Updating the knowledge of assassin bug cockroaches (Blattodea: Blaberidae: Paranauphoeta Brunner von Wattenwyl): Species from China and taxonomic changes.

The investigation into the cockroach genus Paranauphoeta Brunner vonWattenwyl is insufficient, and there is a lack of taxonomic documentation of this genus from China. Recently, the authors obtained some newly collected specimens which facilitated this study. In this paper the generalized morphology of Paranauphoeta is interpreted in detail, particularly for the male phallic complex, which is illustrated as a whole rather than in pieces. The taxonomy of Paranauphoeta species from China is revised. One out of four species recorded from China, P. indica Saussure&Zehntner, is removed; instead, P. kirby nom. nov. is recorded from China. Together with three new species described in this paper, namely, P. anulata sp. nov., P. brachyptera sp. nov. and P. lineola sp. nov., a total of seven Paranauphoeta species are now known to occur in China, whose habitus photos are provided. The new species confirm that this genus is wing-polymorphic. Male structures, if available, are illustrated. Female structures and oothecae, of which knowledge is limited in this genus and also in cockroach taxonomy, are illustrated or documented, respectively. A key to and a distribution map of the Paranauphoeta species from China are provided. In addition, P. atra Shelford nom. rev., P. sinica Bey-Bienko stat. nov. and P. vietnamensis Anisyutkin stat. nov. are regarded as valid separate species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]