Trogolaphysa monomaculata

Trogolaphysa monomaculata (Barra, 1969)

Paronella (Microparonella) monomaculata Barra, 1969: 189, 212- 215, fig. 7A-K (Ipassa, Gabon).

Lepidonella monomaculata – Deharveng & Bedos 1995: 22.

Trogolaphysa monomaculata – Soto-Adames & Bellini 2015: 337.

TYPE LOCALITY. — Ipassa, Gabon.

DISTRIBUTION. — Gabon.

REMARKS

Barra (1969) described this species in the subgenus Microparonella. Deharveng & Bedos (1995) transferred all species assigned to Microparonella to the genus Lepidonella, but did not comment on the status of L. monomaculata. Soto-Adames & Bellini (2015) transferred the species to Trogolaphysa based on the chaetotaxy (2, 3, 3 bothriotricha on abdominal segments 2-4 and absence of head chaeta Ps 3) illustrated by Barra (1969). The habitus (Barra 1969: fig. 7A), mucro (fig. 7J, K) and claw shape (fig. 7G, H, I) suggest the species was described based on immature specimens.

Trogolaphysa monomaculata is characterized by a uniformly light blue body, antennae, head, and legs, with a distinctive dark blue square band on 4 th abdominal segment; scales present on antennal segments 1-3 and on coxa, trochanter and femur of all legs; tenet hair long and weakly spatulate; unguis with 3 inner teeth, one paired tooth clearly larger than the other (Fig. 5D); unguiculus lanceolate; dens with two rows of ciliated spines; mucro rectangular, long, with 5 teeth.

This species is unique among African forms in having a broad band on 4 th abdominal segment and a long, fivetoothed mucro with teeth evenly distributed throughout its length.