Andeocalynda, Hennemann & Conle, 2020

Hennemann, Frank H. & Conle, Oskar V., 2020, Studies on Neotropical Phasmatodea XXIV: Andeocalynda n. gen., a new genus of Andean stick insects, with the descriptions of nine new species from Colombia and Ecuador (Phasmatodea: “ Anareolatae ”: Diapheromeridae: Diapheromerinae), Zootaxa 4896 (3), pp. 301-341 : 302-305

Andeocalynda n. gen.

Type-species: Andeocalynda tenuis n. sp., by present designation.

Bacteria, Bates, 1865: 330 , pl. 12a–b (♂).

Otte & Brock, 2005: 62 (in part).

Clonistria, Kirby, 1904: 351 (in part).

Redtenbacher, 1908: 406 (in part).

Otte & Brock, 2005: 107 (in part).

Conle, Hennemann & Gutiérrez, 2011: 58.

Dyme, Hebard, 1919: 174 .

Hebard, 1924: 145.

Description (♀, Ƌ): Small to medium (body length ♂♂ 59.0– 88.9 mm, ♀♀ incl. subgenital plate 90.0–130.0 mm) members of Diapheromerinae ; ♂♂ apterous and ♀♀ with a very long, lanceolate subgenital plate. Body surface of both sexes very slightly shiny, mostly smooth in ♂♂ (rarely granulose), in ♀♀ ranging from smooth to densely and strongly granulose or tuberculose. Colour of both sexes mostly various shades of ochre, brown or grey with the bases of the profemora pink to red internally; ♂♂ may be multicoloured. Head elongate,>1.5x longer than wide, sub-cylindrical, genae ± parallel-sided, vertex flat and unarmed. Eyes slightly oval in outline; very small in ♀♀ with their diameter less than one third the length of genae. Gula small, transverse. Antennae long and filiform,> 2/3 the length of body. Scapus flattened dorsoventrally, roundly rectangular in dorsal aspect and notably longer than wide. Pedicellus> ½ the length of scapus and ± round in cross-section. III slightly longer than pedicellus and narrowing towards apex. Pronotum shorter and usually somewhat narrower than head, notably longer than wide. In ♀♀ meso-and metathorax sometimes to a variable degree set with enlarged tubercles. Meso- and metasternum simple. Abdomen excluding median segment roughly equal in length to head and complete thorax combined. Median segment considerably longer than wide and at least ¼ the length of metanotum. Abdominal segments II–VII all considerably longer than wide, parallel-sided and of ± equal width. Segment VII shorter than previous, parallel-sided in ♀♀. Abdominal sterna II–VII smooth. Praeopercular organ in ♀♀ represented by a wart-like or blunt spiniform median structure close to posterior margin of sternum VII. Terminalia of ♀♀ ( Fig. 1 ): Terga VIII–X considerably shorter and slightly narrower than previous, roughly of uniform width. Anal segment carinate longitudinally, narrowed towards the apex, posterior margin sub-truncate, and ± indented medially. Epiproct small, triangular or rounded and slightly projecting from under the anal segment. Cerci small, lanceolate and tapered, considerably shorter than anal segment. Gonoplacs enlarged and paddle-shaped, occasionally considerably elongated and projecting beyond posterior margin of anal segment. Gonapophyses not considerably elongated or enlarged and fully hidden under anal segment; gonapophyses VIII just slightly longer than gonapophyses IX. Gonangulum present. Subgenital plate very long with projecting part longer than terga VIII–X combined, lanceolate, ventrally keeled longitudinally and greatly projecting beyond apex of abdomen. Terminalia of ♂♂ ( Fig. 2 ): Tergum VIII trapezoidal and gently broadened towards the posterior. IX ± parallel-sided with lateral margins straight to gently rounded and at best weakly deflexed. Segments VIII–X at best slightly wider than preceding. Lateral margins of tergum IX mostly ± straight and at best slightly deflexed and rounded. Anal segment ± tectiform and shorter than tergum IX; posterior margin ± indented medially with the posterolateral angles rounded to obtusely angular; not protruded. Intero-ventral surface of posterior margin set with small teeth (“thorn-pads”) and the dentate surfaces ± facing each other. Vomer well developed, ± triangular in outline with a single terminal hook; ventral surface usually with a distinct mediolongitudinal furrow. Cerci slender and round in cross-section but variable in length and shape, at best slightly longer than anal segment, ± distinctly in-curving and with the apex ± club-like. Poculum variable in shape and size, moderately to very strongly convex and bulgy, angular in lateral aspect and at best reaching to posterior margin of tergum IX; angle with or without a spiniform protuberance and posterior margin at best weakly indented. Legs all long and slender, tibiae just scarcely longer than corresponding femora. Profemora compressed and curved basally, the anterodorsal carina ± raised and deflexed (less distinct in ♂♂) and the medioventral carina distinct and considerably displaced towards the anteroventral carina (lamellate in ♀♀), Fig. 3 . Meso- and metafemora and all tibiae trapezoidal in cross-section with the medioventral carina midways on ventral surface of femur and unarmed. All legs unarmed in ♂♂. In ♀♀ mostly unarmed (only in one case with a distinct sub-basal lobe on the two outer ventral carinae of the meso- and metafemora and a tooth-like sub-apical dorsal lobe on both the meso- and metafemora and tibiae). Basitarsi slender and at least equal in length to combined length of remaining tarsomeres; carinate dorsally in ♀♀.

Eggs ( Fig. 19 ): Small to moderately sized (capsule length <3.5 mm), capsule elongate-ovoid and slightly bullet-like, somewhat compressed laterally and oval in cross-section; at least 2x longer than wide. Capsule surface very minutely granulose and shiny. Micropylar plate somewhat displaced towards the anterior, slightly less than ½ the length of capsule, elongate-ovoid and> 4.5x longer than wide with the posterior portion gently widened and round-ed. Interior surface irregularly rugulose, the outer margin swollen. Micropylar cup represented by a rounded swelling some way off the polar end of plate. Median line prominent and> 1/3 the length of micropylar plate. Operculum oval with the dorsal portion gently down-curving, roundly convex to obtusely conical and with radially arranged pits and grooves; opercular angle roughly 20°. Colour plain reddish brown and the micropylar plate surrounded by a broad whitish or pale cream coloured area. Micropylar plate ochraceous to reddish brown.

Etymology: The generic name refers to the mountainous distribution of this new genus in the Andes of Ecuador and Colombia and emphasizes on the strong overall similarity to the principally Central American Calynda Stål, 1875 . It means “Andean Calynda ” and is to be treated as feminine.

Differentiation: This new genus closely resembles the Central American Calynda Stål, 1875 (Type-species: Calynda bicuspis Stål, 1875 ), with which it shares the general habitus and appearance of both sexes and very long, lancet-like subgenital plate of ♀♀, which extends greatly beyond the apex of the abdomen. Both sexes however frequently differ from Calynda by the longer median segment, which is considerably longer than wide and at least ¼ the length of the metanotum (quadrate to transverse in Calynda ). Females also differ by the unarmed head, less distinct praeopercular organ that is merely represented by a single median protuberance or wart-like structure (two spiniform or digitiform processes in Calynda ) and enlarged, paddle-like gonoplacs ( Fig. 1 ). Males readily differ from those of Calynda by the considerably shorter cerci, tectiform anal segment and the averagely larger, more bulgy poculum.

The tectiform anal segment of ♂♂ and enlarged, paddle-shaped gonoplacs of ♀♀ ( Fig. 1 ) indicate Andeocalynda n. gen. to be more closely related to the two South American genera Laciphorus Redtenbacher, 1908 (Type-species: Laciphorus lobulatus Redtenbacher, 1908 , = Ocnophila capitata Brunner v. Wattenwyl, 1907) and Globocalynda Zompro, 2001 (Type-species: Calynda simplex Brunner v. Wattenwyl, 1907). From Laciphorus , a monotypical genus that is restricted to the coastal Lomas of western Peru (Hennemann & Conle, 2020), it differs by the shorter median segment (roughly half as long as metanotum in Laciphorus ) of both sexes, pointed apex of the subgenital plate and much smaller gonoplacs of ♀♀, as well as the lack of finger-like posterolateral processes of the anal segment, shorter and not hook-like cerci and much smaller poculum of ♂♂. From the more southward distributed Globocalynda both sexes differ by the shorter median segment (roughly 2/3 the length of metanotum in Globocalynda ) and more elongate, dorsally flattened and sub-cylindrical head, pointed apex of the subgenital plate of ♀♀, as well as the not laterally swollen and posteromedially excavated anal segment and mostly smaller poculum that hardly reaches to the posterior margin of abdominal tergum IX. Furthermore, ♂♂ differ from both genera by having abdominal terga VIII–X combined much longer than tergum VII.

The eggs of Andeocalynda n. gen. ( Fig. 19 ) much resemble those of all three aforementioned genera in being shiny, considerably longer than wide and compressed laterally, having an almost smooth to minutely granulose capsule surface and a moderately convex capitulum. The whitish area that surrounds the micropylar plate is shared with Globocalynda , but the eggs of this new genus are much more elongate and have the operculum inserted in a notably larger angle. The general shape is similar to the eggs of Calynda , but these differ by lacking the pale dorsal area around the micropylar plate seen in Andeocalynda n. gen. are less elongate and furthermore possess a rim of setae on the anterior margin of the capsule that surrounds the operculum. From the eggs of Laciphorus those of Andeocalynda n. gen. differ by the much more elongate shape, prominent opercular angle and plain colour of the capsule (distinctly flecked in Laciphorus ).

Distribution ( Fig. 22 ): Andean regions of Ecuador and southern Colombia ranging from 500 to 3500 metres. Biogeographically the known distribution is restricted to the southern portion of the North Andean Paramo Province and northern portion of the Puna Province in the South American Transition Zone ( Morrone, 2006: 473, fig. 2). Members of this new genus are known to be associated with habitats which include moist mountainous forest, cloud forest and dwarf forest ( Figs. 20 , 21A ).

Figures

FIGURE 1. Terminalia of ♀♀ of Andeocalynda tenuis n. gen., n. sp.. A. HT [NHMUK]; B. PT [coll. FH, No. 0518-1]. Explanation of abbreviations: Cer = cercus, Ep = epiproct, Gap8 = gonapophysis VIII, Gap9 = gonapophysis IX, Gon = gonangulum, Gpl = gonoplac, PrO P praeopercular organ, Sg = subgenital plate (sternum VIII), S7 = sternum VII, Sti8 = stigmen VIII, T7 = tergum VII, T8 = tergum VIII, T9 = tergum IX, T10 = anal segment (tergum X). [scale = 1 mm]

FIGURE 2. Terminalia of ♂♂ of Andeocalynda n. gen.. A. A. tuberculata n. sp., PT [ANSP]; B. A. putumayoense n. sp. PT [MNHN]; C. A. carrikeri (Hebard, 1919) HT [ANSP]. Explanation of abbreviations: Cer = cercus, Ep = Epiproct, Pa = paraproct, Sg (Po) = subgenital plate (poculum), T9 = tergum IX, T10 = anal segment (tergum X), TP = thorn pads, Vo = vomer. [scale = 0,5 mm]

FIGURE 3. Basal portion of profemur of Andeocalynda tuberculata n. sp. HT, ♀ [NHMUK] in ventral view. Arrow points towards apical end of femur. Dashed line indicates midline of femur and brackets show distances of medioventral carina to antero- and posteroventral carina. Explanation of abreviations: AVC = anteroventral carina, MVC = medioventral carina, ADC = anterodorsal carina, PVC = posteroventral carina.

FIGURE 19. Eggs of species of Andeocalynda n. gen.. A. Andeocalynda tenuis n. sp., dorsal view [coll. FH, No. 0518-E]; B. Andeocalynda tenuis n. sp., lateral view [coll. FH, No. 0518-E]; C. Andeocalynda decorata n. sp., dorsal view [coll. FH, No. 0519-E]; D. Andeocalynda decorata n. sp., lateral view [coll. FH, No. 0519-E];

FIGURE 20. Habitats of Andeocalynda aspericollis n. sp., Andeocalynda tenuis n. sp. and Andeocalynda decorata n. sp. in the Azuay Province of S-Ecuador. A. Cordillera Zapote Naida at ca. 3300 m showing Paramó with scattered areas of highly mountainous dwarf forest; B. Moist and cloudy dwarf forest in El Cajas National Park, near Río Mazan at ca. 3100 m.

FIGURE 21. Habitat and live insects. A. Moist and cloudy dwarf forest in El Cajas National Park, near Cuenca at ca. 3100 m; B. ♀ PT of Andeocalynda decorata n. sp. at the type-locality [coll. FH, No. 0519-1]; C. Mating couple of Andeocalynda tenuis n. sp. at the type-locality, the ♀ feeding on the unidentified host plant [coll. OC]; D. ♂ PT of Andeocalynda tenuis n. sp. on one of it’s unidentified host plants [coll. FH, No. 0518-2].

FIGURE 22. Map of NW-South America (Colombia and Ecuador) showing all currently known records of Andeocalynda n. gen. marked by yellow dots. The small number of records in total and the big gaps within the distributional range show our still fractional knowledge of the distribution of this new genus.