Phanocloidea lobulatipes, 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 : 13-16

Phanocloidea lobulatipes n. sp.

( Figs. 3–4 )

HT, ♂: HOLOTYPE; MNHN-EO-PHAS563; 15; PK37, 22.VII.93, A3S4 N°3, P.E. Roubaud det.; proche de Phanocloidea pallidenotata ♂, det. E. Delfosse 10/05; Phanocloidea lobulatipes, Conle et al. n. sp., holotype, det. Hennemann et al. II.2017 [ MNHN].

PT, 1 ♀ (nymph): Guyane, Montagne de Kaw , 5.–12.VIII.92, Roubaud, Auvray, Rarchaert rec. [ MNHN] .

PT, 1 ♂: Französisch Guyana: Commune de Roura, Montagne des Chevaux, RN2 PK22, 4°44’56”N– 52°26’28”W, 75 m, S.E.A.G., leg. Stéphane Brûlé 13.09.2014 [coll. OC, No. 0342-1] .

PT, 1 ♂: Französisch Guyana: Commune de Roura, Montagne des Chevaux, RN2 PK22, 4°44’56”N– 52°26’28”W, 75 m, S.E.A.G., leg. Stéphane Brûlé 21.08.2014 [coll. OC, No. 0342-2] .

PT, 1 ♂: Aoút 2005 á vue, Vige Esperance, St Laurent du Maroni, Th. Rosant (Guy. Fr.) [coll. TR, No. 3960] .

PT, 1 ♂ (nymph): GUYKAW16-066, rec. & det. P. Lelong & Y. Bellanger, in coll. ASPER; GUYKAW16-066 — 12.XI.2016 , Guyane fr.—route de Kaw, Camp Caïman—PK22 depuis Roura [ MNHN] .

Etymology. The name refers to the lobed legs of this very distinctive new species.

Differentiation. ♂♂ are very similar to P. pallidenotata ( Redtenbacher, 1908) (n. comb.) but differ by the somewhat more elongate head, presence of blunt tubercles and lack of a longitudinal black streak on the mesonotum, prominent posteromedian lobes of abdominal terga V and VI, presence of sub-basal lobes on the two outer ventral carinae of the mesofemora and distinctively lobulated meso- and metatibiae. The lobulated legs and presence of blunt mesothoracic protuberances also seem to distinguish ♀♀ from related species, but so far no adult ♀ has become available and this distinction must be regarded preliminary.

Description. ♂ ( Figs. 3–4 ). Size average (body length 122.3–138.0 mm), form fairly stocky for the genus, with a flattened head, well developed alae and distinctively lobate legs. Colour greyish (HT) or ochraceous (PT) pale to mid brown, the meso- and metafemora and tibiae each with two broad pale grey transverse bands. Head with a fine dark postocular line on genae. Longitudinal median keel of the meso- and metasternum pink. Tegmina and costal region of alae plain mid brown, the tegmina with a faint washed pale grey to whitish marking in apical half of anterior margin. Anal region of alae translucent grey. Antennae dull reddish brown.

Head: About 1.4x longer than wide, broadest at the eyes with the genae very gently narrowing towards the posterior; vertex flattened and smooth. Two small, shallow impressions between the bases of the antennae. Eyes moderately large, circular in outline and projecting hemispherically; each eye is 1.5x as long as the genae. Antennae long and filiform, reaching to abdominal segment III. Scapus somewhat compressed dorsoventrally, rectangular in shape and about 1.3x longer than wide. Pedicellus sub-globose and considerably shorter than scapus.

Thorax: Pronotum about equal in length but noticeably narrower than head, rectangular, elongate and about 1.7x longer than wide; transverse median sulcus shallow, gently curved and just not reaching lateral margins. Mesothorax long, slender and almost 6.5x longer than prothorax. Mesonotum weakly tectinate longitudinally and smooth except for two pairs of blunt, conical tubercles in the anterior 1/3, the posterior pair of which is considerably more prominent than the anterior. Mesopleurae occasionally with two or three small tubercles (both paratypes). Meso- and metasternum with an acute longitudinal median carina, which however is less defined on metasternum. Metapleurae smooth. Tegmina narrowed in basal half, somewhat truncated apically and with a fairly prominent, roundly conical central hump. Alae reaching to posterior margin of abdominal segment IV.

Abdomen: Median segment 4x longer than metanotum and almost 2x longer than segment II. II–VII gradually decreasing in length with II about 4.5x and VIII only 4x longer than wide. Terga V and VI with a prominent, scale-like posteromedial swelling. Sterna II–VI weakly tectinate longitudinally, VII and VIII with a fairly acute longitudinal median carina. Tergum VIII trapezoidal in dorsal aspect with posterior margin almost 2x wider than anterior margin. IX equal in length with the lateral margins very strongly deflexed to form a large, ventrally directed triangular lobe, which ventrally projects by more than the actual height of tergum. Anal segment only 2/3 the length of IX, roundly quadrate in dorsal aspect with the lateral margins slightly expanded medially; the posterior margin with the outer angles somewhat protruded and the median portion very weakly indented. Ventral surface of the protruded outer posterior angles set with several minute reddish brown denticles. Cerci small, sub-cylindrical, slightly up-curving and just not reaching posterior margin of anal segment. Vomer elongated, triangular in shape with a very deep longitudinal median furrow and a fairly short but acute, somewhat up-curving terminal hook. Phallus with a long, papillate projection. Poculum large, strongly convex and reaching to base of anal segment; the posterior margin slightly incised medially with the outer portions distinctly deflexed and labiate to form two rounded, slightly downward directed lobes.

Legs: Long and fairly stocky with characteristic lobes. Profemora about as long as head, pro- and mesothorax combined, mesofemora a little longer than mesothorax and metafemora projecting over posterior margin of abdominal segment IV. Meso- and metafemora with a more or less distinct lobe some 1/3 off the base on both outer ventral carinae, that of the anterior carina simple and that of the posterior carina may be bi- or trilobate (all weakly developed in HT). Posterodorsal carina with a flat, rounded lobe apically. Posterodorsal carina of meso- and metatibiae with two rounded lobes medially and a wide, irregularly undulate lobe apically. Basitarsi almost as long as remaining tarsomeres combined, the dorsal carina gently raised and weakly rounded.

Measurements HT [mm]: Body 137.3, pronotum 4.2, mesonotum 28.6, metanotum 5.9, median segment 25.3, tegmina 8.5, alae 54.0, profemora 36.7, mesofemora 30.0, metafemora 35.3, antennae 82.8.

Measurements PT [mm]: Body 122.3–138.1, pronotum 4.0–4.4, mesonotum 25.0–28.3, metanotum 17.9, median segment 10.0, tegmina 8.1–9.2, alae 54.0–59.5, profemora 32.3–37.2, mesofemora 25.5–28.9, metafemora 29.4–34.7, antennae> 80.6.

Comments. The small number of specimens known so far suggests this peculiar species to be particularly rare. It is much hoped that future collections throughout French Guiana will reveal an adult ♀ and the still unknown eggs. It is mainly the morphology of the ♂ genitalia, which places P. lobulatipes n. sp. species in the genus Phanocloidea . In several other aspects this species is quite unlike all other representatives of that genus, which includes the blunt tubercles on the mesonotum and distinctively lobed legs of ♂♂.

Distribution. Commune de Roura, Montagne de Kaw [MNHN]; Commune de Roura, Montagne des Chevaux [coll. OC], St. Laurent du Maroni [TR].

Figures

FIGURE 3. Male (PT) of Phanocloidea lobulatipes n. sp. a–c. habitus: a. dorsal; b. lateral; c. ventral; d–f. head, prothorax and mesothorax: d. ventral; e. lateral; f. dorsal; g–i. apex of abdomen: g. ventral; h. lateral; i. dorsal.

FIGURE 4. Male (HT) of Phanocloidea lobulatipes n. sp. a. habitus in dorsal view.