Otraleus applai, Bresseel & Constant, 2017

Bresseel, Joachim & Constant, Jérôme, 2017, Philippine mossy forest stick insects: first record of the genus Otraleus Günther, 1935 in the country, with four new species, and the new genus Capuyanus gen. nov. (Phasmida, Diapheromeridae, Necrosciinae), European Journal of Taxonomy 265, pp. 1-31 : 5-9

Otraleus applai sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:3F20ECE6-CD68-4DD8-ABAD-CDC9828248E4

Figs 2–4 , 5 A–B

Etymology

The species epithet refers to the Applai tribe to which belong the people living in Sagada, where the type specimens were collected, in acknowledgement of their support to our research in Sagada. It is used as a noun in apposition and is indeclinable.

Type material

Holotype

PHILIPPINES: ♂, Luzon, Mountain Province, Sagada , 16°57′40′′ N, 121°1′18′′ E, mossy forest, 15 Apr. 2014, Mission Leopold III funds, Constant J., Bresseel J. and co. leg. ( RBINS IG: 32700 ).

Paratypes (2 ♂♂, 7 ♀♀)

PHILIPPINES: 1 ♂, 2 ♀♀, same collection data as holotype (1 ♀ in RBINS; 1 ♂, 1 ♀ in UPLB); 1 ♂, 3 ♀♀, Luzon, Benguet Province, Bokod, Mt Pack/Mt Purgatory, 11 Apr. 2013, T. Heitzmann and J.P. Ortega leg. ( RBINS); 1 ♀, Luzon Benguet Province, Mt Komkompol, 8 May 2013, T. Heitzmann and J.P. Ortega leg. ( RBINS); 1 ♀, Luzon, Mountain Province, Bontoc-Barlig, 1500-2000 m, 17°1′48′′ N, 121°14′48′′ E, 12 Apr. 2014, Mission Leopold III funds, Constant J., Bresseel J. and co. leg. ( RBINS IG: 32700).

Description

Male ( Fig. 2 )

MEASUREMENTS. See Table 1.

BODY. Colouration dark brown.

HEAD. Longer than wide, notched dorsally between antennae. Behind notch a raised area between eyes. Dorsally with a longitudinal median furrow. Eyes circular and strongly projecting hemispherically. Antennae with scapus flattened dorsoventrally. Pedicellus shorter than scapus and round in cross section. Antennomeres narrower than pedicellus, setose and varying in length towards apex.

THORAX. Pronotum slightly shorter than head, with anterior margin slightly concave. Behind anterior margin a V-like groove and a longitudinal groove. Centrally a second transverse, concave groove and a small impression anteriorly of transverse groove. Mesonotum elongate, scarcely granulose, with a longitudinal median line. Metanotum about the same length as pronotum.

ABDOMEN. Median segment about as long as metanotum, slightly widening towards the posterior. Abdominal terga smooth, terga III–VI about the same length. Following segments gradually decreasing in length. Tergum IX slightly compressed laterally. Tergum X with longitudinal carina and posterior edge notched. Posterolateral angles triangular but blunt. Ventral surface of posterior margin of tergum X armed with few, small black spines. Vomer well developed, visible as an elongated, flattened spine. Poculum triangular in ventral view, fairly flattened. Poculum narrowing towards the posterior, apex rounded, reaching apex of tergum IX. Cerci cylindrical in cross section, apices rounded, projecting over apex of abdomen. Abdominal sterna smooth.

LEGS. Long in comparison to body, profemora compressed and curved basally. Femora and tibiae compressed laterally, with all carinae developed. Basitarsi longer than the following tarsomeres combined. Tarsomeres gradually decreasing in length and with dorsal carina well developed, resulting in a posteromedian spine projecting over next tarsomere. Claws small.

Female ( Fig. 3 )

MEASUREMENTS. See Table 1.

BODY. Mottled brown and green.

HEAD. Longer than wide, notched dorsally between antennae. Behind notch a raised area between eyes. Dorsally with a fine longitudinal median furrow. Eyes circular and strongly projecting hemispherically. Antennae with scapus flattened dorsoventrally. Pedicellus shorter than scapus and round in cross section. Antennomeres narrower than pedicellus. Antennomeres varying in length towards apex.

THORAX. Pronotum shorter than head, granulose, with anterior edge slightly concave. Behind anterior edge a transverse groove and a longitudinal groove. Pronotum slightly constricted in anterior half. Centrally a second transverse, concave groove and a small, oval impression anteriorly of transverse groove. Mesonotum elongate, scarcely granulose, with a longitudinal median line. Metanotum about same length as pronotum. Medially with a tubercle subapically.

ABDOMEN. Median segment slightly shorter than metanotum. Terga III–VIII with postero-laterally well developed lobes in posterior half. Abdominal terga IV–V widest. Terga VIII–X laterally compressed. Tergum X notched posteriorly, posterolateral angles rounded. Cerci small, cylindrical in cross section, apices rounded, reaching apex of abdomen. Abdominal sterna smooth. Subgenital plate compressed laterally, rounded posteriorly, not reaching apex of abdomen.

LEGS. Long, profemora compressed and curved basally. Femora and tibiae slightly compressed laterally, with all carinae developed. Meso- and metafemora slightly widening towards the posterior. Tarsomeres gradually decreasing in length and with dorsal carina well developed, resulting in a posteromedian spine projecting over next tarsomere. Claws small.

Distribution

The species has so far only been recorded from Luzon, Mountain Province and Benguet Province (see map Fig. 4).

Figures

Fig. 2. Otraleus applai 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, ventral view. G. Apex of abdomen, lateral view. H. Anterior part of body, lateral view. D–H: not to scale.

Fig. 3. Otraleus applai sp. nov., ♀, paratype. 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, ventral view. G. Apex of abdomen, lateral view. H. Anterior part of body, lateral view. D–H: not to scale.

Fig. 5. Otraleus spp., photographs in natura. — A–B. O. applai sp. nov., ♀, 15 Apr. 2014. — C–H. O. bellemansae sp. nov. C. ♂, 15 Apr. 2014. D. ♀, 15 Apr. 2014. E. ♀, nymph, 23 Oct. 2013. F. ♀, nymph, 24 Oct. 2013. G. ♂, nymph, 15 Apr. 2014. H. ♀, nymph, 15 Apr. 2014 (photographs: A–C, H © A. Lefèvre; D–G © A. Kang).