Prisopus phacellus Westwood, 1859

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 : 116-117

Prisopus phacellus Westwood, 1859

( Figs. 46 f , 47 f )

Prisopus phacellus Westwood, 1859: 169 . HT, ♂: 57 20; Prisopus phacellus Westw., Amazon, Ega ; phacellus Westw ..; Holotype; NHMUK(E)845175 [NHMUK]

Kirby, 1904: 406

Redtenbacher, 1906: 153

Otte & Brock, 2005: 285

Further material [ 16 ♂♂, 5 ♀♀]: BRAZIL : 1 ♀: Brasil , Atalaia do Norte ( Rio Javari ), Estado Amazonas, Dirings [ MZUSP] .

FRENCH GUIANA: 1 ♀: PK 37 piste de Kaw A4, 18.VIII.94; W 418.8.2; 28 [ MNHN] ; 1 ♀: Piste de Kaw , PK 39 A7, 23 VIII; 29 [ MNHN] ; 1 ♂: Museum Paris , Guyane mle., Mt. Stany, Aub. de la Rüe, IX.1957; 9 [ MNHN] ; 1 ♂: A6 SIN 7 [ MNHN] ; 1 ♂: Guyane Française 1990, Environs de Cayenne, H. De Toulgoet, J. Navatte, B. Lalanne- Cassou; Piste Coralie PK 7, 17/20/ 21-III-1990 [ MNHN] ; 1 ♂: 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 07.09.2013 [coll. OC, No. 0281-1] ; 1 ♂: 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 27.09.2014 [coll. OC, No. 0281-2] ; 1 ♂: Französisch Guyana : Commune de Roura, Montagne des Chevaux, RN2 PK22, 4°44'56"N– 52°26'28"W, 75m, S.E.A.G., Li- chtfang, leg. Stéphane Brûlé 12.10.2013 [coll. OC, No. 0281-3] ; 1 ♂: Französisch Guyana : Commune de Roura, Montagne des Chevaux, RN2 PK22, 4°44'56"N– 52°26'28"W, 75m, S.E.A.G., Malaise-trap, leg. Stéphane Brûlé 03.08.2013 [coll. OC, No. 0281-4] ; 1 ♂: 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 22.08.2015 [coll. OC, No. 0281-5] ; 1 ♂: 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 01.10.2016 [coll. OC, No. 0281-6] ; 1 ♂: 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 26.11.2016 [coll. OC, No. 0281-8] ; 1 ♂: Französisch Guyana : Commune de Roura, Montagne des Chevaux, 4°44’31”N– 52°25’53”W, 90m, S.E.A.G., Canopy UV light trap, leg. Stéphane Brûlé 22.09.2018 [coll. OC, No. 0281-9] ; 1 ♂: Französisch Guyana : Commune de Roura, Montagne des Chevaux, 4°44’31”N– 52°25’53”W, 90m, S.E.A.G., Canopy UV light trap, leg. Stéphane Brûlé 01.09.2018 [coll. OC, No. 0281-10] ; 1 ♂: Französisch Guy- ana: Commune de Roura, Montagne des Chevaux, 4°44’31”N– 52°25’53”W, 90m, S.E.A.G., Canopy UV light trap, leg. Stéphane Brûlé 22.09.2018 [coll. OC, No. 0281-11] ; 1 ♂: Französisch Guyana : Commune de Roura, Montagne des Chevaux, 4°44’31”N– 52°25’53”W, 90m, S.E.A.G., Canopy Lumivie blue trap, leg. Stéphane Brûlé 15.09.2018 [coll. OC, No. 0281-12] .

SURINAME: 1 ♂: Suriname , Exp. Wilhelmina Geb., in Loger gebouw, Koysep, 23-VIII-1963, Ligorie [ RMNH] ; 1 ♂: Suriname , Coeroeni-Eiland, 9-IX-1959 A.L., D.C.Geyskes [ RMNH] .

UNKNOWN LOCATION: 1 ♀: Prisopus sp. [ RMNH]; 1 ♀: 139. Prisopus piperinus Redt. ; Museum Paris; coll. Latreille [ MNHN] ;

Differentiation. Similar to P. occipitalis Dohrn, 1910 and P. piperinus Redtenbacher, 1906 , but easily distinguished from both species by the uniformly coloured metasternum of both sexes.

Description. ♀. Fairly large (body length 73.0–83.0 mm) and robust for the genus, the mesonotum transverse and scarcely longer than the pronotum, the head armed with several prominent spines at the posterior margin and abdominal terga VI–X with distinct lateral lobes. Pro- and mesonotum bearing some single acute granules. General colouration of dorsal surface of head, thorax and abdomen and dorsal surface of legs greyish brown to reddish brown, sometimes with darker and paler patches. Ventral side of head, thorax, abdomen and legs dull yellow to orange with broad transverse black bands on sternites II–VII. Pro-, meso-, metasternum and abdominal sternum I uniformly dull yellow to orange. Vertex in some species with tiny white spots. Antennae dark greyish brown with some weakly defined dark brown markings, antennomeres slightly club-shaped. Eyes marbled in brown and black. Tegmina and costal region of alae pale brown to grey with dark brown veins and irregular dark mottling; basal two thirds of costal area of alae creamish white with irregular dark brown markings. Protuberances of tegmina slightly elevated. Anal region of alae transparent and irregularly reticulate, the transverse stripes brown. Subgenital plate flat, posterior margin rounded, at best reaching posterior margin of sternum IX. Epiproct slightly incised posteromedially, hardly projecting over posterior margin of anal segment. Cerci long and slender, laterally compressed with rounded apex, slightly longer than anal segment. All legs bearing fine setae at their posterior margins. Profemora with a large outer and a small inner lobe at apical margin. Femora of all legs distinctly undulate. Metatibiae with a short, curved, acute spine at apical margin. Basitarsi 2x longer than second tarsomere.

♂ ( Figs. 46 f , 47 f ). Very similar to ♀, but smaller and more slender (body length 51.0–60.0 mm). Ventral sur- face of head, thorax, abdomen and legs dull yellow to orange with broad transverse black bands on all abdominal sternites and the poculum. Vomer small and triangular with an acute, up-curving apical hook. Poculum flat with the posterior margin rounded to roundly triangular, slightly indented medially and at best reaching centre of anal segment.

Comments. Examination of the ♂ holotype of P. phacellus Westwood, 1859 revealed the epiproct-like protrusion at the apex of the abdomen to be a slender stick that has been inserted into insect body during preparation, possibly to keep the abdomen straight during the drying process. The species is characterized by the uniformly coloured ventral surface of the thorax and the transverse black bands on the abdominal sternites. As in most species of the genus the colouration of the dorsal surface of body, wings and legs shows considerable variability.

Distribution. French Guiana: Piste de Kaw [MNHN]; Piste Coralie [MNHN]; Mt. Stany [MNHN]; Cayenne [MNHN]; Commune de Roura, Montagne des Chevaux [coll. OC]; Brazil: Amazonas [MZUSP]; Suriname [RMNH].

Figures

FIGURE 46. Comparison of males of all known Prisopus spp. for French Guiana. Habitus in dorsal view. a. P. wolfgangjunki; b. P. clarus n. sp.; c. P. sacratus; d. P. horstokkii; e. P. horridus; f. P. phacellus; g. P. minimus; h. P. piperinus; i. P. ariadne; j. P. conocephalus n.sp..

FIGURE 47. Comparison of males of all known Prisopus spp. for French Guiana. Habitus in ventral view. a. P. wolfgangjunki; b. P. clarus n. sp.; c. P. sacratus; d. P. horstokkii; e. P. horridus; f. P. phacellus; g. P. minimus; h. P. piperinus; i. P. ariadne; j. P. conocephalus n.sp..