Phantasca phantasma ( Westwood, 1859 )

Hennemann, Frank H., Conle, Oskar V., Bellanger, Yannick, Lelong, Philippe & Jourdan, Toni, 2018, Studies on neotropical Phasmatodea XVII: Revision of Phantasca Redtenbacher, 1906, with the descriptions of six new species (Phasmatodea: Diapheromeridae: Diapheromerinae), European Journal of Taxonomy 435, pp. 1-62 : 35-37

Phantasca phantasma ( Westwood, 1859)

Figs 66–70

Phasma phantasma Westwood, 1859: 126 , pl. 12: 5a–b (♂).

Cladoxerus phantasma – Kirby 1904: 358.

Phantasca phantasma – Redtenbacher 1906: 111. — Chopard 1911: 338. — Roubaud 1993: 11, fig. 1 (♂). — Zompro 2001: 223, fig. 32 (♂). — Otte & Brock 2005: 264. — Brock, Marshall, Beccaloni & Harman 2016: 188.

non Phantasca phantasma – Chopard 1911: 338 (Misidentification, this is P. quadrilobata ( Chopard,

1911).

Material examined

Holotype

BRAZIL: ♂, “ Braz. Tapajos, 53 27; Type; Phantasma Westw. ; Phasma phantasma Westw. ; BMNH (E) #844547 ” ( NHMUK).

Diagnosis

The colouration of the males (the only sex known) is similar to that of P. guianensis sp. nov. and P. quadrilobata ( Chopard, 1911) . The genital morphology indicates a close relationship to the latter species,, with which it shares the short and upcurving cerci. However, the cerci in P. phantasma have the apex blunt (acutely pointed in P. quadrilobata ), the anal segment has only the apical portion narrowed and with a very deep median incision, and the poculum is much larger and posteriorly labiate (small, roundly cup-shaped, with the lateral margins indented in P. quadrilobata ). From P. guianensis sp. nov. it readily differs by the short cerci, which hardly reach to the posterior margin of the anal segment (very long and greatly projecting beyond apex of abdomen in P. guianensis sp. nov.), as well as the apically narrowed and deeply incised anal segment and decidedly larger, posteriorly labiate poculum.

Description

Male ( Fig. 66 )

BODY. Size medium for the genus (body length 62.6 mm, Table 8); form very slender and delicate.

COLOUR. Pale greyish brown, with a slight greenish hue. Head buff, with several sub-parallel dark brown lines on cheeks and vertex ( Figs 66–67 ). Pronotum, with a dark brown longitudinal median stripe on anterior half and several fine longitudinal stripes on posterior half. Mesonotum, with a very fine blackish longitudinal median and lateral line. Abdominal tergites II–IX, with a very fine dark brown longitudinal median line and a weakly defined dark brown line along lateral margins; III–VII, with four small dark brown dots posteriorly. Tergum VII, with a black lateral spot medially and two C-shaped black markings on posterior portion; VIII, with a black longitudinal lateral streak on posterior half. Anal segment, with a pair of very faint, washed brown, sub-parallel stripes. Tegmina and costal region of alae very pale brown, the anterior margin of the tegmina pale yellow near the base. Anal region of alae sub-hyaline, with a slight buffy wash and all longitudinal veins very slightly brown. All femora and tibiae, with three faint pale yellow annulations and the apex somewhat darker brown; basal portion of femora pale green.

HEAD. Ovoid, with vertex gently rounded and broadest at the eyes; considerably wider than prothorax ( Fig. 66 ). Eyes fairly large, circular in outline and projecting hemispherically, their length contained about 1.5× in that of cheeks ( Fig. 67 ). Antennae almost equal in length to body; scapus rectangular, with the lateral margins slightly rounded, the pedicellus sub-globose and antennomere III considerably longer than pedicellus.

THORAX. Pronotum rectangular, with lateral margins somewhat concave; the transverse median sulcus gently rounded, shallow ( Fig. 66 ). Mesothorax very elongate and slender, some 3.6× as long as head and prothorax combined. Mesonotum, with a very fine longitudinal median carina. Tegmina oblique, spatulate, narrowed towards the base and with the apex truncated; hardly reaching to base of alae. Alae slightly projecting over posterior margin of abdominal segment IV.

ABDOMEN. Median segment almost 2× as long as metanotum. Segments II–VI slightly sub-equal in length and on average 5.5× as long as wide. VII shorter than all preceding, gently constricted sub-basally and very slightly widening towards the posterior. Sternites II–VII, with a fine longitudinal median carina (most decidedly on VII) and with two C-shaped dark brown markings near posterior margin. Tergum VIII thickened towards the posterior and almost fully separated from sternum VIII; the latter strongly globose, with the anterior margins rounded. Tergum IX some 1.5× as long as VIII, constricted basally and with the lateral margins straight and clearly separated ventrally. Anal segment somewhat longer than wide, slighly narrowed in the posterior portion, the posterior margin with a deep, roundly triangular median excavation and the outer angles obtusely projecting and with several black denticles ventrally ( Fig. 69 ). Vomer small, scale-like, narrowed basally and with the apex obtusely bilobed. Cerci short, obtuse, arcuate, upcurving and not extending beyond posterior margin of anal segment ( Fig. 69 ). Poculum fairly large, cup-shaped basally, carinate posteriorly, with the dorsal margins downcurving and the posterior margin distinctly labiate, gently indented medially and directed downward; almost reaching to posterior margin of tergum IX ( Figs 68–69 ).

LEGS. All very long and slender, profemora somewhat longer than head, pro- and mesothorax combined, mesofemora about equal in length to mesothorax and hind legs projecting distinctly beyond apex of abdomen. All basitarsi very long, slender and considerably longer than remaining tarsomeres combined.

Remarks

In addition to the holotype, which lacks both front legs and tegmina, there are further, more complete specimens in NHMUK. The male recorded from French Guiana (Nouveau Chantier) in the Le Moult Collection in MNHN by Chopard (1911: 338) was misidentified and in fact is P. quadrilobata ( Chopard, 1911) . Female and egg unknown.

Distribution

North West Brazil: Pará State, Rio Tapajós ( NHMUK).

Figures

Figs 66–70. Phantasca phantasma (Westwood, 1859). Holotype, ♂. 66. Habitus, dorsal view. 67. Head and pronotum, dorsal view. 68. Head and pronotum, lateral view. 69. Apex of abdomen, lateral view. 70. Apex of abdomen, ventral view.