Diploptera nigrescens subsp. guani Li & Wang, 2015, subsp. n.
Creators: name: Li, Xinran
name: Wang, Zongqing
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2015
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Blattodea
Blaberidae
Diploptera
Diploptera nigrescens
Diploptera nigrescens guani

description: Diploptera nigrescens guani subsp. n.
(Figs. 11–12, 27–28, 48–53)
Diagnosis. D. nigrescens is darker than other known species in Diploptera, and has a pronotum with narrow anterior and lateral borders reddish brown. D. n. guani subsp. n. is distinguished from the nominotypical subspecies by reddish head.
Description. Size small. Holotype, male, overall length (= body length) 10.5mm; pronotum length×width 2.8mm × 4.4mm; tegmen length 7.0mm; wing length 10.2mm. Paratypes, female, overall length (= body length) 12.8 (abdomen retracted)– 14.7mm; pronotum length×width 2.8mm ×5.0mm– 3.2mm × 5.4mm; tegmen length 8.5– 9.7mm.
Body black. Head reddish brown; antenna with basal portion blackish and the remainder yellowish brown. Pronotum black, with narrow anterior and lateral borders reddish brown, but the latter broader, with ventral surface reddish brown. Tegmina dark brown, but looking blackish because of the color of abdomen. Legs except coxae brownish yellow. Cerci and styli brownish yellow.
Pronotum and tegmina setose. Pronotum subsemicircular, extremely finely and densely punctate, with posterior margin emarginate near posterolateral angles, lateral borders subsided. Tegmina densely punctate. Venation of hindwings similar to that of D. punctata.
Male (holotype). Subgenital plate relatively broad at sides. Styli large, exceeding the hind margin of subgenital plate when pointing rearward. Sclerite L3’ with basal part broad and suddenly narrowing to the curved part, resulting in a rounded obtuse angle at the inner margin; the apex of hook normal.
Comparison with the nominotypical subspecies. The only difference of taxonomic value is head color, the individuals found in Taiwan have black heads, whilst those from the south of mainland China have reddish ones.
Distribution. South of mainland China.
Etymology. The Latinized name guani originates from the Chinese surname Guan, referring to the ancient Chinese general, also regarded as a god, Guan Yu, which is well-known for his red face—the diagnostic character of this subspecies.
Type materials examined. HOLOTYPE (IESWU), male, China, Guangxi, Chongzuo, Daqingshan, 1963. V.15, coll. Ji-Kun Yang; PARATYPE (IESWU), female, China, Guangxi, Guilin, Huaping Nature Reserve, Tianpingshan, 1963. VI.6, coll. Ji-Kun Yang; PARATYPE (MHBU), female, China, Hunan, Yuanling, Jiemuxi Nature Reserve, 2004. VIII.1–2, coll. Ji-Liang Wang, Jian-Feng Wang; PARATYPE (IESWU, ex KLU), female, China, Guizhou, Danzhai, Jiucaigou, 600–1326m, N 26°12′–15′, E 107°52′–56′, 2009. VI.17, coll. Ming Tang.
description: Published as part of Li, Xinran & Wang, Zongqing, 2015, A taxonomic study of the beetle cockroaches (Diploptera Saussure) from China, with notes on the genus and species worldwide (Blattodea: Blaberidae: Diplopterinae), pp. 35-56 in Zootaxa 4018 (1) on pages 49-51, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4018.1.2, http://zenodo.org/record/289448