Pachyscia heishidingensis, Ho, George Wai-Chun, 2012

Ho, George Wai-Chun, 2012, Notes on the genera Sinophasma Günther, 1940 and Pachyscia Redtenbacher, 1908 (Phasmatodea: Diapheromeridae: Necrosciinae), with the description of four new species from China, Zootaxa 3495, pp. 57-72 : 69-70

Pachyscia heishidingensis sp. nov.

( Figs. 19–20 )

Type-material. Holotype 3, Heishiding, Fengkai, Guangdong Province, China, 25.V.1986, Lan Dean (ZSU); Paratype subadult 3, Heishiding, Fengkai, Guangdong Province, China, 27.VII.2011, Ho Wai-Chun George (GH).

Diagnosis. This species is similar to P. dilatata Chen & He, 2004 [Guangxi, China] but can be differentiated by dark brown colouration, bigger size, parallel-sided mesonotum, gently dilated anal segment and longer cerci.

Description. Male ( Figs. 19–20 ). Medium and slender species. General colouration of body, legs, tegmina and costal region of alae dark brown.

Head: Dark brown, with blackish markings. Genae with a pale postocular band between two thin blackish stripes, constricted at the posterior. Oval, longer than wide, smooth. Vertex flat, with a small depression between the bases of antennae. Occiput slightly convex, median furrow distinct. Eyes rounded, dark brown. Ocellus very small, placed above the eyes. Antennae dark brown in the basal three segments, other segments brown, some segments with light brown ring, reaching end of the anal segment; the first segment cylindrical, shorter than third segment.

Thorax: Dark brown as body. Pronotum rectangular, anterior margin and posterior margin near truncate, slightly shorter than head, lacking granulation. Mesonotum parallel-sided, 4.3 x length of pronotum, with very few small granules, median line distinct. Mesopleurum smooth, with a short carina and a pale spot. Metapleurum pale buff, with a black triangular marking and a short carina. Mesosternum and metasternum lacking granule, with distinct median line.

Abdomen: Brown and slender. Second to seventh tergites parallel-sided. Seventh tergum and eighth tergum expanded posteriorly. Ninth tergum longer than eighth tergum. Anal segment 3 x length of ninth tergum, hind margin broadly emarginated, median carina distinct; slightly constricted medially, broadened in second half and gently dilated into a lobe postero-laterally, hind margin of the lobes pointed. Poculum cup-shape, hind margin rounded. Cerci long and straight, cylindrical and thick at base, projecting over the end of poculum, apices furcated.

Legs: Rufous brown. Unarmed. Right foreleg, both midlegs and left hindleg lost. Left profemur as long as right metafemur, curved basally, with dark tip. The metafemur longer than the combined length of head, pronotum and mesonotum together, with dark tip. Left protibia and right metatibia with light brown at base and dark tip.

Wings: Tegmina dark brown, small and oval, truncate at hind margin, with a pale yellow spot at base and another pale yellow spot near the hind margin. Alae dark brown, reaching sixth tergum, with a pale yellow spot at base and a broad brown stripe near the base of costal region.

Measurements in table 5.

Lengths (mm) Male (HT) Body 75 Head 4 Antennae 80 Pronotum 3 Mesonotum 13 Metanotum including median segment 8 Left profemur 22 Mesofemora - Right metafemur 22 Left protibia 22 Mesotibiae - Right metatibia 23 Tegmina 3 Alae 41 Notes. Female is unknown. Measurement is only given to the adult holotype male. Distribution. Guangdong (Heishiding), China.

Etymology. This new species is named after the type locality, the Heishiding Nature Reserve.

Figures

FIGURES 17 – 20. Pachyscia spp. [scale bar 5 mm]. 17. P. dilatata (Chen & He, 2004), male, apex of abdomen, dorsal view. 18. P. dilatata (Chen & He, 2004), male, apex of abdomen, lateral view. 19. P. heishidingensis Ho sp. nov., male, apex of abdomen, dorsal view. 20. P. heishidingensis Ho sp. nov., male, apex of abdomen, lateral view.