Striatophasma, Wipfler, Benjamin, Pohl, Hans & Predel, Reinhard, 2012

Wipfler, Benjamin, Pohl, Hans & Predel, Reinhard, 2012, Two new genera and two new species of Mantophasmatodea (Insecta, Polyneoptera) from Namibia, ZooKeys 166, pp. 75-98 : 77-78

Striatophasma gen. n.

Description and diagnosis.

Striatophasma gen. n. is placed as sistergroup to all remaining South African Austrophasmatidae sensu Klass et al. (2003) based on peptide hormone sequences ( Predel et al. in press). Except for Austrophasma gansbaaiense and Viridiphasma clanwilliamense ( Eberhard et al. 2011), it can be easily distinguished from the Austrophasmatidae sensu Klass et al. (2003) by its greenish colour. From all South African Austrophasmatidae , Striatophasma is separated by the lack of a butterfly-shaped dark median spot below the antennal base, genae that protrude from the compound eyes, the presence of spination in most body parts and its distribution in Namibia. From other Namibian mantophasmatodeans it can be distinguished by the presence of a brown dorso-median longitudinal stripe in males in combination with greenish body colouration. Asymmetric male genitalia and compound eyes that do not protrude from the genae distinguish Striatophasma from the East African Tanzaniophasma .

The new genus is characterized by a unique sequence of the adipokinetic hormone (pQVNFTPSWamide; Predel et al. in press). The adipokinetic hormone sequence of all taxa currently grouped in Mantophasmatodae ( Mantophasma , Sclerophasma , Tyrannophasma , Praedatophasma , Pachyphasma ) is pQVNFSPGWamide ( Gäde et al. 2005; Predel et al. 2011) and that of South African Austrophasmatidae is pQVNFTPGWamide ( Predel et al. 2005).

Type species.

Striatophasma naukluftense sp. n.

Other included species.

None thus far.

Etymology.

The generic group name Striatophasma is a composition from the Latin word striatus meaning striped and the ending -phasma which is commonly used to term mantophasmatodeans. The gender is neuter.