Lobolibethra mutica Hennemann & Conle, 2007

Hennemann, Frank H. & Conle, Oskar V., 2018, Studies on neotropical Phasmatodea XVIII: Four new species of Lobolibethra Hennemann & Conle, 2007 from Peru and Ecuador (Phasmatodea: “ Anareolatae ”: Diapheromeridae), European Journal of Taxonomy 449, pp. 1-33 : 13-15

Lobolibethra mutica Hennemann & Conle, 2007

Figs 20–23

Lobolibethra mutica Hennemann & Conle, 2007: 96 , figs 2, 7–10.

Material examined

Holotype

PERU: ♀, “ North Peru , Rodriguez de Mendoza, 12.V.1996 ” ( ZSMC, ex coll. FH 0219-1 ).

Other material

PERU: 1 ♂, “North Peru, Rodriguez de Mendoza, 3.1996” ( FH, No. 0219-2).

Description

Male ( Fig. 20 )

BODY. Size medium (body length 48.5 mm), form very slender, legs entirely unarmed. Thorax very sparingly granulose.

COLOUR. General colouration (of preserved specimen) dark blackish brown, most of meso- and metathorax dull greyish brown, the former with a few pale cream granules along lateral margins. Largest granules of abdominal sternum VIII and poculum pale cream to white; longitudinal carinae of terminal abdominal segments mid brown. Enlarged granules of mesonotum black. Cheeks with a very fine pale longitudinal postocular line. Legs with faint dull ochraceous mottling and femora becoming reddish mid brown towards base. Antennae blackish brown basally and gradually becoming pale brown towards apex.

HEAD. Elongate, subcylindrical, broadest at eyes and gently narrowed towards posterior with vertex flattened, some 1.6× as long as wide. Frons slightly convex and with a small V-shaped impression behind bases of antennae. Eyes fairly small, cylindrical and moderately projecting, their length contained almost 2× in that of cheeks. Antennae almost as long as body; scapus compressed dorsoventrally and about 1.3× as long as wide, roughly rectangular in shape. Pedicellus subcylindrical and about half length

of scapus. Antennomere III almost as long as scapus and pedicellus combined; IV only about 0.4× length of III, V almost as long as III.

THORAX. Pronotum about as long but a little narrower than head, rectangular; disc with a fine, impressed longitudinal median line, transverse median sulcus distinct, very gently curved and expanding over entire width of segment. Mesothorax very elongate and almost 7× as long as prothorax. Mesonotum smooth dorsally and very minutely granulose laterally; dorsal portion supplied with about ten fairly large nodes and about six smaller, pale cream nodules along lateral margins. Metanotum less than half length of mesonotum and smooth except for about four somewhat enlarged granules.

ABDOMEN. Median segment less than 0.2× length of metanotum, gently constricted medially and about 1.2× as long as wide. Segments II and III about equal in length, IV–VII gradually decreasing in length, with VII about ¾ length of II; all gently constricted medially. II–V about 3× as long as wide. Tergum VIII somewhat shorter than VII and very slightly widening towards posterior; surface very minutely and sparsely granulose and lateral surfaces with a faint longitudinal carina. IX a little longer than VIII, constricted pre-medially and with the two lateral longitudinal carinae more decided than on VIII; surface minutely and sparsely granulose. Anal segment wider than all preceding, narrowed basally, with median portion somewhat deflexed and then gradually narrowed towards posterior; posterior margin with a wide and shallow concave emargination and outer angles bluntly triangular ( Fig. 21 ); dorsal surface with an acute longitudinal median carina, which becomes increasingly less defined towards base, and a row of blunt tubercles laterally. Ventral surface of posterior margin with a few minute denticles in median portion. Vomer small, triangular in shape and with a moderately acute terminal hook. Cerci fairly large, almost as long as anal segment, gently curved, constricted basally and with apex club-like ( Fig. 22 ). Poculum strongly convex, bowl-shaped with a blunt central projection ( Fig. 22 ), dorsal carina labiate and downcurving if seen in lateral aspect and posterior margin with a shallow median indention; surface tuberculose ( Fig. 23 ).

LEGS. All very long, slender and entirely unarmed. Profemora about as long as head, pro- and mesothorax combined, metafemora reaching to posterior margin of abdominal segment VII. Basitarsi a little longer than following three tarsomeres combined.

Measurements (mm): body length 48.5, pronotum 1.9, mesonotum 13.2, metanotum 7.9, median segment 1.7, profemora 16.8, mesofemora 11.8, metafemora 15.7, protibiae 19.8, mesotibiae 15.0, metatibiae 22.1, antennae 46.0.

Remarks

A male from the same source as the female holotype in the collection of the first author (FH) was not noticed when this species was described. A description of the previously unknown male appears warranted and is presented above. It may be easily distinguished from all other currently known males of the genus by its very slender form, relatively very elongate body segments, elongate head and comparatively small poculum. The eggs of L. mutica still remain unknown.

Figures

Figs 20–23. Lobolibethra mutica (Hennemann & Conle, 2007). 20. ♂ (FH, 0401-1). 21. ♂, apex of abdomen in dorsal view (FH, 0401-1). 22. ♂, apex of abdomen in lateral view (FH, 0401-1). 23. ♂, apex of abdomen in ventral view (FH, 0401-1).