Lobofemora bachmaensis, Bresseel & Constant, 2015

Bresseel, Joachim & Constant, Jérôme, 2015, The new genus of stick insect Lobofemora from Vietnam, with the description of three new species (Phasmida: Phasmatidae: Clitumnini), European Journal of Taxonomy 115, pp. 1-25 : 12-14

Lobofemora bachmaensis sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:87AC14B9-A8A9-48E8-98C4-69A8A8162F67

Figs 1 , 2 , 3 , 10 A–C

Etymology

The species epithet refers to the type-locality, Bach Ma National Park in central Vietnam.

Type material

Holotype

VIETNAM: ♂: “ Coll. I.R.Sc.N.B., C Vietnam, Bach Ma N.P., 16°12’N 107°52’E, 12- 17.vii. 2011, leg. J. Constant & J. Bresseel, I.G.: 31.933” (RBINS).

Paratypes (1 ♂, 3 ♀♀, 1 ♀ nymph)

VIETNAM: same collection data as for holotype ( RBINS; 1 ♂, 1 ♀: VNMN).

Description

Male ( Fig. 2 )

MEASUREMENTS. See Table 1.

BODY. Complete body more or less uniformly brown with blackish markings, sometimes with vague longitudinal darker line. Basitarsi and curved anterior part of profemora paler. Prosternum with conspicuous black, longitudinal median line.

HEAD. Longer than wide, slightly tapering posteriorly and granulose. Vertex elongated, projecting over anterior margin of pronotum. Dorsal portion of head flattened, with two definite spines projecting dorsally at posterior margin of eyes. Eyes circular and strongly projecting hemispherically. Antennae projecting over posterior margin of median segment, with 23 segments. Scapus strongly flattened dorsoventrally and laterally rounded. Pedicellus cylindrical.

THORAX. Pronotum almost rectangular and granulose, shorter than head and slightly widening posteriorly. Anterior margin incurved and raised, followed by faint, median longitudinal impression, not reaching posterior margin. Central transverse impression not reaching lateral edges of pronotum. Mesonotum about five times as long as pronotum and strongly granulose, widening posteriorly; three larger, spinose tubercles on each side, with largest one in middle; fine median longitudinal line. Tegmina with inner portion blackish and outer portion pale cream coloured, short, flattened and just projecting over anterior margin of metanotum; apically rounded. Alae absent. Metanotum with faint median line, shorter than median segment.

ABDOMEN. Abdominal segments II–V gradually increasing in length; V–VI about the same length, slightly granulose and with fine median, longitudinal line. Granules more concentrated along median line. Tergum VII shorter than tergum II. Tergum VIII about half as long as tergum II, slightly widening posteriorly. Tergum IX shorter than VIII and tectiform. Tergum X about as long as VIII and with median longitudinal carina; apically split into two semi-tergites. Inner apical rim of semi-tergite armed with several spines; apex obliquely pointing downwards. Posterolateral angles rounded. Poculum rounded, slightly projecting over apex of abdominal tergum IX. Apex of poculum narrower and rounded. Cerci short, not reaching apex of tergum X, incurving, circular in cross-section, with apices rounded.

LEGS. Profemora slightly longer than head and thorax combined; compressed and curved basally. Anterodorsal carina with few, small serrations. Serrations mostly anteriorly. Other carinae unarmed. Mesofemora slightly shorter than head, pro- and mesonotum combined. Posterodorsal carina with two enlarged triangular spines, one central and one subapical. Anteroventral carina with single triangular subapical spine. Metafemora longer than mesofemora, but shorter than profemora. Protibiae longer than profemora and unarmed. Mesotibiae slightly longer than mesofemora. Posterodorsal carina with triangular spine in basal half. Anterodorsal carina with minute subapical spine. Ventral carinae unarmed. Metatibiae with minute saw-like spines in apical half on the outer carinae.

Female ( Figs 3 , 10 A–C)

MEASUREMENTS. See Table 1.

BODY. Complete body more or less uniformly brown with blackish markings, sometimes with vague longitudinal darker line. Basitarsi and curved anterior part of profemora paler. Prosternum with conspicuous black, longitudinal median line.

HEAD. Longer than wide, slightly tapering posteriorly and strongly granulose. Vertex elongated, almost reaching halfway pronotum. Vertex with enlarged granules apically and asymmetrical: vertex split by shallow longitudinal impression, right hump slightly more pronounced than left one. Dorsal portion of head flattened, with transverse, laterally acute ridge at posterior margin of eyes. Eyes circular and projecting hemispherically. Antennae short, with 25 segments. Scapus strongly flattened dorso-ventrally and rounded laterally. Pedicellus slightly flattened dorso-ventrally. Apical half with very short segments, apical segment about as long as three preceding segments together. Genae granulose.

THORAX. Pronotum trapezoidal, widening posteriorly; shorter than head and slightly granulose. Anterior margin incurved and raised, followed by median longitudinal impression, not reaching posterior margin. Central transverse impression not reaching lateral edges of pronotum. Mesonotum about four times as long as pronotum and strongly granulose, with fine median longitudinal line. Lateral edges with some larger blunt tubercles. Metanotum with anterior margin weakly incurved and raised, longer than wide and strongly granulose. Median segment 1.5 times longer than wide and granulose.

ABDOMEN. Abdominal segments II–VI gradually increasing in length, granulose and with fine median, longitudinal line. Tergum VII about as long as tergum II; sometimes with stalked, irregularly shaped tubercles. Tergum VIII shorter than tergum II, slightly widening posteriorly. Posterior margin weakly incurved. Tergum IX with anterior margin slightly convex, posterior margin slightly narrower and tectiform. Tergum X about as long as IX and with median, longitudinal carina; notched posteriorly and with posterolateral angles rounded. Epiproct elongated, slightly shorter than abdominal tergum X and with median, longitudinal carina; tectiform and apically rounded. Subgenital plate elongated, slightly projecting over apex of tergum X, with median longitudinal carina; apex acute. Cerci short, not reaching apex of tergum X. Gonapophyses strongly elongated, reaching apex of epiproct.

LEGS. Profemora longer than head, pronotum and mesonotum combined; compressed and curved basally. Anterodorsal carina with small serrations, more prominent anteriorly. Posterodorsal carina indistinct with sometimes (two out of three specimens) an enlarged triangular lobe. Ventral carina present and unarmed. Mesofemora with postero-dorsal carina with two lobes; anterior one most prominent. Anterior lobe resulting in different spines; other lobe with one apical spine. Anteroventral carina with three lobes. Basal lobe less prominent and inconspicuous; median and subapical ones with several spines. Posteroventral carina with base more prominent and one subapical lobe. Metafemora with posterodorsal carina sparsely serrated with triangular spines. Posteroventral carina with small triangular lobe basally and with two spines subapically; the latter strongly elongated and “wire”-like (absent in one of the females). Protibiae longer than head and thorax combined. Dorsal carina with small, inconspicuous triangular lobes. Mesotibiae about as long as mesofemora. Posterodorsal carina with conspicuous lobe basally; anterodorsal carina with minute triangular spine near apex. Medioventral carina with conspicuous lobe mirroring the one on posterodorsal carina, and with minute black serrations. Metatibiae shorter than profemora; posteroventral carina with few triangular serrations; posterodorsal carina with subapical triangular spine.

Egg

Unknown.

Distribution

So far only known from Bach Ma National Park in central Vietnam ( Fig. 1 ).

Figures

Fig. 1. Distribution map of the species of Lobofemora gen. nov.

Fig. 2. Lobofemora bachmaensis sp. nov. ♂, holotype. A. Habitus, dorsal view. B. Habitus, lateral view. C. Habitus, ventral view. D. Anterior part of body, dorsal view. E. Apex of abdomen, dorsal view. F. Apex of abdomen, lateral view. G. Apex of abdomen, ventral view. H. Anterior part of body, lateral view. D–H = not to scale.

Fig. 3. Lobofemora bachmaensis sp. nov. ♀, paratype. A. Habitus, dorsal view. B. Habitus, lateral view. C. Habitus, ventral view. D. Right median leg, detail. E. Anterior part of body, dorsal view. F. Apex of abdomen, dorsal view. G. Apex of abdomen, lateral view. H. Apex of abdomen, ventral view. I. Anterior part of body, lateral view. D–I = not to scale.

Fig. 10. Lobofemora gen. nov. spp., photographs in natura by the authors. A–C. L. bachmaensis sp. nov., Bach Ma National Park. A–B. ♀, 11 Jul. 2011. C. ♀, 14 Jul. 2011. D–G. L. bidoupensis sp. nov., Bidoup- Nui Ba National Park. D. ♂, 22 Jul. 2014. E–F. ♀, 25 Jul. 2014. G. ♀, 23 Jul. 2014. H–J. L. scheirei sp. nov. H–I. Dong Nai Biosphere Reserve, 30 Jun. 2012. H. ♂. I. ♀. J. ♀, Cat Tien National Park, 9 Jul. 2012.