Singaporoidea poeciloptera (Rehn, 1904) Hennemann, 2021

Hennemann, Frank H., 2021, Stick insects of Sulawesi, Peleng and the Sula Islands, Indonesia- a review including checklists of species and descriptions of new taxa (Insecta: Phasmatodea), Zootaxa 5073 (1), pp. 1-189 : 167

Singaporoidea poeciloptera (Rehn, 1904) n. comb.

Sipyloidea poeciloptera Rehn, 1904: 77 . HT, ♂: Obi Island , Moluccas; Hebard Collection ; Sipyloidea poeciloptera Rehn , TYPE No. 5150 [ANSP]; AT, ♀: Obi Island, Moluccas; Hebard Collection; Sipyloidea poeciloptera Rehn , TYPE No. 5151 [ANSP].

Redtenbacher, 1908: 547.

Günther, 1933: 161.

Günther, 1937: 9.

Otte, 1978: 78.

Herwaarden, 1998: 73.

Sipyloidea normalis Redtenbacher, 1908: 47 (in part—only the following paralectotypes: PLT, 18 ♂♂, 20 ♀♀: Molukken / Aru-Ins. / Buru / Salomonen / Ind. or. [NHMW, No. 1109]; PLT, ♀: Key-Inseln , Semper [MNHU]; PLT, ♂: Mafor , Fruhstorfer ; H. Fruhstorfer vend. 6.III.1898; 169 [ZMUH]. ( Not : PLT, ♂: Roon, Fruhstorfer; H. Fruhstorfer vend. 6.III.1898; 168 [ZMUH] → this is a different species and deserves evaluation).

Necroscia poeciloptera, Kirby, 1904: 375 .

Sipyloidea felderi Redtenbacher, 1908: 546 . LT (by present designation), ♂: 3024.; Amboina Felder ; Sipyloidea felderi Br., Brunner det. [MNHU—specimen with abdomen]; PLT, ♂: 3024.; Amboina Felder ; Sipyloidea felderi Br., Brunner det. [MNHU]. n. syn.

Further material: AMBELAU: 1 ♂, 1 ♀: Indonesien, Molukken, Prov. Maluku Utara, Pulau Ambelau, SE of Buru, X.2012 [coll. FH, No’s 1293-1 & 2]. KELANG: 1 ♀: Indonesien, Molukken, Prov. Maluku Utara, Pulau Kelang , W of Seram, X.2012 [coll. FH, No. 1293-3] .

Comments: This species was originally described from a ♂ and ♀ from the island of Obi, Moluccas deposited in the collection of ANSP. Redtenbacher (1908: 547) assumed his Siyploidea normalis might be identical to Rehn’s S. poeciloptera and it was synonymised by Günther (1933: 161). Scrutiny of the type-specimens of S. poeciloptera in the collection of ANSP and examination of most of Redtenbacher’s type-series of S. normalis however revealed that the latter comprises at least two different species. Most specimens not from Sulawesi but from the Maluku province are conspecific to Rehn’s speciesm, but the specimens from Sulawesi are not. Hence, Redtenbacher’s S. normalis can be retained as a valid name for the species from Sulawesi and is here reinstated (see comments on S. normalis above).

Examination of the type specimens of Sipyloidea felderi in MNHU has proven this species to have be erroneously synonymised with the Javanese S. dolorosa (Redtenbacher, 1908) . Actually, S. felderi is a synonym of S. poeciloptera (n. syn.) and hence here removed from synonymy with S. dolorosa . The more complete ♂ which still has the abdomen attached is selected as the lectotype tu guarantee stability of the synonymy here introduced. The very similar and closely related Javanese S. dolorosa is here removed from Sipyloidea and transferred to Singaporoidea (n. comb.). Also the syntype-series of this latter species comprises at least two distinct species with the syntypes from the islands of Ambon and Misool as well as the Key Islands likely to represent S. poeciloptera . Therefore, once a lectotype is designated for Redtenbacher’s dolorosa this should be one of the Javanese specimens.

Like Necroscia aruana Westwood, 1859 , this species has a very wide distribution that comprises entire Wallacea, the Bismarck Archipelago, New Guinea and even the Solomon Islands. This very wide distribution as well as notable chromatic and morphological variability made Günther (1938: 87) doubt that all of the specimens that have since been attributed to N. poeciloptera are conspecific. Not all recorded specimens have been examined in detail for this study, hence further evaluation is needed for either supporting or rejecting the doubts expressed by Günther. At least the ♂ paralectotype from Roon island in the collection of ZMUH is a different species, why this record must be regarded as erroneous and is excluded from the list below.

The specimens from Peleng, Ambelau and Kelang are the first records of N. poeciloptera from these islands.All are fairly typical for the species and match well with Rehn’s type-specimens from Obi in ANSP:

Distribution: Moluccas, Prov. Maluku Utara (Obi Island) [ANSP, ZMUH]; Moluccas, Prov. Maluku Utara (Buru Island) [NHMW]; Moluccas, Prov. Maluku Utara ( Ambon Island) [MNHU, ZMUH]; Moluccas, Prov. Ma-luku Utara (Kelang Island) [coll. FH]; Moluccas, Prov. Maluku Utara (Ambelau Island) [coll. FH]; Moluccas (Ma-for Island) [ZMUH]; Bismarck Archipelago, Aru Islands [NHMW]; Bismarck Archipelago, New Ireland [MNHU]; Key Islands [MNHU]; New Guinea [ZMUH]; Solomon Islands [NHMW].