Paragrostia brulei, Conle & Hennemann & Bellanger & Lelong & Jourdan & Valero, 2020

Conle, Oskar V., Hennemann, Frank H., Bellanger, Yannick, Lelong, Philippe, Jourdan, Toni & Valero, Pablo, 2020, Studies on neotropical Phasmatodea XX: A new genus and 16 new species from French Guiana, Zootaxa 4814 (1), pp. 1-136 : 64-68

Paragrostia brulei n. sp.

( Figs. 30–32 )

HT, ♀: Montagnes de Kaw , GEP 1993, 25.VII, A651N7, P.E.Roubaud det.; 3; Prexaspes ♀, E.Delfosse det.10/05 [ MNHN] .

PT, ♀: Französisch Guyana: Commune de Saül, Belvédère de Saül, 3°37’22”N– 53°12’57”W, 326m, S.E.A.G., Lichtfang, leg. Stéphane Brûlé 30.07.2011 [coll. OC, No. 0349-1] .

PT, ♂: Französisch Guyana: Commune de Camopi , North-west of Camopi, Piton Rocheux de l‘Armontabo, 3°42‘56,7“N– 52°19‘11,5“W, S.E.A.G., Lichtfang, leg. Stéphane Brûlé 25.03.2009 [coll. OC, No. 0349-2] .

PT, ♂: Französisch Guyana: Commune de Roura, Montagne des Chevaux, RN2 PK22, 4°44‘56“N– 52°26‘28“W, 75m, S.E.A.G., Lichtfang, leg. Stéphane Brûlé 21.11.2015 [coll. OC, No. 0349-3] .

PT, ♂: Französisch Guyana: Commune de Roura, Montagne des Chevaux, RN2 PK22, 4°44‘56“N– 52°26‘28“W, 75m, S.E.A.G., Lichtfang, leg. Stéphane Brûlé 14.02.2015 [coll. OC, No. 0349-4] .

PT, ♂: Französisch Guyana: Commune de Roura, Montagne des Chevaux, RN2 PK22, 4°44‘56“N– 52°26‘28“W, 75m, S.E.A.G., Lichtfang, leg. Stéphane Brûlé 16.04.2016 [coll. OC, No. 0349-5] .

PT, ♂: Französisch Guyana: Commune de Saül, Aussichtspunkt Belvédère de Saül, 3°37’22”N– 53°12’57”W, 326 m, S.E.A.G, Lichtfang, leg. Stéphane Brûlé 17.05.2016 [coll. OC, No. 0349-6] .

PT, ♂: Französisch Guyana: Commune de Saül, Aussichtspunkt Belvédère de Saül, 3°37’22”N– 53°12’57”W, 326 m, S.E.A.G, Lichtfang, leg. Stéphane Brûlé 06.04.2017 [coll. OC, No. 0349-7] .

PT, 1 ♀: Französisch Guyana: Commune de Roura, Montagne des Chevaux, RN2 PK22, 4°44‘56“N– 52°26‘28“W, 75m, S.E.A.G., Canopy UV light trap, leg. Stéphane Brûlé 16.06.2018 [coll. OC, No. 0349-8] .

PT, 1 ♀: Französisch Guyana: Commune de Roura, Montagne des Chevaux, RN2 PK22, 4°44'56"N– 52°26'28"W, 75m, S.E.A.G., Canopy UV light trap, leg. Stéphane Brûlé 05.05.2018 [coll. OC, No. 0349-9] .

PT, 1 ♀: Französisch Guyana: Commune de Roura, Montagne des Chevaux, RN2 PK22, 4°44'56"N– 52°26'28"W, 75m, S.E.A.G., Automatic light trap pink, leg. Stéphane Brûlé 03.11.2018 [coll. OC, No. 0349-10] .

PT, ♂: du 22 au 26.1. 96 P. L., PK 80 RN2, leg. Th. Rosant (Guy. Fr.); Rosant Th. N °3945 [coll. TR, No. 3945] .

PT, ♀: Bolivia, trop. Prov. Chapare, 400m, 18.XI.1949, leg Zischka [ ZSMC] .

Etymology. This new species is dedicated to Stéphane Brûlé (S.E.A.G.), who collected most of the paratypes and took photos of a live specimen, in order to acknowledge his great efforts in collecting many Phasmatodea in French Guiana, that are a main basis for the present work.

Differentiation. Paragrostia brulei n. sp. is closely related to Paragrostia flavimaculata ( Heleodoro, Mendes & Rafael, 2017) , but clearly differs by the different shape of the paraproct, the slightly more acute cerci and the apically tapered and pointed anal segment (with apex bluntly rounded in flavimaculata ) in the ♀ ( Fig. 28 ). In the ♂ P. brulei n. sp. is clearly distinguished by the much longer, cylindrical and acutely pointed cerci (lancet-like, laterally compressed and strongly setose in P. flavimaculata ); the distinctly pointed posterior margin of the anal segment (posterior margin obtusely rounded in flavimaculata ); and distinctive, digitiform posterolateral appendix of abdominal tergum IX (posterolateral corners bilobed in flavimaculata ) ( Fig. 29 ).

Description. ♀ ( Figs. 30–31 ). Length of body 62.47–73.4 mm. General colour of body brown with strawcoloured lines and granules on head, pro- and mesonotum. All terga that are covered by the wings black. Eyes marbled black and yellow; ocelli yellow to white. Antennae dark brown in basal half but becoming paler brown apically. Tegmina brown with most of the veins yellowish and a large oval yellow marking in centre that is framed by a black line; elevated portion black. Costal area of alae whitish at the base and brown with fine pale brown veins in the end. Anal area of alae yellow with a broad brownish translucent band along the posterior margin. Legs yellowish green with black knees; apical ends of tibiae with a black marking. Cerci brown. Anal segment and paraproct distinctly tapered towards apex.

Measurements HT [mm]: Body 62.5, pronotum 4.0, mesonotum 7.9, metanotum 5.0, median segment 2.2, tegmina 10.9, alae 40.6, profemora 11.8, mesofemora 8.45, metafemora 11.4, antennae 30.5.

Measurements PT [mm]: Body 68.8.4–74.7, pronotum 2.8–3.6, mesonotum 6.4–8.8, metanotum 7.7–9.0, median segment 3.3–4.1, tegmina 10.9–11.6, alae 44.9–48.3, profemora 12.4–13.5, mesofemora 8.9–10.0, metafemora 10.9–12.2, antennae> 41.6.

♂ ( Fig. 32 ). Length of body 51.0– 57.3 mm. Similar to ♀, but more slender. Terga VIII and IX with black lateral margins. Cerci pale beige, long, clearly projecting over the anal segment, tapered towards the apex, slightly curved inwards. Tergum IX with posterolateral projections, rounded at apex and pointing towards posterior, reaching 1/3 of the anal segment. Anal segment heavily narrowed at posterior half, with acute apex that is slightly bent towards the dorsal. Poculum slightly convex and ventrally keeled, with posterior margin incised.

Measurements PT [mm]: Body 51.0–57.3, pronotum 2.1–2.5, mesonotum 6.1–6.3, metanotum 6.4–7.1, median segment 2.3–2.7, tegmina 6.8–7.7, alae 32.5–37.0, profemora 10.7–12.3, mesofemora 8.0–8.4, metafemora 9.7–10.9, antennae> 62.8.

Distribution. French Guiana: Montagnes de Kaw [MNHN]; Commune de Saül, Belvédère de Saül [coll. OC]; Commune de Camopi, North-west of Camopi, Piton Rocheux de l’Armontabo [coll. OC]; Commune de Roura, Montagne des Chevaux [coll. OC]; Commune de Saül [coll. OC]. Bolivia: Province Chapare [ZSMC]. The extremely wide distribution of this species is strange, but all collecting data are undoubtedly correct.

Figures

FIGURE 28. Comparison of the apex of abdomen in females of Paragrostia brulei n.sp. and Paragrostia flavimaculata (Heleodoro, Mendes & Rafael, 2017) n. comb. a. P. flavimaculata in dorsal view; b. P. brulei in dorsal view; c. P. flavimaculata in ventral view; d. P. brulei in ventral view.

FIGURE 29. Comparison of the apex of abdomen in males of Paragrostia brulei n.sp. and Paragrostia flavimaculata (Heleodoro, Mendes & Rafael, 2017) n. comb. a. P. flavimaculata in dorsal view; b. P. brulei in dorsal view; c. P. flavimaculata in lateral view; d. P. brulei in lateral view; e. cerci of P. flavimaculata in dorsal view; f. cerci of P. brulei in dorsal view.

FIGURE 30. Female (PT) of Paragrostia brulei n. sp. a–c. habitus: a. ventral; b. lateral; c. dorsal; d–f. head, prothorax and mesothorax: d. ventral; e. lateral; f. dorsal; g–i. apex of abdomen: g. ventral; h. lateral; i. dorsal.

FIGURE 31. Female (HT) of Paragrostia brulei n. sp. a. habitus in dorsal view.

FIGURE 32. Male (PT) of Paragrostia brulei n. sp. a–c. habitus: a. ventral; b. lateral; c. dorsal; d–f. head, prothorax and mesothorax: d. ventral; e. lateral; f. dorsal; g–i. apex of abdomen: g. ventral; h. lateral; i. dorsal.