Pseudosermyle tolteca ( Saussure, 1859 )

Conle, Oskar V., Hennemann, Frank H. & Fontana, Paolo, 2007, Studies on neotropical Phasmatodea V: Notes on certain species of Pseudosermyle Caudell, 1903, with the descriptions of three new species from Mexico (Phasmatodea: Diapheromeridae: Diapheromerinae: Diapheromerini), Zootaxa 1496, pp. 31-51 : 43-45

Pseudosermyle tolteca ( Saussure, 1859)

( Figs. 13–14 , 22 )

Bacteria tolteca Saussure, 1859: 62 . HT, ♂: Bacunculus mexicanus Sauss., Montes Mexicani, M. H. de.Saussure, (MHNG). Saussure, 1869: 367. [Description of Ψ]

Kirby, 1904: 348. [as synonym of Heteronemia mexicana Gray, 1835 ] Zompro & Brock, 2003: 25. [as synonym of Heteronemia mexicana Gray, 1835 ] Otte & Brock, 2005: 159. [as synonym of Heteronemia mexicana Gray, 1835 ]

Heteronemia mexicana, Saussure, 1870: 152 , pl. 3: 10, 11 & 11a (♂ & Ψ). [Erroneous synonymisation of Bacteria tolteca Saussure ]

Bacunculus mexicanus, Brunner v. Wattenwyl, 1907: 333.

Pseudosermyle sp., Zompro, 2001b: 222.

Material examined [6 ɗɗ]: 1 ɗ: Coll. Br.v.W.; Mexico, Deyrolle; det. Br.v.W. Bacunculus mexicanus ; 6002; Pseudosermyle sp. det. O. Zompro IX.1999 ( NHMW, No. 683); 1 ɗ: Coll. Br.v.W.; Mexico, Deyrolle; det. Br.v.W. Bacunculus mexicanus ; 23/6002 ( NHMW, No. 683); 1 ɗ: Coll. Br.v.W.; Mexico, Saussure; det. Br.v.W. Bacunculus mexicanus ; 8672 ( NHMW, No. 683); 1 ɗ: Coll. Br.v.W.; Mexico, Saussure; det. Br.v.W. Bacunculus mexicanus ( NHMW, No. 683); 1 ɗ: Coll. Br.v.W.; Mexico, Deyrolle; det. Br.v.W. Bacunculus mexicanus ; 6002 b ( NHMW, No. 683); 1 ɗ: Bilimek, Mexico, 1883; Collectio Br.v.W.; det. Br.v.W. Bacunculus mexicanus ( NHMW, No. 683).

Distribution: Mexico (Cordillère orientale, Mextitlan & Bilimek).

Differentiation: Closely related to Pseudosermyle claviger n. sp. with which it shares the club-shaped cerci and very slender, elongate body of ɗɗ. ɗɗ differ from P. c l a v i g e r n. sp. by: the more or less straight cerci; distinctly longer than wide sternite IX and lack of the sinistral dorsolateral spine of sternite IX. ΨΨ clearly differ from P. phalangiphora ( Rehn, 1907) and P. chorreadero n. sp. by the distinct spination of the head and thorax, and presence of four prominent spines on the pronotum.

Description: As no ΨΨ were at hand only a brief characterization is given below, based on the illustration of Saussure (1870: fig. 10).

ΨΨ: Large (body length 85.0–89.0 mm) for the genus. General shape of body similar to that of P. phalangiphora ( Rehn, 1907) . Head and complete thorax dorsally covered with numerous spines of variable size. Two prominent spines between the eyes. Four distinct spines on the pronotum. Cerci short, not projecting over posterior margin of anal segment. Saussure (1869: 367) mentioned the general colouration of the body to be green in live specimens.

ɗɗ ( Fig. 22 ): Large (body length 71.0–85.0 mm), very slender and elongate for the genus. Body smooth; head with two minute blunt tubercles between the eyes. General colouration of head and body pale to mid brown with indistinct greenish longitudinal stripes along the lateral surfaces of the meso- and metathorax. Legs of same general colour as body, but partly with faint yellowish annulations. Antennae uniformly pale to mid brown in basal half, very indistinctly annulated with yellowish segments in apical half.

Head: Elongate, 1.5x longer than wide, slightly narrowed towards the posterior, oval in cross-section. Vertex flat and smooth, without granules, between the eyes with two low blunt tubercles. Eyes small, circular and strongly convex. Antennae longer than body. Antennomeres very short and decreasing in length towards apices of antennae, densely covered with minute setae. Scapus dorsoventrally flattened, rectangular and about 2x longer than wide. Pedicellus cylindrical, broader than following antennomeres and about half the length of scapus.

Thorax: Completely smooth. Meso- and metathorax round in cross-section and slightly constricted medially. Pronotum slightly shorter and more slender than head, 1.5x longer than wide and slightly constricted medially. Transverse median depression distinct, slightly curved and reaching to lateral margins of segment. Mesonotum very elongate, about 8x longer and more slender than pronotum, at least 12–15x longer than wide and slightly widened at the anterior and posterior margins. Metanotum 8x longer than wide, about 2/3 the length of mesonotum, slightly widened at posterior and anterior margins. Pro-, meso- and metapleurae and sterna simple and structured like the dorsal surface.

Abdomen: As long as head and thorax combined. Surface smooth. Transverse fissure between median segment and metanotum distinct and almost straight. Median segment slightly longer than wide, 1/6 the length of metanotum. Segments II–VII longest and most slender, parallel sided and 4– 5 x longer than wide. Tergite VIII wider than VII, distinctly swollen in posterior half and widened towards the posterior, longer than wide. IX more slender than VIII and X, medially constricted and at least 2x wider than long. Anal segment widest, distinctly wider than long, strongly convex and tapered towards a rounded, medially incised posterior margin. Sternites II–VII simple, smooth and shiny. Supraanal plate very small and not visible in dorsal aspect. Cerci club-shaped, more or less straight, conspicuously thickened apically, round in cross-section and slightly shorter than anal segment; covered with a few minute pale setae ( Fig. 14 ). Sternite IX forming a simple tube lacking any appendix or spine, distinctly longer than wide and longer than anal segment. Poculum small and simple, posterior margin slightly projecting over anal segment ( Fig. 13 ).

Legs: All long and slender, profemora slightly longer than mesonotum, mesofemora shorter than mesonotum, hind legs distinctly projecting over apex of abdomen. All distinctly carinated, destitute of teeth or spines and with all carinae minutely bristled. Profemora considerably compressed and curved basally.

* The measurements of the largest specimen belong to the holotype.

Comments: Saussure (1859: 62) originally described Bacteria tolteca from a single ɗ in MHNG and subsequently, (1869: 367) described the Ψ. Saussure (1870: 152) provided illustrations of both sexes (pl. 3: 10, 11 & 11a) and erroneously synonymised B. tolteca with Heteronemia mexicana Gray, 1835 , which is clearly a distinct species. The ΨΨ described by Saussure (1869) are unique for Pseudosermyle Caudell due to having numerous, prominent spines on the head and thorax but appear to be the corresponding sex, as Saussure (1870: 154) stated to have collected 11 ΨΨ and 15 ɗɗ many of which were in copula in the Cordillère orientale near Mextitlan.

* after Saussure, 1870: 152.

Figures

FIGURES 8 – 14. [scale = 1 mm] 8. Pseudosermyle phalangiphora (Rehn, 1907) ♂, terminal abdominal segments (lateral view). 9. Pseudosermyle phalangiphora (Rehn, 1907) ♂, cerci (dorsal view). 10. Pseudosermyle phalangiphora (Rehn, 1907) Ψ, terminal abdominal segments (lateral view). 11. Pseudosermyle procera n. sp. ♂, terminal abdominal segments (lateral view). 12. Pseudosermyle procera n. sp. ♂, cerci (dorsal view). 13. Pseudosermyle tolteca (Saussure, 1859) ♂, terminal abdominal segments (lateral view). 14. Pseudosermyle tolteca (Saussure, 1859) ♂, cerci (dorsal view).

FIGURES 21 – 24. Fig. 21 – 22: [scale = 10 mm]; Figs. 23 – 24: [scale = 1 mm] 21. Pseudosermyle procera n. sp. ♂, PT, (UNAM). 22. Pseudosermyle tolteca (Saussure, 1859) ♂, (NHMW). 23. Pseudosermyle phalangiphora (Rehn, 1907) egg (dorsal view), (coll. OC). 24. Pseudosermyle phalangiphora (Rehn, 1907) egg (lateral view), (coll. OC).