Phantasca poeciloptera ( Günther, 1940 )

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 : 37-40

Phantasca poeciloptera ( Günther, 1940) comb. rev.

Figs 71–77

Pterolibethra poeciloptera Günther, 1940: 500 .

Pterolibethra poeciloptera – Conle, Hennemann & Gutiérrez 2011: 56 (lectotype designation). Phantasca poeciloptera – Liana 1996: 5. — Zompro 2003: 41. — Otte & Brock 2005: 264.

Material examined

Lectotype

BRAZIL: 1 ♂, “ Fonteboa ; 123; Phantasca spec. ignota K. Günther, det.; Phantasca poeciloptera sp. n. in lit.. K. Günther, det.” (ZMPA).

Paralectotype

COLOMBIA: 1 ♂, “ SE-Colombia , Rio Tacana , Waehner leg.” (SMTD, not traced).

Other material

PERU: 4 ♂♂, “ Purma N 15 Ans; Dept. Loreto, Colonia Amont Confl. Rios Zumun et Yahausyacu XII- 1979, I-1980; Muséum Paris, Pérou, M. Descamps rec.” (MNHN) .

Diagnosis

Males (the only sex known) of this very distinctive species are at once distinguished from all other species in the genus by the colouration of the anal fan of the alae, which is dark brown, with the basal half bright orange and all major transverse veins contrasting pale cream. Furthermore, P. poeciloptera is considerably more colourful than males of any of the other known species, with the head and most of the legs dull red, the cerci bright red and having the bases of all femora as well as the meso- and metapleurae bluish green. The genital morphology suggests a close relationship to P. heteronemia ( Günther, 1940) , with which it shares the long, hook-like cerci and bulgy anal segment.

Description

Male ( Fig. 71 )

BODY. Size fairly small for the genus (body length 46.3–47.9 mm, Table 9); form moderately slender. Entire body surface smooth.

COLOUR. Very colourful insects. Head, scapus and base of pedicellus, dull red or reddish brown ( Fig. 72 ); rest of antennae black. Pro- and mesonotum greenish brown and with a green stripe along lateral margins; meso- and metapleurae, with a broad bluish stripe along lower margin; meso- and metasternum dark brown to black. Abdomen green, with a bronze wash dorsally sternites II–VI, with a dark brown to black longitudinal median stripe, VI almost entirely black and VII, with an elongate triangular black marking and a black spot near posterior margin. Tergites VIII–X each, with a washed central black marking (very small and faint on X), sternum VIII almost entirely black and poculum, with the base slightly blackish. Cerci red ( Fig. 73 ). Tegmina and costal region of alae pale to mid green anteriorly and becoming chestnut to reddish brown interiorly; radial vein green. Anal region of alae dark brown, with the basal portion bright orange; major transverse veins pale cream ( Fig. 74 ). Coxae, legs and tarsi red; bases of all femora broadly green and apices of all femora, tibiae and basitarsi black.

HEAD. Large for the genus, elongate-ovoid, broadest at the eyes and slightly narrowed towards the posterior; vertex, with a weak longitudinal median sulcus ( Fig. 72 ). Eyes slightly oval in outline, large, projecting hemisperically and their length contained about 1.4× in that of cheek. Antennae almost reaching to apex of abdomen. Scapus rectangular, pedicellus sub-globose.

THORAX. Pronotum much narrower and shorter than head, rectangular, with a fine longitudinal median sulcus and a very prominent transverse sulcus that expands over entire width of segment ( Fig. 72 ). Mesothorax some 2.2× as long as head and prothorax combined. Tegmina oblique, spatulate, gradually narrowing towards the base, broadest apically, with the posterior margin acutely angular ( Fig. 74 ); only the intero-posterior angles overlapping. Alae reaching about ⅔ along abdominal segment IV.

ABDOMEN. Median segment 2.3× as long as metanotum. Segments II–VI slightly subequal in length and on average some 5.5× as long as wide. Sternites II–VII very weakly tectinate longitudinally. Tergum VII considerably shorter than all preceding, slightly thickened in posterior half. VIII widened towards posterior, broadest of all segments, with the lateral margins concave and weakly separated from sternum VIII; the latter strongly swollen and globose ( Fig. 76 ). Tergum IX slightly longer than VIII and constricted medially; lateral margins almost straight and clearly separated ventrally. Anal segment short, somewhat wider than long and strongly cucullate, with the posterior margin roundly emarginated ( Fig. 75 ). Vomer small, semi-circular and with a very short and blunt terminal process ( Fig. 77 ). Cerci large and hook-shaped, longer than anal segment, downward directed, with the apical half obtuse and angled inward at an angle of about 90° ( Fig. 73 ). Poculum cucullate basally and increasingly flattened in the apical half; dorsal margins strongly emarginated and the posterior margin broadly rectangular, with the outer angles slightly protuded and forming a short, obtuse, gently upcurving process ( Figs 76–77 ).

LEGS. All long and moderately slender for the genus. Profemora longer than head, pro- and mesothorax combined, mesofemora longer than mesothorax and hind legs projecting considerably over apex of abdomen. Basitarsi very elongate and slender, longer than remaining tarsomeres combined.

Remarks

Phantasca poeciloptera ( Günther, 1940) was originally described from two males. The lectotype in ZMPA lacks the terminal five abdominal segments and the paralectotype in SMTD could not be traced. The description above is supplemented by a series of four complete males from NE-Peru in MNHN. Female and egg unknown.

Distribution

South East Colombia: Prov. Imerí, Dept. Amazonas, Rio Tacana (SMTD); West Brazil: Amazonas State, Fonte Boa (ZMPA); North East Peru: Prov. Maynas, Dept. Loreto, junction of Rio Zumun and Rio Yahaus-Yacu (MNHN).

Figures

Figs 71–77. Phantasca poeciloptera (Günther, 1940) ♂. 71. Habitus, dorsolateral view. 72. Head and pronotum, dorsolateral view. 73. Anal segment and cerci, caudal view. 74. Holotype, ♂, left tegmen and ala. 75. Apex of abdomen, dorsal view. 76. Apex of abdomen, dorsolateral view. 77. Apex of abdomen, ventrolateral view.