21 



supraanal lobe and the epiproct as elements of the telson (Heymons) or of a twelfth 

 segment (Matsuda; the only difference to Heymons is that Matsuda regards this 

 posteriormost part of the body as a segment). Matsuda regards tergite 10 of Mantodea as 

 a proper one, but tergite 10 of Blattaria is supposed to contain the epiproct. 

 These differences in the interpretation of the terminal elements are accompanied by a 

 confused situation in the terminology for these structures. This concerns the usage of e.g. 

 the terms subanal lobe, supraanal lobe, epiproct, paraproct, tergite 11, sternite 11, and 

 telson. The comparison of the results of the various authors is thus rather difficult. For a 

 correct interpretation of the elements concerned some clarifying investigations of ontogeny 

 and morphology would be necessary. To do this is not the purpose of this paper, and the 

 terminology for the respective elements subsequently practised is a descriptive one, not 

 the morphologically correct one. 



These controversial opinions, however, have to be discussed as far as homology relations 

 within Dictyoptera are involved. This concerns the elements called tergite 10 TIO and 

 supraanal lobe spl in the above description (fig. 320, 321), which are, according to Matsuda 

 (1976), both not homologous in Mantodea on the one hand and in Blattaria and Isoptera 

 on the other. (This difference is the same for females). Matsuda's opinion is as follows: 

 Blattaria and Isoptera show in their ontogeny a very early differentiation of a supraanal 

 lobe (meaning of supraanal lobe here: the dorsal part of the embryonic telson - Heymons 



- or segment 12 - Matsuda; not the structure called spl-lobe above!). By the extensive 

 reduction of segment 1 1 during embryonic development this supraanal lobe comes into a 

 position immediately behind abdominal tergum 10. The dorsal segmental border between 

 supraanal lobe and tergum 10 then vanishes and these regions become fused. Thus, in the 

 imago the sclerite called "tergite 10" TIO above is regarded as a compound sclerite 

 containing the true tergite 10 and the epiproct (the latter considered as the tergite of the 

 telson or of the twelfth segment, respectively). In Mantodea, however, the differentiation 

 of this supraanal lobe is delayed until postembryonic development. No fusion of supraanal 

 lobe and tergum 10 takes place. Thus, in the Mantodean imago "tergite 10" TIO is the 

 true tergite 10, and the epiproct Ep is still situated behind it as a separate sclerite on an 

 independent supraanal lobe. 



If this is true, the element I call supraanal lobe spl (fig. 32 lb) would be: (1) the supraanal 

 lobe sensu Heymons and Matsuda in Mantodea (dorsum of telson or segment 12); (2) a 

 posterior part of the supraanal lobe sensu Heymons and Matsuda in Blattaria / Isoptera (a 

 lobe-like posterior part of the dorsum of the telson or segment 12). The condition in 

 Mantodea, if not regarded as a neotenic trait, would be more primitive than the situation 

 in Blattaria and Isoptera. 



Matsuda (1976) refers to the results of earlier workers: Heymons (1895), Wheeler (1889), 

 and Cholodkowsky (1891) for Blattaria; Graber (1890), Hagan (1917), Görg (1959), and 

 Walker (1919, 1922) for Mantodea. From the data contained in these papers the following 

 view results: 



- Looking at the descriptions in Heymons, the fusion between tergum 10 and the dorsal 

 part of the telson (or segment 12) really seems to take place in Blattaria. 



