Xeroderus conlei, Brock & Hennemann, 2023

Brock, Paul D. & Hennemann, Frank H., 2023, A new species of Xeroderus Gray, 1835 (Phasmida: Phasmatidae: Xeroderinae) from Papua New Guinea and notes on the genus, Zootaxa 5258 (4), pp. 443-454 : 448-450

Xeroderus conlei sp. n.

[Conle’s Xeroderus ]

( Figs. 3–4 )

Holotype ♀, PAPUA NEW GUINEA [as ‘ D. Neu-Guinea’], Sattelberg, Prof. Neuhauss S., 10 iii.[19]09 [ MNHU].

Description. Attractive part brownish and greyish medium-sized insect, heavily mottled greyish and whitish dorsally, possibly partly green, including legs, forewings and pre-anal part of hindwings, the latter uniform brown ( Fig. 3A ). Thorax with lateral lobes, mesonotum with paired broad spines ( Figs. 3C–D ).

♀ ( Fig. 3 ). Back of head with sparse tubercles/small spines, segment about as long as wide, eyes large; three distinct ocelli present, the hind pair larger. Antennae broken, therefore length not known, nor number of segments. However, basal segment broader than following segments, segment 2 only half length, and shorter than similar sized segments 3–6. Segments 7 about 1.5 x longer than preceding segments. Pronotum slightly shorter than head, with central impression between swollen upper and lower areas; black longitudinal, central line present along upper half, which has a pair of central spines. Mesonotum broader than head and pronotum, at its widest towards hind part, overall segment 1.7 x length of pronotum, with raised central area, armed with two large, broad paired spines posteriorly, two more large, paired spines and six smaller, stout spines, also swollen areas, in a distinct pattern; small lateral spines also present; on the outside rim there are a further four small spines each side with small lateral spines/ tubercles also present. Lateral margins of meso- and metathorax with series of lobes and few small spines ( Fig. 3D ). Ventral surface of head, thorax and abdomen smooth, lacking tubercles ( Fig. 3B ). Metathorax slightly broader and longer than mesothorax and marginally shorter than length of median segment. Tegmina broad, oval; alae long, reaching almost end of 9 th abdominal segment. Veins with frequent whitish flecks of irregular length. Abdomen elongate, parallel-sided, with rounded lateral lobes on abdominal segments (hook-tipped on some), smaller on curved anal segment, which is lobed at sides of tip. Subgenital plate broad and rounded at tip, reaching beyond end of 9th abdominal segment ( Fig. 3G ); epiproct plate reaching end of abdomen, triangular incised at tip. On ventral surface, hind part of abdominal segment 9 has four dark spots (these dark spots or marks appear on former abdominal segments to a lesser extent), whereas base of anal segment has dark triangular side marks and central mark. Epiproct plate has four short dark flecks. Cerci broad, leaf-like, shorter than length of anal segment ( Figs. 3E–G ). Legs moderately long and slender, reaching end of segment 7. Femora with well spread paired lobes and spines, some similarly shaped to abdominal lobes, whilst tibiae have few short spines and are broadened at tip. Tarsi of modest length, with all tarsi well over half length of tibiae.

Measurements [mm]: Length of body: 95.6, head 5.8, antennae:>13.0 (tips broken off), pronotum 5.2, mesonotum 8.7, metanotum 9.5, median segment: 9.9, tegmina 16.0, alae 68.5, profemora 18.3, mesofemora 12.1, metafemora 17.5, protibiae 15.3, mesotibiae 9.8, metatibiae 14.3, cerci 1.9.

Note. As is usual in phasmids, there can be variation in colour and spines within a species ( Brock & Büscher, 2022). Like X. kirbyi , there is likely to be geographic variation, perhaps dependant on habitat and foodplant selection.

Etymology. Named after Oskar V. Conle (Duisburg, Germany), for his outstanding contribution to phasmid research and efforts in re-organizing the phasmid collection of MNHU, in which the holotype of this species was found.

Distribution ( Fig. 4 ). Only known from the type locality in Papua New Guinea. Sattelberg (‘Saddle Mountain’) is a village on the Huon Peninsula, in Morobe Province.

Habitat and foodplants. Presumably forest, probably up to 900 m, where the area was formerly part of German New Guinea [‘D(eutsch) Neu-Guinea’] when the specimen would have been collected in 1909. The foodplants are unknown.

Notes on the collector. Professor Richard Gustav Neuhauss (1855–1915) was a German doctor and anthropologist, who was in German New Guinea from 1908–1910. In 1909 he went with several missionaries on an expedition to Laewomba territory, then conducted research in the area of Huon Gulf ( Baumann et al., 2002).

Figures

FIGURE 3: Xeroderus conlei sp. n. A. ♀ holotype, dorsal view [MNHU]; B. ventral view; C. lateral view; D. Head & thorax, in dorsal view; E. F. G. End of abdomen lateral, dorsal and ventral views. All photos by Oskar Conle.

FIGURE 4: Distribution map of Xeroderus species.