Neohirasea Rehn, 1904

Ho, Wai-Chun George, 2018, The genus Neohirasea Rehn (Phasmatodea: Diapheromeridae: Necrosciinae) from Vietnam, Zoological Systematics 43 (1), pp. 37-51 : 38-39

Neohirasea Rehn, 1904

Neohirasea Rehn, 1904: 84 (= Paracentema Redtenbacher, 1908 ). Type species: Phasma (Acanthoderus) japonicum Haan, 1842: 135 (= Neohirasea japonica ), by original designation.

Diagnosis. Small to medium-sized. Dull colouration, usually brown. Body cylindrical, slender and elongate. Head oblong or oval. Thorax rough, usually wrinkled and granulated, partially tuberculate and/or spinose. Mesonotum multi spinose and obscurely or distinctly elevated with a tuberculate or spinose hump medially. Abdomen cylindrical, wrinkled and granulated. Seventh sternum with praeopercular organ in female. Female subgenital plate scoop-shaped. Male poculum cup-shaped. Supra-anal plate indistinct. Cerci short and flattened. Legs robust, slender and long, femora thicker than corresponding tibiae, with indistinct armature. Anteroventral and posteroventral carinae of femora with or lacking small spines or serrations near apices. Apterous. Egg capsule oval with oval micropylar plate.

Distribution. China, India, Japan, Malaysia and Vietnam. China and Vietnam is the distribution centre. Although there is no record of Neohirasea in Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Thailand, further collecting of specimens in various localities in these countries may discover certain populations in the region.

Remarks. Currently, twenty-two species and thirteen subspecies are recognised in Neohirasea . A key to the species and subspecies of the genus from Vietnam is provided. The males of N. cochinchinensis ( Redtenbacher, 1908) and N. stephanus ( Redtenbacher, 1908) are unknown and not included in the key.

Key to males of Neohirasea Redtenbacher, 1908 from Vietnam.

1. Anterior margin of pronotum with paired tubercles ............................................................................................................................. 2

Anterior margin of pronotum with paired spines .................................................................................................................................3 2. Mesonotum unarmed............................................................................................................................................ N. nana ( Carl, 1913)

Mesonotum centrally armed with a pair of small spines ....................................................................................... N. coomani sp. nov. 3. Median segment unarmed ....................................................................................................................................................................4

Median segment with paired spines .....................................................................................................................................................9 4. Mesonotum with curved spines.................................................................................. N. fruhstorferi Brunner von Wattenwyl, 1907

Mesonotum with straight spines...........................................................................................................................................................5 5. Large size, body length longer than 45 mm ......................................................................................................................................... 6

Small size, body length shorter than 40 mm ........................................................................................................................................ 7 6. Metapleurae with a supra-coxal spine ................................................................................. N. bispina bispina sp. nov. & subsp. nov.

Metapleurae with two supra-coxal spines ......................................................................................... N. bispina babeensis subsp. nov. 7. Anterior margin of pronotum with paired curved spines................................................................... N. hilli nahangensis subsp. nov.

Anterior margin of pronotum with paired straight spines.....................................................................................................................8 8. Pronotum with two pairs of spines .................................................................................................... N. hilli vietnamensis subsp. nov.

Pronotum with one pair of spines................................................................................................... N. hilli hilli sp. nov. & subsp. nov. 9. Second abdominal tergum unarmed .................................................................................................... N. asper ( Redtenbacher, 1908)

Second abdominal tergum with paired spines ....................................................................................................................................10 10. Occiput of head spinose ..................................................................................................................................................................... 11

Occiput of head unarmed ...................................................................................................................................................................12 11. Pronotum with two pairs of spines ..................................................... N. maerens maerens ( Brunner von Wattenwyl, 1907) (s. str.)

Pronotum with one pair of spines........................................................................................... N. maerens pseudomaerens subsp. nov. 12. Lateral margins of mesonotum with short and small spines.................................................................................. N. biserrata sp. nov.

Lateral margins of mesonotum with long spines................................................................................................. N. catbaensis sp. nov.

Key to females of Neohirasea Redtenbacher, 1908 from Vietnam.

1. Mesonotum swollen medially or post-medially ...................................................................................................................................2

Mesonotum moderately expanded posteriorly ...................................................................................................................................5 2. Anterior margin of pronotum with paired spines .................................................................................................................................3

Anterior margin of pronotum with paired tubercles ............................................................................................................................. 4 3. Seventh abdominal sternum with spine-like praeopercular organ ......................................................................... N. biserrata sp. nov.

Seventh abdominal sternum lacking noticeable praeopercular organ.................................. N. bispina bispina sp. nov. & subsp. nov.

4. Anterodorsal, posterodorsal, anteroventral and posteroventral carinae of femora with two small serrations near apices ...................... ...................................................................................................................................................... N. hilli hilli sp. nov. & subsp. nov. Anterodorsal, posterodorsal, anteroventral and posteroventral carinae of femora unarmed.................................. N. coomani sp. nov.

5. Mesonotum centrally elevated with a pair of spinose lamellae .................................. N. fruhstorferi Brunner von Wattenwyl, 1907 Mesonotum centrally elevated with a spinose hump............................................................................................................................6

6. Lateral margins of mesonotum with long tubercle-like spines or spines..............................................................................................7 Lateral margins of mesonotum with short tubercles or granules ........................................................................................................10

7. Median segment unarmed ............................................................................................................ N. stephanus ( Redtenbacher, 1908) Median segment with paired spines .....................................................................................................................................................8

8. Occiput of head unarmed .................................................................................................................................... N. catbaensis sp. nov. Occiput of head spinose .......................................................................................................................................................................9

9. Pronotum with two pairs of spines ..................................................... N. maerens maerens ( Brunner von Wattenwyl, 1907) (s. str.) Pronotum with one pair of spines........................................................................................... N. maerens pseudomaerens subsp. nov.

10. Metapleurae with a long supra-coxal spine ........................................................................ N. cochinchinensis ( Redtenbacher, 1908) Metapleurae with a short supra-coxal tubercle ................................................................................................................................... 11

11. Metanotum unarmed ............................................................................................................................................ N. nana ( Carl, 1913) Metanotum with paired spines ............................................................................................................ N. asper ( Redtenbacher, 1908)