New cockroaches from Western Australia 
155 
except in Cutta Cutta Cave specimens which 
completely lack ommatidia. Apterous. Hind 
margin of supraanal plate distinctly, concavely 
excavated. 
Description 
Male 
Head exposed, eyes represented by a few 
minute, black ommatidia located behind the 
antennal socket (these black dots disappear when 
the specimen is treated with KOH and cleared in 
slide preparation). Pronotum suboval (Figure 1A). 
Tegmina greatly reduced reaching only to about 
the first abdominal tergum, membranous, 5 setose 
veins present (Figure 1A). Hind wings absent. Legs 
with femora not uniformly slender, tapering 
distad, anteroventral margin of front femur with a 
row of minute piliform spinules terminating in a 
stout spine (Type C,), pulvilli and arolia absent, 
tarsal claws minute, simple, symmetrical (Figure 
IB). Abdominal terga unspecialized. Supraanal 
plate transverse, hind margin shallowly, concavely 
excavated (Figure 1C). Subgenital plate with hind 
margin weakly uneven, styli absent (Figure ID, 
top). Genitalia as in Figure ID, bottom; genital 
hook on the left side. Colouration, yellowish. 
Female 
Eyes with a few dark ommatidia as in males, 
these completely absent from Cutta Cutta Cave 
females. Apterous. Hind margin of supraanal plate 
deeply concavely excavated (Figure IE). 
Nymphs 
The immatures are white. All stages including 
what are probably first instars have the minute 
black ommatidia, but these are lacking from Cutta 
Cutta Cave specimens. The hind margin of the 
supraanal plates of both sexes are not distinctly 
excavated and appear to be convexly rounded. 
Measurements (mm) ($ in parentheses) 
Length, 4.3 (4.8-5.7); pronotum length x width, 
1.3 x 1.5-1.6 (1.4-1.7 x 1.7-2.0); tegmen length, 1.1- 
1.5. 
Etymology 
The species is dedicated to Mr R. Darren Brooks 
who collected the holotype. 
Remarks 
The absence of a male tergal gland places brooksi 
in the simow-species-group (Roth 1988). This new 
species keys to couplet 2 in the key to male 
Australian Noctieola (Roth 1991a: 21), where it can 
be separated from N. flabella by differences in the 
shape and texture of the reduced tegmina and 
shape of the supraanal plate. The females can be 
separated by differences in the shapes of the 
supraanal plates. 
It is interesting that nymphs and adult females 
(males were not collected) from Cutta Cutta Cave 
all lack the few minute ommatidia that are found 
in adult males, females, and nymphs from all other 
localities. The reason for this complete loss of eyes 
in the Cutta Cutta Cave is unknown. Humphreys 
(personal communication) speculates that “eye" 
retention in Noctieola may be connected with the 
openness of the cave system where light is 
intermittent. The Cutta Cutta Cave is totally dark. 
Tire following information regarding the three 
distinct cave areas in which brooksi was collected 
was kindly supplied by Dr W.F. Humphreys: 
Cutta Cutta Cave (8K-1) is a fully developed 
cave system with some depth. It is totally dark, 
except where it is lit as a tourist cave, and connects 
to permanent water in a joint controlled phreatic 
system. 
Caves in the Ningbing Ranges (prefix KNI-) are 
part of a Devonian reef complex. 
For the most part they are grike developments 
which are frequently open to the surface so that 
there is intermittent light. Although this is riot the 
case in some caves (e.g., KNI-19 and KNI-41), 
these populations are probably in continuity with 
those inhabiting the more open systems. The 
specimens were collected in the dry season so that 
the more open systems had become too dry to 
retain their populations - only the deeper recesses 
of the grike developments and the proper caves 
were still moist enough to have cavernicolous 
populations. 
The Tunnel (KO-1) is in the Oscar Range which 
is part of a Devonian reef system that is separated 
by 550 km from a similar system in the Ningbing 
Ranges. It is a minor stream that cuts through the 
reef in a massive tunnel, but a minor side passage 
was humid. 
Noctieola sp. 
Material Examined 
Australia: Western Australia: Barrow Island: 
Cave B-l, 20°48'S, 115°19'E: 1 nymph, 10 
September 1991, BES: 297 (WAM 92/55); 1 ??, 12 
September 1991, W.F. Humphreys, B. Vine, BES: 
313 (WAM 92/56); 2 nymphs. Lower (mud) 
chambers, 17 September 1991, D. Goodgame, BES: 
326 (WAM 92/57-8); Cape Range Peninsula: 1?, 
Cave C-l5, 22°13'S, 113°59'E, 29 May 1990, CR 
1990: 218 (WAM); 12, Cave C-64, 22°03’S, 
114°01'E, 25 May 1990, D. Brooks, CR 1990: 217 
(WAM). All specimens in alcohol. 
Remarks 
All specimens are small (length about 4 mm or 
