Phantasca adiposa, Hennemann & Conle & Bellanger & Lelong & Jourdan, 2018

Hennemann, Frank H., Conle, Oskar V., Bellanger, Yannick, Lelong, Philippe & Jourdan, Toni, 2018, Studies on neotropical Phasmatodea XVII: Revision of Phantasca Redtenbacher, 1906, with the descriptions of six new species (Phasmatodea: Diapheromeridae: Diapheromerinae), European Journal of Taxonomy 435, pp. 1-62 : 9-12

Phantasca adiposa sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:EFA 1585 C-19A6-41CA-8D64-7FED6BBF6E77

Figs 1–13

Material examined

Holotype

FRENCH GUIANA: ♀, “ Guyane, Petit Saut , 20-31 VII 92, Roubaud, Auvray, Rarchaert rec.” (MNHN).

Paratype

FRENCH GUIANA: 1 ♂, “ Französisch Guyana , Commune de Roura , Montagne des Chevaux , RN2 PK22 , 4°44'56"N – 52°26'28" W, alt. 75 m SEAG, leg. Stéphane Brule 04.03.2013 ” ( OC 0336-1 ).

Diagnosis

Females of this species readily differ from all other known ones of the genus by the much stockier appearance, which includes a considerably broader body and relatively shorter body segments (abdominal segments II–VI being no more than 1.2× as long as wide) as well as strongly broadened mid and hind legs, which have the outer ventral carinae strongly deflexed ( Figs 1–2 ). The subgenital plate has the sub-basal portion more convex and bulgy than in all other species ( Fig. 4 ), while the very elongate cerci resemble those of P. nigrolineata sp. nov. and P. ruboligata sp. nov. Males are readily distinguished from all other species in the genus by the fairly stocky body, large and globose, unicoloured head, which is almost 2× as wide as the prothorax ( Fig. 8 ), as well as the large and elongate-triangular poculum ( Fig. 13 ).

Etymology

The name of this new species (adiposus Lat. = fat, corpulent) emphasizes on the very stocky appearance of females, which are unusually broad-bodied for the genus and have remarkably strong legs.

Description

Male ( Figs 6–7 )

BODY. Size small (body length 47.0 mm, Table 1); form fairly stocky for the genus.

COLOUR. Colour pale brown to ochre, the pro- and mesonotum somewhat darker and all over, with small dark speckles. Head unicoloured, with only a very faint and slender dark longitudinal coronal line. Antennae mid brown, with the basal 4–5 segments blackish brown ventrally. Pronotum, with a black longitudinal median stripe that is fairly broad but weakly defined on the anterior half and becomes increasingly more slender and less obvious towards the posterior. Mesosternum dark brown, with a few small white dots. Tegmina and costal region of alae buffy, with all major veins contrasting yellow; the basal portion of the latter dark brown. Anal fan of alae transparent grey, with the outer portion slightly brownish. Abdominal sternites II–VII dull brown. Tergites IX and X each, with two washed black longitudinal stripes, the basal portion of the poculum blackish brown. Legs, with a slight reddish hue and with very faint dark mottling, the apices of all femora and tibiae dark brown.

HEAD. Large, globose, hardly longer than wide, broadest at the eyes and almost 2× as wide as prothorax; vertex convex ( Figs 8–9 ). Eyes large, projecting hemispherically and their length contained about 1.6× in that of cheeks. Antennae slightly longer than body. Scapus rectangular and 1.3× as long as wide, pedicellus sub-globose and antennomere III somewhat longer than pedicellus.

THORAX. Pronotum considerably shorter and much narrower than head ( Fig. 8 ), very gently narrowed towards the posterior and with the transverse median sulcus moderately distinct, slightly curved and expanding almost over entire width of segment. Mesothorax about 2.2× as long as head and pronotum combined; mesosternum, with a fine but fairly acute longitudinal median carina. Tegmina strongly narrowed in the basal half and with the apical portion moderately broadened and acutely angular. Alae reaching about ⅓ along abdominal segment VI.

ABDOMEN. Segments II–VII slightly decreasing in length. II about 4.5× and VII about 3× as long as wide; the latter slightly deflexed posteriorly. Tergum VIII shortest of all segments, only about 1.3× as long as wide and slightly broader than preceding; the lateral margins well separated from sternum VIII. IX about 1.4× as long as VIII, narrowed in anterior half and with the posterior increasingly broadened; the lateral margins deflexed and curved inward ventrally but well separated. Anal segment noticeably broader than tergum IX, slightly cucullate, with the lateral margins deflexed and gently rounded; the posterior margin, with a small but distinct triangular median notch ( Fig. 11 ), the outer portions broadly rounded and with a few small black ventral denticles in the inner portion. Vomer large, triangular in shape and with a slightly upcurving, acute apical hook. Cerci obtuse, fairly long, almost straight and projecting beyond apex of abdomen by about ¾ length of anal segment ( Fig. 12 ). Sternum VIII moderately swollen. Poculum large, elongate, triangular in ventral aspect and gradually narrowed towards an acutely pointed apex, which reaches about half way along anal segment ( Fig. 13 ); lateral margins moderately excavated in lateral aspect.

LEGS. All long and slender, profemora somewhat longer than head, pro- and mesothorax combined and metatibiae projecting considerably beyond apex of abdomen. All basitarsi longer than combined length of remaining tarsomeres, probasitarsi in particular very elongate.

Female ( Figs 1–2 )

BODY. Size medium (body length 65.3 mm, Table 1); form very robust and stocky for the genus, with a swollen abdomen and unusually thickened meso- and metafemora. Body surface very faintly subgranulose (although more decidedly so on thoracic sterna).

COLOUR. Colouration mid green (most of the metathorax and abdomen discoloured and yellowish in the HT caused by the process of preservation), the lateral margins of the meso- and metanotum and abdominal tergites II–VIII, with a washed dark brown stripe which forms a weakly defined roundly triangular median marking on abdominal tergites II–VI. Probasisternum, profurcasternum, abdominal sternum I and basal portion of subgenital plate greyish mid brown and with a weakly defined stripe of the same colour along the lower margins of the pleurae and outer lateral margins of the meso- and metasternum. Also, coxae and bases of meso- and metafemora greyish mid brown. Cerci dull green, with a brownish hue. Antennae buffy and gradually becoming paler towards the apex.

HEAD. About 1.3× as long as wide, flattened and very gently narrowing towards the posterior; smooth. Eyes circular, strongly projecting and their length contained about 2× in that of cheeks. Antennae reaching to posterior margin of median segment; scapus rectangular, with the lateral margins gently convex and about 1.6× as long as wide. Segment III somewhat shorter than pedicellus.

THORAX. Pronotum rectangular, about 1.2× as wide as long and considerably shorter than head; transverse median sulcus indistinct and gently curved. Mesothorax only about 2× as long as head and prothorax combined and very slightly widening towards the posterior; mesonotum parallel-sided and with a very weak longitudinal median carina. Metanotum rectangular and 1.2× as wide as long.

ABDOMEN. Median sgement 1.3× as long as metanotum. Abdominal segments III–VI swollen and considerably broader than all other segments, IV and V longest; II–VI on average 1.25× as long as wide. Praeopercular organ formed by a shallow, chestnut-brown, wart-like median structure near posterior margin of sternum VII. Anal segment about 1.6× as long as wide, indistinctly tectinate longitudinally and gently gradually narrowing towards the apex; posterior margin, with a shallow emargination and the outer angles obtusely rounded. Epiproct small, roundly triangular and distinctly projecting beyond apex of anal segment ( Fig. 3 ). Cerci about equal in length to anal segment, lanceolate,, with the basal portion compressed and gradually constricted towards a fairly pointed tip ( Fig. 3 ). Subgenital plate boat-shaped and strongly convex in the median portion ( Fig. 4 ); apex strongly narrowed and forming a slender, acute point that almost reaches to the posterior margin of the anal segment ( Fig. 5 ).

LEGS. All fairly stocky and relatively short for the genus, the meso- and metafemora remarkably thickened. Outer lower margins of meso- and metafemora and tibiae gently deflexed in the basal half and the medioventral carina distinct; that of the tibiae deflexed to form a shallow rounded lobe sub-basally. Profemora, with the anterodorsal carina strongly elevated. Pro- and metabasitarsus longer than remaining tarsomeres combined, mesobasitarsus a little shorter than the combined length of the remaining tarsomeres.

Remarks

This unusually stocky species is so far only known from the two type specimens. Egg unknown.

Distribution

French Guiana: Petit Saut ( MNHN) ; Commune de Roura , Montagne des Chevaux (coll. OC) .

Figures

Figs 1–5. Phantasca adiposa sp. nov. Holotype, ♀. 1. Habitus, dorsal view. 2. Habitus, dorsolateral view. 3. Apex of abdomen, dorsal view. 4. Apex of abdomen, lateral view. 5. Apex of abdomen, ventral view.

Figs 6–13. Phantasca adiposa sp. nov. Paratype, ♂. 6. Habitus, dorsal view. 7. Habitus, lateral view. 8. Head, pro- and mesothorax, dorsal view. 9. Head, pro- and mesothorax, lateral view. 10. Head, pro- and mesothorax, ventral view. 11. Apex of abdomen, dorsal view. 12. Apex of abdomen, lateral view. 13. Apex of abdomen, ventral view.