Phantasca puppeia ( Westwood, 1859 )

Hennemann, Frank H., Conle, Oskar V., Bellanger, Yannick, Lelong, Philippe & Jourdan, Toni, 2018, Studies on neotropical Phasmatodea XVII: Revision of Phantasca Redtenbacher, 1906, with the descriptions of six new species (Phasmatodea: Diapheromeridae: Diapheromerinae), European Journal of Taxonomy 435, pp. 1-62 : 40-42

Phantasca puppeia ( Westwood, 1859)

Figs 78–81

Phasma puppeius Westwood, 1859: 125 , pl. 10, fig. 1 (♂).

Cladoxerus puppeius – Kirby 1904: 358.

Phantasca puppeia – Redtenbacher 1906: 111. — Zompro 2001: 223. — Otte & Brock 2005: 264. — Brock, Marshall, Beccaloni & Harman 2016: 190.

Material examined

Holotype

BRAZIL: ♂, “ Braz. Tapajos, 53 27 ; Type; Puppeius Westw. ; Phasma puppeius Westw. ; Cladoxerus puppeius ; BMNH(E) #844549 ” (NHMUK).

Diagnosis

Males (the only sex known) are similar to those of P. montana ( Redtenbacher, 1908) from eastern Peru but differ by the somewhat more elongate body and legs, slightly longer cerci, larger and apically broadly rounded poculum, lack of distinctive markings on the head and pronotum, plain green tegmina and costal region of the alae as well as the unicoloured anal segment. The colouration resembles that of P. ruboligata sp. nov., but the genital morphology (e.g., more slender abdominal tergum IX and straight cerci) readily distinguishes P. puppeia from this species.

Description

Male ( Fig. 78 )

BODY. Size very small (body length 46.1 mm, Table 10); form very slender and delicate. Body surface entirely smooth.

COLOUR. The colour of the unique holotype buff, with a pale greenish wash (almost certainly green when alive). Tegmina and costal region of alae pale green, anal region of alae hyaline, with the central longitudinal veins black at the base and the anterior longitudinal veins black at the apex ( Fig. 78 ). Mesonotum, with a few small brownish speckles. Abdominal tergites VIII and IX each, with two longitudinal blackish markings, those on IX longer and forming two sub-parallel stripes. Apex of all femora, tibiae and basitarsi mid brown; the extreme apex of femora and tibiae reddish (believed to be bright red when alive).

HEAD. Ovoid, somewhat longer than wide, broadest at the eyes, considerably broader than prothorax, the vertex smooth and gently convex; unicoloured ( Fig. 79 ). Eyes large, projecting hemispherically and their length contained only about 1.5× in that of cheeks. Antennae about as long as body (according to Westwood 1859: 126).

THORAX. Pronotum roundly rectangulate, about 1.3× as long as wide and with a shallow, curved transverse median sulcus. Mesothorax very slender and elongate, some 3× as long as head and pronotum combined. Mesonotum very weakly tectinate longitudinally. Tegmina small, elongate-oval, gradually narrowed towards the base, with the apical portion widest and obtusely rounded; hardly reaching base of alae. Alae reaching about half way along abdominal segment V.

ABDOMEN. Median segment 2× as long as metanotum. Segment IV longest and 5× as long as wide; III–VI gradually decreasing in length. VII much shorter than preceding and constricted medially. Tergum VIII slightly widening towards the posterior and fully separated from sternum VIII. IX some 1.3× as long as VIII, distinctly constricted medially, the lateral margins gently deflexed and rounded in the posterior half and clearly separated. Anal segment much shorter than all preceding, subquadrate, somewhat narrowed posteriorly and the posterior margin, with a well decided, rounded median emargination ( Fig. 80 ); the outer posterior angles obtusely angular and with a few very minute teeth ventrally. Vomer broad, scalelike and almost semi-circular in shape. Poculum tub-shaped, with the posterior margin entire, obtusely rounded and reaching about ⅓ along anal segment. Cerci cylindrical, almost straight, about ¾ the length of anal segment and distinctly projecting beyond its posterior margin ( Figs 80–81 ).

LEGS. All very long and slender, the profemora decidedly longer than the combined length of head, pro- and mesothorax, the mesofemora a little longer than mesothorax and the hind legs distinctly projecting beyond apex of abdomen. Pro- and metabasitarsus very elongate and considerably longer than remaining tarsomeres combined.

Remarks

Only known from the unique male holotype, which has suffered some damage since its original description by Westwood in 1859. Both antennae, the right front leg, left mid leg and the mesotarsi are missing.

Distribution

North East Brazil: Pará State, Rio Tapajós (NHMUK).

Figures

Figs 78–81. Phantasca puppeia (Westwood, 1859). Holotype, ♂. 78. Habitus, dorsal view. 79. Head and pronotum, lateral view. 80. Apex of abdomen, dorsal view. 81. Apex of abdomen, dorsal view.