Trychopeplus spinosolobatus ( Redtenbacher, 1908 )

Hennemann, Frank H. & Conle, Oskar V., 2024, Studies on Neotropical Phasmatodea XXVI: Taxonomic review of Cladomorformia tax. n., a lineage of Diapheromerinae stick insects, with the descriptions of seven new genera and 41 new species (Phasmatodea: Occidophasmata: Diapheromerinae), Zootaxa 5444 (1), pp. 1-454 : 289-290

Trychopeplus spinosolobatus ( Redtenbacher, 1908)

( Figs. 80B, F )

Pericentrus spinoso-lobatus Redtenbacher, 1908: 353 .

Pericentrus spinoso-lobatus, Shelford, 1909: 356 .

Trychopeplus spinosolobatus, Hebard, 1923: 359 .

Brock, 1998: 59.

Zompro, 2001: 230, fig. 45 (♀ apex of abdomen).

Otte & Brock, 2003: 110.

Otte & Brock, 2005: 339.

Brock & Büscher, 2022: 515.

= Pericentrus appendiculatus Redtenbacher, 1908: 353 . syn. n.

Otte & Brock, 2005: 259.

Trychopeplus appendiculatus, Hennemann, Conle, Zhang & Liu, 2008: 52 .

Brock & Büscher, 2022: 515.

Diagnosis. Females (the only sex known) are easily separated from T. laciniatus ( Westwood, 1874) by the prominent and blunt, spine or peg-like protuberances of the mesonotum (foliaceous and irregularly crest-like in laciniatus ), more pronounced and obtuse tubercles of the pronotum, notably smaller and slenderer lateral appendages of abdominal terga II–IX, apically tapered cerci, dorsally unarmed legs, presence of only one sub-basal lobe on the medioventral carina of the meso- and metatibiae, and lack of a dorsal lobe on the basitarsi. From T. thaumsius Hebard, 1924 from Colombia and Ecuador ♀♀ readily differ by the much smaller size and much smaller appendages of the head, abdomen and legs as well as the armed pronotum and obtusely spinose meso- and metanotum.

Description. ♀ ( Fig. 80B ): A re-description of the lectotype appears warranted because the original description by Redtenbacher (1908: 353) is very brief and insufficient. Fairly small for the genus (body length incl. subgenital plate 75.9 mm) with a just weakly swollen abdomen, obtusely spiniform protuberances on mesonotum, comparatively small and narrow lateral lobes of the abdominal terga and weakly developed leg aramture. General colour of the HT (possibly discoloured due to presevation and believed to be more green in life) various shades of ochre, the abdomen with a slight greenish wash and all over with dark brown and blackish speckles and maculations. Pronotum with a faint dark longitudinal median stripe in anterior half, two black stripes in postetior half and with the lateral margins black. Mesonotum with two small black markings at anterior margins and four bold black markings in median portions. Metanotum with a blackish V-shaped marking anteriorly and abdominal terga V–VII with a bold triangular blackish anterior marking. Femorea with three irregular annulations of black maculations in apical two thirds; tibiae plain. Basal portion of antennae black ventrally.

Head: Strongly globose, the vertex convex and with a distinct coronal line. Vertex in anterior portion with a pair of posteriad directed, multi-spinose ear-like lobes that are gradually narrowed towards a fairly acute tip. Frons with a strong pair of spines and back of vertex with six obtuse paired spiniform protuberances. Genae with a few scattered granules. Eyes strongly projecting and their diameter contained about 2.3x in length of genae. Antennae at least reaching to posterior margin of metanotum (tips missing); otherwise typical for the genus.

Thorax: Pronotum shorter and much narrower than head, trapezoidal in outline and notably narrowed in anterior portion; transverse median sulcus distinct, straight and almost expanding entire width of segment. A strong and obtusely conical pair of protuberances and a smaller lateral pair of lateral tubercles in anterior portion and the posterior margin with a large pair of obtuse median spines and a smaller pair of lateral tubercles. Mesothorax as typical for the genus with the median swelling moderately developed. narrowed. Mesonotum with the notably narrowed anterior portion unarmed and the convex median portion armed with several paired and differently sized, strong and rather obtuse spiniform to peg-like protuberances and projections; two central pairs considerably longer and somewhat more acutely pointed than all others. Two small, blunt median tubercles at posterior margin. Metanotum with a few scattered small spiniform tubercles and a somewhat enlarged pair of blunt spines at posterior margin. Meso- and metapleurae armed with a number of differently sized orthogonal directed,m obtuse spines. Meso- and metapleurae unevenly set with blunt spiniform projections of variable sizes.

Abdomen: Median segment hardly longer than metanotum, rectangular in outline. Abdominal segments II– IV roughly equal in length and just very weakly widening, V–VII slightly decreasing in length and indistinctly narrowing; all on average 1.3x longer than wide. Terga I–VII with a few small and obtuse paired spines, which decrease in sze and number towards VII. II–VIII each with an almost orthogonal directed posterolateral appendage, that is small and basically triangular on II and VIII, largest on III and gradually decreasing in size from IV–VII. That of III–VII obtusely angular with the anterior margin smooth and the posterior irregularly dentate; that of III laterally extending by as much as body diameter. Sterna II–VII each with six distinct paired spines, the posterior pair being the largest; 2–3 further spines near lateral margins. Praeopercular organ formed by two laterally compressed, triangular teeth at posterior margin of sternum VII. Tergum IX widened towards posterior with lateral margins slightly traingularly deflexed. Anal segment tectate longitudinally and about as long as IX. Epiproct fairly large for the genus, triangular and with a median keel. Cerci slender, only a little longer than anal segment with the tip narrow. Gonapophyses VIII reaching about two-thirds along extending part of subgenital plate, filiform. Subgenital plate strongly upcurved, gradually narrowed towards a pointed tip and projecting beyond apex of abdomen by about the combined length of the two terminal abdominal terga ( Fig. 80F ).

Legs: All very long and slender with all dorsal carinae smooth. Profemora notably compressed and curved basally and the meso- and metafemora stronygl downcurved. Metafemora reaching to abdominal segment VI and metatibiae very strongly projecting beyond apex of abdomen. Posteroventral carina of profemora and both outer ventral carinae of meso- and metafemora each with three narrow and basically ovoid lobes, of which the median one is largest. Apical spine of the femora elongated. Medioventral carina of all tibiae only with a single, rougly semi-circular sub-basal lobe. Basitarsi slender and unarmed, longer than combined length of remaining tarsomeres.

Comments. In his treatment of Trychopeplus Zompro (2001: 230) omitted to mention that there is type material of P. spinosolobatus Redtenbacher, 1908 in the collection of NHMUK. The author listed the adult ♀ in NHMW as the holotype, although Redtenbacher (1908: 353) clearly stated a nymph from Panama (Chiriquí) to be within the Godman & Salvin collection. Therefore, the ♀ with unknown locality in NHMW is here designated as the lectotype of P. spinosolobatus to guarantee stability of the name. Shelford (1909: 356) recognised the full type-series and listed the paralectotype nymph from Chiriquí in the NHMUK collection. However, extensive searches failed to locate the specimen, why it must be presumed lost. The two Panamanian nymphs contained in the Godman & Salvin collection, one from Bugaba and one from Valle de Chiriquí, both represent T. laciniatus ( Westwood, 1874) and neither is labelled with that name. Anyway, the locality is questionable and is likely to be based on a misidentification relating to T. laciniatus , which in aspect of the strong differences concerning to the appendages of the body and legs between adults and immature insects is not surprising.

Examination of the immature ♀ holotype of P. appendiculatus Redtenbacher, 1908 in the collection of MNCN has shown this species to be a synonym of T. spinosolobatus (syn. n.). It shows the same characteristic armature of the mesonotum, smooth dorsal carinae of the femora and like the lectotype of T. spinosolobatus only has a single sub-basal ventral lobe on the meso- and metatibiae. Redtenbacher (1908: 353) was in doubt about the locality, which he stated to be “Zentral-Java”. Actually, the locality label attached to the holotype reads “C[olonia] Tovar” a town and capital of the municipality Tovar at about 2000 m altitude in the Aragua state in northern central Venezuela.

Figures

FIGURE 80. Trychopeplus Shelford, 1909: A. T. thaumasius Hebard, 1924 ♀ HT in dorsolateral view [ANSP]; B. T. spinosolobatus (Redtenbacher, 1908) ♀ HT in dorsolateral view [NHMW]; C. T. thaumasius Hebard, 1924 head, pro- and mesothorax of ♀ HT in dorsal view [ANSP]; D. T. thaumasius Hebard, 1924 head, pro- and mesothorax of ♀ HT in lateral view [ANSP]; E. T. thaumasius Hebard, 1924 head, prothorax of ♀ HT in caudal view [ANSP]; F. T. spinosolobatus (Redtenbacher, 1908) apex of abdomen ♀ HT in dorsolateral view [NHMW, © Paul D. Brock].