Taraxippus Moxey, 1971
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publication ID |
https://dx.doi.org/10.3897/jor.29.51328 |
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publication LSID |
lsid:zoobank.org:pub:BB2E7A21-C67E-444D-941A-E77CBBABAF71 |
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persistent identifier |
https://treatment.plazi.org/id/B869057D-F453-5B7D-9576-B4332F9528D4 |
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treatment provided by |
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scientific name |
Taraxippus Moxey, 1971 |
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Taraxippus Moxey, 1971 Figs 1 View Fig. 1 , 2 View Fig. 2 , 3 View Fig. 3 , 4 View Fig. 4 , 5 View Fig. 5 , 6 View Fig. 6 , 7 View Fig. 7 , 8 View Fig. 8
Type-species. -
Taraxippus paliurus Moxey, 1971: 67, by original designation.
Comments. -
The genus compromises three species including the two new species described here. It is so far recorded from Hispaniola Island (Haiti and Dominican Republic), Costa Rica, and Panama.
Diagnosis of genus. -
Medium to small member of the tribe Hesperophasmatini (body length ♀♀ including subgenital plate 39.8-71.1 mm, ♂♂ 38.2-54.2 mm), body prominently spinose and mesonotum with a prominent hump-like median swelling (more pronounced in females). Females apterous, males either winged or apterous. Body in both sexes all over armed with distinct spines, bulges, and/or irregular foliaceous lobes. Head with vertex strongly conically raised and armed with spines, higher than long; no ocelli. Antennae filiform; longer than head, pro-, and mesothorax combined. Antennomeres considerably longer than wide and gradually shortening in apical portion, more or less club-like in females. Scapus with spines on outer lateral margin. Mesothorax >2.5 × longer than prothorax, strongly widened and deflexed medially; mesonotum prominently swollen and hump-like in central portion (females in particular). Metapleurae with a distinct multispinose supracoxal projection. Tegmina in males ovoid and with a fairly pointed central projection. Anal region of alae translucent greyish. Abdomen excluding median segment slightly longer than head and thorax combined. In females, segment VII longest segment, II quadrate, and II-VII wider than long; abdomen swollen and broadened medially. In males, all segments longer than wide and roughly uniform in width. Abdominal tergum VII in both sexes strongly deflexed laterally; III-VI and VIII occasionally with lateral lobes. Praeopercular organ on abdominal sternum VII of females distinct and positioned a considerable distance anterior to posterior margin. Epiproct of females scale-like and noticeably projecting over posterior margin of anal segment. Subgenital plate shovel-like and projecting notably beyond apex of abdomen; the apical portion more or less decidedly narrowed. Anal segment of males slightly convex and notched medially; the outer posterior angles set with a variable number of minute teeth ventrally. Vomer well developed, principally triangular in shape and with a single fairly acute terminal hook. Poculum (= subgenital plate) cup-shaped, strongly convex, and conical in center, and the posterior margin more or less labiate. Cerci laterally compressed in females, lancet-like, circular in cross-section in males, with tipped apex, projecting over the anal segment. All legs slender and bearing spines and/or variably sized and shaped foliaceous lobes; all femora shorter (females) or longer (males) than pro- and mesothorax combined. Profemora almost straight and just slightly compressed basally. Femora with medioventral carina almost obsolete and armed with a variable number of medium-sized spines. Tarsi elongated with basitarsus longer than following two tarsomeres combined.
Eggs: Capsule flattened laterally; the anterior, posterior, and lateral margins set with rows of long fringes. Lateral surfaces more or less flattened and rugulose. Micropylar plates less than half as long as capsule, spear-shaped, and roughly placed in center of dorsal capsule surface. Operculum oval, flat; outer margin with long setae or fringes.
Differentiation: This very distinctive genus is well differentiated from other members of the tribe Hesperophasmatini by the extremely prominent body armature and almost straight profemora. Females further differ from all other known genera of the tribe by the strongly swollen and hump-like median portion of the mesonotum and males by having a very large pair of antler-like, median projections on the mesonotum. The eggs are very distinctive, being laterally flattened and somewhat angular and having the anterior, posterior, and lateral margins set with rows of long fringes.
Comments: This previously monotypic genus currently compromises three species including the two new species described herein. It is so far recorded from the Caribbean island of Hispaniola (Haiti and Dominican Republic) as well as Central America (Costa Rica and Panama). The disjunct distribution of Taraxippus is remarkable and may be subject to speculation on the mechanisms and reasons that led to the distributional pattern now seen. Very few phasmid genera are known to have representatives in both the Caribbean and in Central America; e.g., Pterinoxylus Serville, 1838 ( Hennemann et al. 2016). But while Pterinoxylus is found throughout various altitudinal ranges including coastal lowland forests, Taraxippus seems to be confined to mountainous habitats. This would suggest a relict distribution for Taraxippus , meaning that the genus or its direct ancestors might once have had a considerably larger range but has subsequently become locally extinct in most areas.
Distribution. -
Hispaniola, Costa Rica, and Panama.
Species included. -
Taraxippus paliurus Moxey, 1971: 70, figs 2, 5. [Hispaniola: Haiti]
Taraxippus perezgelaberti sp. nov. [Hispaniola: Dominican Republic]
Taraxippus samarae sp. nov. [Costa Rica and Panama]
No known copyright restrictions apply. See Agosti, D., Egloff, W., 2009. Taxonomic information exchange and copyright: the Plazi approach. BMC Research Notes 2009, 2:53 for further explanation.