Rhabdoblatta lyncea (Gerstaecker, 1883)

Figs 28–30; Table 10

Epilampra lyncea Gerstaecker, 1883: 53.

Epilampra electa Borg, 1902: 10.

Epilampra infinita Borg, 1902: 11.

Epilampra sjostedti Borg, 1902: 12.

Heterolampra lyncea – Kirby 1904: 122.

Epilampra infinita – Shelford 1909b: 479; 1910: 14. — Anonymous 1910: 579. — Sjöstedt 1933: 7.

Epilampra electa – Shelford 1910: 14. — Sjöstedt 1933: 7.

Epilampra sjostedti – Shelford 1910: 14. — Sjöstedt 1933: 7. — Chopard 1945: 163. — Princis 1947: 59.

Epilampra lyncea – Shelford 1910: 14. — Rehn 1933: 408, 451. — Princis 1962: 209.

Rhabdoblatta lyncea – Vanschuytbroeck 1970: 14. — Kumar 1975: 80.

Material examined

Paratype

CAMEROON • 1 juv.; “Mungo Buchh.; Epilampra lyncea Gerst., juv.; Zool. Mus. Greifswald II 27341”: ZIMG.

Additional specimens

CAMEROON • 1 ♂, with genitalia slide; “1969; 1494, 18 512, 237; Nat. Kabinet Stuttgart, Coll. Br. v. W.”; LUHM • 1 ♀; “ Camerun; Sjöstedt; 400 57; type of Epilampra electa Borg; Epilampra lyncea Gerst. ♀, det. K. Princis 1957”; NHRS, NRM-BLAT-0002103 [pictures only] • 1 ♀; “ Camerun; Sjöstedt; 396 57; type of Epilampra infinita Borg; Epilampra lyncea Gerst. ♀, det. K. Princis 1957”; NHRS, NRM-BLAT-0002104 [pictures only] • 1 ♂; “ Camerun, N’dian; 23/5 91, 23.V.1891; Sjöstedt; 397 57; type of Epilampra sjöstedti Borg; Epilampra lyncea Gerst. ♂, det. K. Princis 1957”; NHRS, NRM-BLAT-0002105 [pictures only].

Diagnosis and history

This species was described from a female specimen, with a juvenile as a paratype (Gerstaecker 1883). At ZIMG, only the paratype remains (Fig. 28) and the female holotype is most likely lost, as previously suggested (Rehn 1933). This species has three junior synonyms, described and illustrated by Borg (1902), synonymized by Princis (1962), and whose types are deposited at NHRS (Fig. 29). Kumar (1975) included this species in his key to species of Rhabdoblatta found in West Africa and the Congo Basin; the male specialization on the 4 th adbominal tergite is a diagnostic character (Kumar erroneously mentioned the 5 th tergite in his key; see Fig. 30 and Princis 1962). Genitalia of the male specimen from LUHM were already prepared; they are pictured here (Fig. 30G) for the record although hardly visible.

Measurements of adults

Male (n = 1): pronotum length ×width: 4.9 ×6.7, tegmina length: 21.1 [specimen examined, too damaged for other measurements].

Habitat

Unknown.

Distribution

This species is known from Cameroon, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Nigeria and São Tomé and Príncipe (Fig. 1). Details of localities are provided in Table 10.