Phanocles brevipes, Hennemann & Conle, 2024

Hennemann, Frank H. & Conle, Oskar V., 2024, Studies on Neotropical Phasmatodea XXVI: Taxonomic review of Cladomorformia tax. n., a lineage of Diapheromerinae stick insects, with the descriptions of seven new genera and 41 new species (Phasmatodea: Occidophasmata: Diapheromerinae), Zootaxa 5444 (1), pp. 1-454 : 165-167

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.11646/zootaxa.5444.1.1
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:5DE4A9DD-99F7-4E23-AD50-58DC491BB75E
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.11071832
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/AB848EE7-DDDE-4741-ADA8-E9A976B3C4FD
taxon LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:act:AB848EE7-DDDE-4741-ADA8-E9A976B3C4FD
treatment provided by	Plazi
scientific name	Phanocles brevipes
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Phanocles brevipes sp. n.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:AB848EE7-DDDE-4741-ADA8-E9A976B3C4FD

( Fig. 51D View FIGURE 51 , 57C View FIGURE 57 , 63D–F View FIGURE 63 , 67P–Q View FIGURE 67 , 93F View FIGURE 93 )

HT, ♀: Jy. 1944, Satipo (Dist.) Peru [ ANSP] .

Diagnosis. Females of this very distinctive new species ( Fig. 51D View FIGURE 51 ; the only sex known) resemble those of the Colombian P. lobulatus Conle et al., 2011 and P. solidus sp. n. from Ecuador in having a prominently lobed abdominal tergum VII ( Fig. 63D View FIGURE 63 ), stocky and strongly lobed legs ( Figs. 67P–Q View FIGURE 67 ) as well as distinctly crested basitarsi. They however differ from the ♀♀ of both species by the prominent irregularly crenulate posteromedian excrescences of abdominal terga II–VI, much larger, roundly trapezoidal lobes of the praeopercular organ ( Figs. 63D, F View FIGURE 63 ) and very long gonapohyses VIII, that project beyond the tip of the subgenital plate, whose apex is broadly trapezoidal in shape ( Figs. 63E–F View FIGURE 63 ; narrowly rounded in lobulatus and solidus ). From lobulatus they however differ by the smaller size (body length of lobulatus 220.0 mm including the subgenital plate), large cephalad pair of horns ( Fig. 57C View FIGURE 57 ; only pair of low, conical tubercles in lobulatus ), smaller posterolateral lobe of abdominal tergum VII (semi-circular and extending laterally by about three-quarters the width of tergum in lobulatus ), very much larger lobes of the praeopercular organ on abdominal sternum VII and presence of various lobes on the meso- and metafemora. From the much smaller (body length including subgenital plate only 150.0 mm) and stockier solidus (mesothorax only 5.2x longer than prothorax), ♀♀ of this new species also differ by the higher cephalad horns, less sculptured thoracic segments (distinctly tubercular in solidus ), much smaller posterolateral lobes of abdominal tergum VII (laterally extending by more than half the width of tergum in solidus ) and presence of dorsal lobes on the mid and hind legs.

Etymology. The name is a combination of brevis (lat. = short) and pes (lat. = foot) to refer to the conspicuously short and stocky legs in proportion to the body. Neuter.

Description. ♀♀ ( Fig. 51D View FIGURE 51 ): Large (body length including subgenital plate 184.0 mm) and moderately slender for the genus with very short and stocky, arched and lobate legs and a globose, prominently bi-cornute head. General colour of the unique holotype a mixture of greyish cream and ochreous brown, wholly covered with minute dark speckles and with two weakly indicated closely spaced medio-longitudinal lines along entire dorsal body surface; abdomen considerably darkened due to preservation and rather dark brown. Eyes dark reddish brown. Antennae ochreous mid brown.

Head ( Fig 57C View FIGURE 57 ): Moderately globose, broadest just behind the eyes, slightly narrowing in the posterior portion and almost 1.2x longer than wide. Vertex convex and armed with a pair of large horns, that are basically oval in cross-section but have the anterior margin strongly compressed laterally, lamellate, almost semi-circular in outline and minutely crenulate; apex rounded and their height somewhat less than height of head capsule. Frons with two short, transverse impressions and behind these with a pair of short, obtuse spines. Vertex otherwise only with a very few minute granules. Eyes small, weakly projecting with the anterior margin roundly triangular, their diameter contained 2.2 in length of genae. Antennae reaching to posterior margin of metanotum. Scapus strongly compressed dorsoventrally, basically rectangular and a parallel-sided with the outer lateral margin weakly deflexed apically and with a shallow longitudinal furrow close to each lateral margin; almost 2x longer than wide. Pedicellus round in cross-section and about half as long as scapus.

Thorax: Pronotum shorter and considerably narrower than head, almost rectangular in basic shape with a slight median narrowing; the transverse median sulcus moderately distinct, gently curved and expanding almost over entire width of segment. Surface unevenly granulose. Mesothorax 6.1x longer than prothorax and almost uniform in diameter with just the posterior portion weakly widening. Metanotum almost 0.4x the length of mesonotum with lateral margins concave and the posterior margin narrower than anterior margin. Meso- and metanotum with a low and obtuse longitudinal median carina and rather sparsely and unevenly set with small granules; close to lateral margins with an obtuse, granulose longitudinal bulge. Meso- and metapleurae with a longitudinal, granulose keel, meso- and metasternum unevenly granulose.

Abdomen: Median segment scarcely longer than metanotum, with lateral margin strongly concave in the median portion and the mid of segment only half the width of posterior margin, which is somewhat broader than the anterior margin; about 4.3x longer than width of anterior margin and surface sparsely granulose. Tergum VII just slightly more than half the length of VI and the lateral margins conspicuously deflexed to form a moderately prominent, rounded posterior lobe. Terga II–VI each with a prominent but irregularly shaped, carinate and crenulate posteromedian excrescence that basically consists of two short longitudinal carinae that are apically connected by a transverse carina. Sterna smooth except for a fine longitudinal carina close to each lateral margin. Praeopercular organ ( Fig. 93F View FIGURE 93 ) formed by these two lateral carinae that posterior terminate in a huge, roundly trapezoidal lobe, that posteriorly extends notably over the posterior margin of the sternum and is about equal in size to the posterolateral lobe of the corresponding tergum ( Figs. 63D, F View FIGURE 63 ). Terga VIII–X uniform in width and much narrower than all preceding. VIII about two-thirds the length of VII, 2.2x longer than wide and weakly narrowed medially, IX about three-fifth the length of VIII and very weakly widened posteriorly; both strongly convex longitudinally and with the lateral margins slightly deflexed. Anal segment somewhat longer than IX, narrowed posteriorly, finely carinate medio-longitudinally with the posterior margin indented medially and obtusely bilobate and the lateral margins acutely angular. Epiproct very small and wholly concealed under anal segment. Cerci small and obtusely conical. Gonapophyses VIII elongated with a longitudinal keel on each lateral surface, gently upcurved in the apical portion, projecting beyond tip of abdomen by almost the length of anal segment and also somewhat projecting over apex of subgenital plate ( Figs. 63D–F View FIGURE 63 ). The subgenital plate of moderate length, keeled medio-longitudinally with the lateral margins notably up-curved and roughly parallel in dorsal aspect, the posterior margin broadly trapezoidal; projecting beyond tip of abdomen by less than length of anal segment ( Figs. 63D–F View FIGURE 63 ).

Legs ( Figs. 67P–Q View FIGURE 67 ): All conspicuously short, stocky, distinctly carinate and the meso- and metafemora and tibiae distinctly arched downwards; all carinae ± decidedly deflexed and lamellate. Profemora slightly shorter than mesothorax, mesofemora about as long as metathorax, metafemora, slightly projecting over posterior margin of abdominal segment III and metatibiae slightly projecting over posterior margin of segment V. Anterodorsal carina of profemora strongly raised. The two outer ventral carinae of all femora (only the posterior carina in profemora although) apically protruded into a prominent, obtusely triangular lobe-like tooth, that projects beyond the apex of femur. The posterodorsal carina unevenly undulate pre-medially and pre-apically ( Fig. 67Q View FIGURE 67 ). Meso- and metatibiae with the posteroventral carinae deflexed and rounded apically and the posterodorsal carina with uneven, rounded lobes medially and before the apex ( Fig. 67P View FIGURE 67 ); the medioventral carina weakly rounded sub-basally. All basitarsi prominently crested dorsally, the lobe obtusely triangular in shape; shorter than the remaining tarsomeres taken together.

Comments. Males and eggs unknown.

Table 33: Measurements of Phanocles brevipes sp. n.