Medauroidea cornuta, Ho, 2020

Ho, Wai-Chun George, 2020, New taxa of Clitumninae from Vietnam (Phasmatodea: Phasmatidae), Zoological Systematics 45 (2), pp. 104-117 : 109-110

Medauroidea cornuta sp. nov. ( Figs 9–12 , 43–50 )

Diagnosis. This new species is similar to Medauroidea fasciata sp. nov., but can be separated by its smaller size in the both sexes, the presence of paired horns on the vertex of head in the female and the slenderer thorax and longer anal abdominal segment in the male.

Description. Female. Body elongate, slender and long. General colouration of body brown, legs greenish brown, with blackish markings. Head sparsely granulated. Oval, longer than wide, gently tapering posteriorly behind compound eyes. Vertex weakly convex, with a pair of horns between compound eyes. Occiput flat, median and lateral longitudinal furrows distinct, posterior margin weakly raised, with six small swellings. Compound eyes small and rounded, its length about six times of genae. Antennae short, with 22 (paratype) or 25 (holotype) segments, reaching middle area of profemora; scapus flattened, constricted anteriorly and posteriorly, longer than combined length of pedicellus and third segment; and pedicellus shorter than third segment. Thorax sparsely and obscurely granulated, also interspersed with a few enlarged granules. Pronotum trapezoidal, gently expanded posteriorly, shorter than head, anterior margin distinctly incurved, posterior margin rounded, transverse and longitudinal sulci crossing at middle point. Mesonotum parallel-sided, longer than combined length of metanotum and median segment. Metanotum longer than median segment. Abdomen cylindrical, sparsely and obscurely covered with small granules, also interspersed with a few enlarged granules. Median segment rectangular, wider than long. Seventh tergum with laterally expanded lobe. Seventh sternum lacking noticeable praeopercular organ. Eighth tergum longer than ninth tergum. Ninth tergum with a small crest posteromedially. Anal segment long than ninth tergum, posterior margin with a broad V-shaped emargination, posterolateral angles obtuse, median longitudinal carina weakly elevated. Supra-anal plate distinct, small, posterior margin rounded and exceeding posterolateral angles of anal segment. Subgenital plate scoopshaped, mediolongitudinally carinate, posterior apex pointed and reaching posterior margin of anal segment. Cerci short, flattened, apices pointed and not surpassing posterior margin of anal segment. Legs slender and long. Femora thicker than corresponding tibiae. Profemora curved basally, anterodorsal and posteroventral carinae with dense and small serrations, other carinae unarmed. Anterodorsal, posterodorsal, anteroventral and posteroventral carinae of mesofemora and metafemora with sparse and small serrations. Anterodorsal and posterodorsal carinae of protibiae with small, tooth-like spines, other carinae unarmed. Anterodorsal, posterodorsal, anteroventral and posteroventral carinae of mesotibiae and metatibiae with small, tooth-like spines.

Male. Body slender and slim, distinctly slenderer and smaller than female. General colouration of body brown, legs brown, with blackish markings. Head oval, gently tapering posteriorly behind compound eyes. Vertex with two obscure, flattened elevations between compound eyes, with a pair of enlarged and indistinct granules on the elevations. Occiput with distinct median and lateral longitudinal furrows, posterior margin weakly raised, with four small swellings. Compound eyes small and rounded, its length about three times of genae. Antennae short, with 24 segments, apices reaching subapical area of profemora; scapus flattened, constricted anteriorly and posteriorly, as long as third segment, longer than pedicellus. Thorax obscurely covered with very few small granules. Pronotum trapezoidal, gently expanded posteriorly, anterior margin distinctly incurved, posterior margin rounded, transverse and longitudinal sulci crossing at middle point. Mesonotum longer than combined length of metanotum and median segment, broadly emarginated medially. Metanotum longer than median segment. Abdomen slender and cylindrical. Median segment rectangular, slightly longer than wide. Third to eighth tergites with a small anterolateral hump. Eighth tergum expanded posteriorly, longer than ninth tergum. Anal segment elongated, longer than eighth tergum, dilated into two semi-tergites; semi-tergites straight, medially tapering posteriorly, inner margin with minute dentations, apices obtuse. Poculum small, cup-shaped, posterior margin rounded and reaching posterior area of ninth tergum. Cerci flattened, short, apices obtuse and not exceeding posterior apices of anal segment. Legs slender and long. Femora thicker than corresponding tibiae. Profemora curved basally, anterodorsal and posteroventral carinae with sparse and small serrations, other carinae unarmed. Anterodorsal and posterodorsal carinae of mesofemora and metafemora with three small serrations, anteroventral and posteroventral carinae unarmed, medioventral carina with one to two small serrations subapically. Posteroventral carina of protibiae with a few spines, other carinae unarmed. Anteroventral and posteroventral carinae of mesotibiae and metatibiae with a few spines, other carinae unarmed.

Measurements. Length. Body, ♀ 84.0–85.0 mm, ♂ 69.0–76.0 mm; antennae, ♀ 10.0–14.0 mm, ♂ 18.0–25.0 mm; head, ♀ 5.5 mm, ♂ 4.0– 4.5 mm; pronotum, ♀ 3.5–4.0 mm, ♂ 2.5 mm; mesonotum, ♀ 20.0 mm, ♂ 15.5–17.0 mm; metanotum, ♀ 11.0 mm, ♂ 10.5–11.5 mm; median segment, ♀ 3.0 mm, ♂ 2.0 mm; profemora, ♀ 29.0–32.0 mm, ♂ 32.0–34.0 mm; mesofemora, ♀ 18.0–20.0 mm, ♂ 20.0–22.0 mm; metafemora, ♀ 23.0–27.0 mm, ♂ 26.0–28.0 mm; protibiae, ♀ 34.0– 35.0 mm, ♂ 38.0–40.0 mm; mesotibiae, ♀ 19.0–20.0 mm, ♂ 22.0–25.0 mm; metatibiae, ♀ 27.0–30.0 mm, ♂ 32.0–34.0 mm.

Material examined. Holotype ♀, Vietnam, Thua Thien Hue, Bachma Mountain, 18–19 September 2016, He Li ( HKES). Paratypes. 1♀, 4♂, same data as holotype ( HKES) .

Distribution. Vietnam.

Etymology. The specific epithet of this new species is derived from the pair of horns on the vertex of head in the female.

Figures

Figures 1–26. Clitumninae spp. 1–4. Interphasma lineatum sp. nov. 5–8. Medauroidea cattienensis sp. nov. 9–12. Medauroidea cornuta sp. nov. 13–16. Medauroidea fasciata sp. nov. 17–20. Neomedaura yokdonensis gen. & sp. nov. 21–22. Parapachymorpha pseudospinosa sp. nov. 23–26. Prosentoria vietnamensis sp. nov. 1, 7, 11, 15, 19, 25. Male end of abdomen, lateral view. 2, 8, 12, 16, 20, 26. Male end of abdomen, dorsal view. 3, 5, 9, 13, 17, 21, 23. Female end of abdomen, lateral view. 4, 6, 10, 14, 18, 22, 24. Female end of abdomen, dorsal view. Scale bars=5mm.

Figures 43–50. Medauroidea cornuta sp. nov. 43. Female habitus. 44. Female abdomen, lateral view. 45. Female abdomen, dorsal view. 46. Male habitus. 47. Male abdomen, lateral view. 48. Male abdomen, dorsal view. 49. Female head and thorax, dorsolateral view. 50. Male head and thorax, dorsolateral view. Scale bars=5mm.