Eucorydia donanensis

Usuobiruri cockroach[1]
Critically Endangered Species (Japanese Ministry of the Environment)
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Blattodea
Family: Corydiidae
Genus: Eucorydia
Species:
E. donanensis
Binomial name
Eucorydia donanensis
Yanagisawa, Sakamaki &Shimano, 2021

Eucorydia donanensis is a species of iridescent cockroach in the family Corydiidae.[2][3] It was discovered on Yonaguni Island of Japan's Ryukyu Archipelago, and was believed to be restricted to that island until its discovery on nearby Ishigakijima Island in June 2022.[4][5][6][1]

Appearance

Colour and size

Eucorydia donanensis males grow to 12.5 to 14.5 mm in length, while females grow between 13–15.2 mm.[2][5][6] They have brown heads, with black antennae divided into 38–40 segments. Their pronotums are metallic blue or green, their tegmens are the same colour but with an indistinct orange or poppy coloured band, the dimness of the band varying by individual specimen.[2][1] Their abdomens are dark purple.[2][1]

Similar species

Eucorydia donanensis resembles E. yatsumatsui, E. dasytoides, E. tokaraensis, E. yunnanensis, and E. guilinensis. It can be differentiated from those species by its length and coloration.[5]

Protection

On June 29, 2021, the Japanese Ministry of the Environment placed the Usuobiruri cockroach, along with two other recently discovered species (Scolopendra alcyona and Eucorydia miyakoensis), under "Critically Endangered Species Protection".[6][1] This protection punishes the killing, unauthorized display, or exportation of the species with up to five years in jail or a fine of up to 5 million ¥ ($USD 45558).[1] The protection was made in response to interest from international hobbyists and collectors.[6]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f "Three centipede and cockroach species are newly named and placed under protection in Okinawa". SoraNews24 -Japan News-. 2021-07-27. Retrieved 2022-11-20.
  2. ^ a b c d Yanagisawa, Shizuma; Hiruta, Shimpei F.; Sakamaki, Yositaka; Liao, Jhih-Rong; Shimano, Satoshi (Feb 2021). "Two New Species of the Genus Eucorydia (Blattodea: Corydiidae) from the Nansei Islands in Southwest Japan". Zoological Science. 38 (1): 90–102. doi:10.2108/zs200048. ISSN 0289-0003. PMID 33639723. S2CID 228844846.
  3. ^ Zicha, Ondrej. "BioLib: Biological library". www.biolib.cz. Retrieved 2022-11-19.
  4. ^ Saiki, Ryota; Watanabe, Kohei; Yanagisawa, Shizuma (2022). "石垣島におけるウスオビルリゴキブリ（ゴキブリ目，ムカシゴキブリ科）の初記録 (A new record of Eucorydia donanensis Yanagisawa, Sakamaki & Shimano, 2020 (Blattaria, Polyphagidae) from Ishigakijima Island, Okinawa Prefecture, Japan)". 昆蟲．ニューシリーズ. 25 (2): 76–77. doi:10.20848/kontyu.25.2_76.
  5. ^ a b c Yanagisawa, Shizuma; Hiruta, Shimpei F.; Sakamaki, Yositaka; Liao, Jhih-Rong; Shimano, Satoshi (2020-11-24). "Two New Species of the Genus Eucorydia (Blattodea: Corydiidae) from the Nansei Islands in Southwest Japan". Zoological Science. 38 (1): 90–102. doi:10.2108/zs200048. ISSN 0289-0003. PMID 33639723. S2CID 228844846.
  6. ^ a b c d Center (APRC), Asia and Pacific Research. "Three species, including a new species of cockroach, found in the Nansei Islands are designated as". ScienceJapan. Retrieved 2022-11-20.