Phyllium (Phyllium) woodi Rehn & Rehn, 1933

Hennemann, Frank H., Conle, Oskar V., Gottardo, Marco & Bresseel, Joachim, 2009, On certain species of the genus Phyllium Illiger, 1798, with proposals for an intra-generic systematization and the descriptions of five new species from the Philippines and Palawan (Phasmatodea: Phylliidae: Phylliinae: Phylliini) 2322, Zootaxa 2322 (1), pp. 1-83 : 45

Phyllium (Phyllium) woodi Rehn & Rehn, 1933

( Fig. 121 )

Phyllium woodi Rehn & Rehn, 1933: 423 , pl. 17: 6 (♀). HT, ♀: Island Sibuyan, Baker; Phyllium woodi Rehn & Rehn , TYPE, M 1256 (ANSP). [Not: AT, ♂: Dapitan, Mindanao, Baker; Phyllium woodi Rehn & Rehn , PARATYPE, Hebard Cln., allotypic ♂ (ANSP) this is Ph. (Ph.) mabantai n. sp.). Klante, 1969: 2. Klante, 1976: 67 (in part – only Philippine records). [Synonymy with Ph. siccifolium (Linné, 1758) suggested] Otte, 1978: 79. Brock, 1995: 98. [As a synonym of Ph. siccifolium (Linné, 1758) ] Herwaarden, 1998: 103. [As a synonym of Ph. siccifolium (Linné, 1758) ] Brock, 1999: 185. [As a synonym of Ph. siccifolium (Linné, 1758) ]

Phyllium (Phyllium) woodi, Grösser, 2001: 99 , fig. 127. [Re-established as a valid species] Zompro & Grösser, 2003: 136. Grösser, 2008: 142, fig. 177 (in part – illustrated specimens are a distinct species).

Comments: This Philippine species was originally described upon a ♀ from Sibuyan Island and a ♂ from Mindanao Island, which are here shown to represent two distinct species. The treatment by Klante (1976: 67) who referred to it as “ Phyllium woodi Rehn & Rehn ? an Phyllium siccifolium L.?” has caused confusion about the validity of Ph. woodi . Although Klante (1976: 69) clearly stated that he believed it was a distinct and valid species which is restricted to the Philippines, some subsequent authors ( Brock, 1995; Herwaarden, 1998 and Brock, 1999) have erroneously treated it as a synonym of Ph. siccifolium (Linné, 1758) . Klante (1976: 67 ff.) provided an extensive discussion of the non-Philippine specimens that he attributed to Ph. woodi with doubt. Although the concerned specimens could not be examined, the records from Peninsular Malaysia (Fraser’s Hill) and Singapore (Bukit Timah Road) almost certainly relate to Ph. hausleithneri Brock, 1999 (see below). The identity of the ♀ from Sumatra (Palembang) in RMNH however remains unknown, since the specimen could not be traced. Examination of the ♀ from “ Philippinen ”, which Klante recorded from MNHU and stated to be a “true” Ph. woodi , has shown this to be specifically distinct as well. Grösser (2001: 99 & 2008: 142) correctly listed Ph. woodi as a valid species, but the ♂ and ♀ illustrated by Grösser (2008: 142, fig. 177) obviously represent a distinct species, which differs from the types of Ph. woodi in several aspects.

It seems however as if no previous author has recognized the characteristic features which sufficiently distinguish Ph. woodi from Ph. siccifolium and other related species. These are: the decidedly and acutely serrate outer margin of the exterior lobe of the profemora and six longitudinal rows of granules on the vertex as well as the prominent spines on the meso-praescutum, long and more numerous lateral spines of the mesopleurae, short tegmina which hardly project over the posterior margin of abdominal segment VI and transverse, broadly rounded anal segment of ♀. Unfortunately, nothing is known about the antennal structures of ♀ since these organs are broken in the holotype. The 38 teeth on the pars stridens of ♀ and 23 antennomeres in ♂♂ cited for Ph. woodi by Grösser (2008: 25) certainly refer to the misidentified specimens shown in figure 177 of that publication.

Although the ♀ HT is from Sibuyan Island, Rehn & Rehn (1933: 423) attributed a ♂ (AT) from Mindanao Island, a rather remote area. Careful examination of the specimen has shown this to be a rather typical ♂ of Ph. mabantai n. sp. from Mindanao Island, hence is specifically distinct from the ♀ HT. It is here designated a PT of the newly described Ph. mabantai . Consequently Ph. woodi remains merely known from the ♀ sex. Body length of the HT according to Rehn & Rehn (1933: 426) 76.0 mm

Distribution ( Fig. 121 ): Philippines (Sibuyan Island).

Figures

FIGURES 119–123. Maps showing the distribution of Phyllium spp.