation distinct; Sc simple, nearly straight and thickened; R nearly straight, with more than 19 regular or pectinate anterior apical rami, 1st–3rd anterior rami close to each other; M and CuA not separated, with more than 13 simple or branched oblique veins; bifurcated vein located before CuP; CuP distinct, weakly curved; at least 2 visible anal veins present; intercalated veins numerous, present in radial, median and cubital fields; transverse veins sparse and not numerous. Wings with distinct venation. Legs with well developed armament (Fig. 2B, C). Anterior margin of fore femora armed according to type A (sensu Bey-Bienko 1950; Roth 2003), with numerous spines of equal size and 2 (?—difficult to distinguish on inclusion) larger apical spines. Hind tarsus (Fig. 2C) with metatarsus longer than other segments combined, 2nd–4th segments short; claws symmetrical; arolium large, about as long as claw length. Abdominal sternites without visible specializations (Fig. 2B). Cerci long, apically acute, slightly longer than genital plate (Fig. 2D), with at least 10 distinctly separated segments. Genital plate subtriangular in shape, weakly incised caudally (Fig. 2D). Ootheca short and bulked, with distinct dorsal keel (Fig. 2B).
Measurements (mm). Total length 11.4 (as preserved, from head to ootheca apex); pronotum width 3.1; tegmen length 8.0; tegmen width 2.3; hind femur length 3.6; hind tibia length 3.6; ootheca width 1.6. All measurements are approximate due to inclusion distortion and cockroach deformation.
Notes. The remarkable similarity in the structure of the tegmina of the above-described specimen (Fig. 1D) and the brachypterous female of S. longipalpa (Fig. 1C, D) leaves no doubt that it belongs to the genus Supella. An extinct species of the genus Supella, S. eocenica, was previously described by us from Rovno amber based on a single male (Anisyutkin and Perkovsky 2023). Attribution of males and females of cockroaches, especially in the case of developed sexual dimorphism, is complex even for extant cockroaches. Nevertheless, we preferred to refrain from the new species erection, and provisionally classify the female described above as S. eocenica. We hope that further research of Rovno amber will resolve this issue.
It can be supposed that the process of shortening of the tegmina and wings has begun in the female of S. eocenica. This is evidenced by the relatively short and wide tegmina, although exceeding the length of the abdomen, and the convex anterior margin of the tegmen (compare Figs. 1D, 2C with Fig. 1A, C). The last character is characteristic of brachypterous tegmina.
The homologation of the bifurcated vein located immediately anterior to CuP is unclear. This vein may be the last branch of M+CuA, but it may also be an independent CuA. In the latter case, the vein system lying anterior of this vein is M, and not M+CuA. Further research is needed to resolve this issue.
It is also necessary to note an interesting character present in females of S. longipalpa and S. eocenica —the closeness of the first anterior rami of R in the tegmina (Fig. 1C, D). In the future, it is necessary to study the distribution of this character in representatives of the genus Supella and related genera.
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 442-444, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5448.3.7, http://zenodo.org/record/11232043