Redescription of Moluchia brevipennis and description of two new species of Moluchia (Blattodea: Blattellidae), the dark cockroaches of the Mediterranean-type zone of Central Chile.

Abstract

Cockroaches live in diverse habitats around the world. In central Chile, wild cockroaches are commonly associated with native habitats in the Mediterranean-type temperate scrub and sclerophyll forest, contributing to several ecosystem functions. Cockroaches within this group share some characteristics of their external morphology, such as reddish-black color, both sexes with brachypterous wings, and similar size. This coincides with some of the characteristics reported in 1933 for the species Moluchia brevipennis (Saussure, 1864) (Blattellidae). However, the internal genital morphology suggests that these correspond to at least three species. Here, we studied these morphological features using classical dissection techniques and SEM. Based on this, we redescribed the male of M. brevipennis, the female, and the ootheca, which was previously unknown. In the same way, we assign a lectotype from Saussure's original material. In addition, we describe two new species: Moluchia akelarre Schapheer, Villagra, and Vera sp. nov. and Moluchia kuyen Schapheer, Villagra, and Vera sp. nov. Finally, we reconstruct the geographic distribution of the three species and their association with the plant strata of the Mediterranean climate zone of Chile. Based on this, we discuss the importance of the characters used, such as the tergal specializations in the tergite I, and the need to incorporate new characters that allow a correct determination. This work elucidates differences in the diversity of native cockroaches of Central Chile and contributes to the taxonomic knowledge of this lineage, laying the foundations for later studies that explain the diversification of native cockroaches of Central Chile.