A Jumping cockroach from South Africa, Saltoblattella montistabularis, gen. nov., spec. nov. (Blattodea: Blattellidae)

Abstract

A jumping cockroach (Saltoblattella montistabularis) from Table Mountain, Cape Town, South Africa, is described. The new genus is defi ned, the characteristics of the species are thoroughly described with particular emphasis on unusual morphological adaptations for jumping. These include dramatic elongation of hind femur and tibia and enlargement of hind femur. The femur ventrally has a longitudinal groove for reception of the tibia during extreme fl exure prior to a jump. The euplantulae have unusual surface papillae which may assist landing after a jump. Further modifi cations from the standard cockroach design probably related to jumping locomotion are hemispherically-protruding compound eyes and a second point of articulation for the fi rst antennal segment. The hook of the male phallomeres is on the left, and the female does not rotate the ootheca prior to deposition. The exact position of the genus within the family Blattellidae is not clear; it is preliminarily placed in Blattellinae. The species and its jumping adaptations are compared with another recently discovered, but extinct jumping 'cockroach'. © Museum für Tierkunde Dresden.