Lobofemora, Bresseel & Constant, 2015

Bresseel, Joachim & Constant, Jérôme, 2015, The new genus of stick insect Lobofemora from Vietnam, with the description of three new species (Phasmida: Phasmatidae: Clitumnini), European Journal of Taxonomy 115, pp. 1-25 : 3-5

Genus Lobofemora gen. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:5EBCBEF1-D0EA-4433-9B85-287709869730

Type species

Lobofemora scheirei sp. nov. by present designation.

Etymology

The name of the new genus is formed by the juxtaposition of lobus (Latin), meaning lobe and “femora”. The name refers to the foliaceous lobes on the median legs of the females.

Diagnosis

Differing from all other know genera of Clitumnini by the following combination of characters:

1. Females with back of head more or less strongly raised, granulose and conical.

2. Males with at least some scale-like tegmina present, sometimes with developed alae.

3. Median segment about as long as or longer than metanotum.

4. Females with conspicuous enlarged lobes on mesofemora and males occasionally with dorsal teeth on the mesofemora.

5. Mesothorax less than 2.5 x the length of head and pronotum combined.

6. Semi-tergites of males very short and broad and thorax densely granulose.

Description

Male

HEAD. Longer than wide, slightly tapering posteriorly and granulose. Vertex elongated. Dorsal portion of head flattened, with two definite spines positioned at posterior margin of eyes and projecting dorsally. Eyes circular and strongly projecting hemispherically. Scapus flattened dorso-ventrally and rounded laterally. Pedicellus cylindrical.

THORAX. Pronotum shorter than head and slightly widening posteriorly. Anterior margin incurved and raised, followed by faint, median longitudinal impression, not reaching posterior margin. Central transverse impression not reaching lateral edges of pronotum. Mesonotum granulose, widening posteriorly. Fine median longitudinal line. Tegmina completely developed or present as small scales. Alae absent, micropterous or brachypterous. Metanotum shorter than median segment. Meso- and metasternum with posteriorly, between legs, Y-shaped impression, antero-laterally resulting in two minute pseudo-foramina.

ABDOMEN. Abdominal segments slightly granulose and with fine median, longitudinal line. Tergum X with median, longitudinal carina, apically split into two semi-tergites. Inner apical rim of semi-tergites armed with several spines. Apex of semi-tergites obliquely pointing downwards. Posterolateral angles rounded. Poculum rounded, slightly projecting over apex of abdominal tergum IX. Apex of poculum narrower and rounded. No sclerotised vomer present. Cerci short, not reaching apex of tergum X, incurving, circular in cross-section, apices rounded.

LEGS. Profemora slightly longer than head and thorax combined; compressed and curved basally. Anterodorsal carina with few, small serrations.

Female

HEAD. Longer than wide, slightly tapering posteriorly and strongly granulose. Vertex elongated and with a shallow longitudinal impression. Dorsal portion of head flattened, with transverse, laterally acute ridge at posterior margin of eyes. Eyes circular and projecting hemispherically. Antennae short, with scapus strongly dorso-ventrally flattened and with lateral margins rounded. Apical half with very short segments.

THORAX. Pronotum shorter than head and granulose. Anterior margin incurved and raised, followed by median longitudinal impression, not reaching posterior margin. Transverse impression in middle, not reaching lateral edges of pronotum. Mesonotum granulose, with fine median longitudinal line. Metanotum with anterior margin weakly incurved and raised, longer than wide and strongly granulose. Meso- and metasternum as in male.

ABDOMEN. Terga granulose, with fine median, longitudinal line. Tergum X with median, longitudinal carina; notched posteriorly; posterolateral angles rounded. Epiproct elongated. Subgenital plate slightly elongated, just projecting over apex of tergum X and with median longitudinal carina; apex acute. Cerci short, not reaching apex of tergum X. Gonapophyses VIII elongated, reaching apex of epiproct.

LEGS. Profemora longer than head, pronotum and mesonotum combined; compressed and curved basally. Anterodorsal carina with small serrations. Mesofemora with posterodorsal carina, with two to three lobes, anterior one being most prominent. Protibiae longer than head and thorax combined. Mesotibiae slightly longer than mesofemora. Metatibiae shorter than profemora.

Distribution

Currently known from different localities in Central and South Vietnam (see map Fig. 1 ).

Species included and distribution

Lobofemora bachmaensis sp. nov. [Bach Ma National Park]

Lobofemora bidoupensis sp. nov. [Bidoup Nui Ba National Park]

Lobofemora scheirei sp. nov. [Cat Tien National Park and Dong Nai Biosphere Reserve]

Keys to the species of Lobofemora gen. nov.

Males

1. Alae developed, projecting over posterior margin of median segment ( Fig. 6D, H ) .......................... ............................................................................................................................... L. scheirei sp. nov.

– Alae scale-like or absent ( Figs 2D, H ; 4D, H )................................................................................... 2

2. Tegmina scale-like, flattened, just projecting over anterior margin of metanotum; alae absent ( Fig. 2D, H ); posterodorsal carina of mesotibiae with conspicuous triangular tooth ( Fig. 2B ) .......... ....................................................................................................................... L. bachmaensis sp. nov.

– Tegmina reaching halfway along metanotum, convex; alae scale-like ( Fig. 4D, H ); posterodorsal carina of mesotibiae unarmed ( Fig. 4B ) .......................................................... L. bidoupensis sp. nov.

Females

1. Mesofemora with two lobes on posterodorsal carina: more basal one prominent; more apical one present as subapical triangular spine ( Fig. 3D ); vertex projecting posteriorly, almost reaching halfway along pronotum length ( Fig. 3E, I ) .................................................. L. bachmaensis sp. nov.

– Mesofemora with three lobes on posterodorsal carina: most basal one most prominent and gradually becoming smaller; most apical one present as subapical triangular spine ( Figs 5D , 7D ); vertex rounded or slightly elongated posteriorly, not surpassing ⅓ of pronotum length ( Figs 5E, I ; 7E, I ) .................2

2. Posterodorsal carina of profemora armed with two enlarged triangular bispinose teeth; medioventral carina of metatibiae armed with two small triangular lobes anteriorly ( Fig. 5D ); vertex rounded posteriorly ( Fig. 5E, I ) ..................................................................................... L. bidoupensis sp. nov.

– Posterodorsal carina of profemora unarmed; medioventral carina of metatibiae without triangular lobes anteriorly ( Fig. 7D ); vertex slightly elongated posteriorly ( Fig. 7E, I )........ L. scheirei sp. nov.

Figures

Fig. 1. Distribution map of the species of Lobofemora gen. nov.

Fig. 6. Lobofemora scheirei sp. nov. ♂, holotype. A. Habitus, dorsal view. B. Habitus, lateral view. C. Habitus, ventral view. D. Anterior part of body, dorsal view. E. Apex of abdomen, dorsal view. F. Apex of abdomen, lateral view. G. Apex of abdomen, ventral view. H. Anterior part of body, lateral view. D–H = not to scale.

Fig. 2. Lobofemora bachmaensis sp. nov. ♂, holotype. A. Habitus, dorsal view. B. Habitus, lateral view. C. Habitus, ventral view. D. Anterior part of body, dorsal view. E. Apex of abdomen, dorsal view. F. Apex of abdomen, lateral view. G. Apex of abdomen, ventral view. H. Anterior part of body, lateral view. D–H = not to scale.

Fig. 4. Lobofemora bidoupensis sp. nov. ♂, holotype. A. Habitus, dorsal view. B. Habitus, lateral view. C. Habitus, ventral view. D. Anterior part of body, dorsal view. E. Apex of abdomen, dorsal view. F. Apex of abdomen, lateral view. G. Apex of abdomen, ventral view. H. Anterior part of body, lateral view. D–H = not to scale.

Fig. 3. Lobofemora bachmaensis sp. nov. ♀, paratype. A. Habitus, dorsal view. B. Habitus, lateral view. C. Habitus, ventral view. D. Right median leg, detail. E. Anterior part of body, dorsal view. F. Apex of abdomen, dorsal view. G. Apex of abdomen, lateral view. H. Apex of abdomen, ventral view. I. Anterior part of body, lateral view. D–I = not to scale.

Fig. 5. Lobofemora bidoupensis sp. nov. A–I. ♀, paratype. A. Habitus, dorsal view. B. Habitus, lateral view. C. Habitus, ventral view. D. Right median leg, detail. E. Anterior part of body, dorsal view. F. Apex of abdomen, dorsal view. G. Apex of abdomen, lateral view. H. Apex of abdomen, ventral view. I. Anterior part of body, lateral view. J–N. Egg. J. Detail of micropylar plate. K. Lateral view. L. Ventral view. M. Detail of polar area. N. Detail of operculum. O. Eggs. D–I, O = not to scale.

Fig. 7. Lobofemora scheirei sp. nov. ♀, paratype. A. Habitus, dorsal view. B. Habitus, lateral view. C. Habitus, ventral view. D. Right median leg, detail. E. Anterior part of body, dorsal view. F. Apex of abdomen, dorsal view. G. Apex of abdomen, lateral view. H. Apex of abdomen, ventral view. I. Anterior part of body, lateral view. D–I = not to scale.