Phanocloidea semiptera, Hennemann & Conle, 2024

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 : 263-264

Phanocloidea semiptera sp. n.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:19F467C3-FB96-47EA-8E72-0558880B8D2F

( Figs. 71C , 75N–P )

HT, ♂: Venezuela, T. F. Amaz., Cerro de la Neblina Basecamp, 140 m, 0°50’N, 66°10’W, 5 February 1985; Pyrethrin fogging of vine tange; canopy of flood plain forest along Rio Baria ; R. Cocroft & W. Steiner [ USNM] .

Diagnosis. Males of this new species (the only sex known) are very similar to those of P. venezuelica sp. n. but readily differ by the much larger size and by being winged.

Etymology. The name is a combination of the prefix semi- (= half) and pterus (lat., from the Ancient Greek πτερόν = winged) and refers to the half-sized alae of ♂♂ of this new species.

Description. ♂♂ ( Fig. 71C ): Fairly large (body length 128.5 mm) and moderately slender for the genus with complex colouration, half-sized alae and a very prominent laterally deflexed and acutely pointed abdominal tergum IX. Body surface smooth. General colour drab. Lateral portions of mesonotum, the mesopleurae and most of metapleurae green. Interior surfaces of profemora except for the compressed basal portion as well as meso- and metasternum red. Mesonotum with two broad black stripes than run along almost the entire length of the segment with exception of the very anterior and posterior portions and leave only a narrow drab medio-longitudinal stripe between each other. Head with a faint dark grey postocular streak. Tegmina and costal region of alae chestnut brown with a black longitudinal streak along radial vein and with the anterior margin very pale creamy green. Abdominal tergum IX with a washed cream anterolateral margin and with the tip of the triangular lateral deflexion black. Meso- and metafemora and tibiae each with two cream-coloured annulae. Scapus and pedicellus dark greenish brown, rest of antennae black and slightly becoming lighter towards the apex.

Head: Ovoid, about 1.3x longer than wide, broadest at the eyes and distinctly narrowing towards the posterior; vertex very gently rounded and smooth. Frons with a fairly distinct median impression. Eyes prominent, projecting almost hemispherical and their diameter contained 2.1x in length of genae. Antennae reaching to abdominal tergum V. Scapus moderately compressed dorsoventrally and oval in cross-section, roundly rectangular in dorsal aspect and about 1.2x longer than wide. Pedicellus round in cross-section and weakly inflated. III almost 2x longer than pedicellus but much narrower.

Thorax: Pronotum slightly shorter and narrower than head, 1.7x longer than wide and basically rectangular in dorsal aspect with a slight narrowing pre-medially. Transverse median sulcus rather shallow, almost straight, short and hardly covering half of width of segment; medio-longitudinal line slightly impressed in posterior half. the anterior portion however weakly narrowed. Mesothorax uniform in diameter and 9.4x longer than pronotum; mesonotum with medio-longitudinal line very weakly indicated and close to lateral margins with a fine but acute longitudinal carina. Meso- and metapleurae with a fine marginal longitudinal carina. Meso- and metasternum prominently keeled medio-longitudinally (keel indistinct however in anterior portion of metasternum). Tegmina elongate, spatulate in shape with the anterior half gradually narrowing; the central protuberance indistinct and obtuse. Alae just not reaching to posterior margin of abdominal segment II.

Abdomen: Median segment much longer than metanotum (measuring was not possible because these segments are covered by closed wings in the holotype and the specimen was not relaxed). Segments II–VII slightly gradually decreasing in length with II 4.8x and VII 3.8x longer than wide; all roughly uniform in diameter but all very weakly constricted medially. Sterna II–VII with a weakly indicated medio-longitudinal line. Tergum VIII distinctly trapezoidal with posterior margin 2x wider than anterior margin and all preceding segment; lateral surfaces with an obtuse longitudinal bulge. Tergum IX strongly narrowed in posterior half, widened in anterior half and with lateral margins prominently deflexed to form a large, ventrad directed, acutely pointed triangular lobe that at the posterolateral point extends by the height of tergum VIII ( Fig. 75N ). Anal segment as wide as posterior portion of tergum IX but notably shorter, about as wide as long with the lateral margins weakly convex and the posterior margin concavely emarginated ( Fig. 75O ); outer lateral angles obtusely rounded and ventrally set with a few dark reddish brown denticles. Epiproct minute and fully concealed by anal segment. Vomer elongate somewhat arcuate with the narrow terminal hook slightly sinistral directed; ventral surface with a deeply impressed medio-longitudinal furrow ( Fig. 75P ). Poculum moderately bulgy and angular in lateral aspect ( Fig. 75N ) with the posterior margin somewhat labiate, triangular in ventral aspect and slightly projecting beyond posterior of tergum IX; the lateral portions each with a very deep lateral impression ( Fig. 75P ).

Legs:All long, slender and unarmed. Profemora a little longer than pro- and mesothorax combined, mesofemora almost as long as mesothorax, metafemora projecting over posterior margin of abdominal segment V and metatibiae projecting greatly over apex of abdomen. Basitarsi slender with the dorsal carina weakly lamellate and uniform in height, all longer than remaining tarsomeres combined.

Comments. ♀♀ and eggs unknown.

Table 62: Measurements of Phanocloidea semiptera sp. n.

Figures

FIGURE 71. Phanocloidea Zompro, 2001: A. P. pallidenotata (Redtenbacher, 1908) ♀ (French Guiana, St. Laurent du Maroni, Esperance), habitus dorsal view [coll. TR, No. 3965, © Thibault Rosant]; B. P. pallidenotata (Redtenbacher, 1908) ♂ (French Guiana, St. Laurent du Maroni, Esperance), habitus dorsal view [coll. TR, No. 3949, © Thibault Rosant]; C. P. semiptera sp. n. ♂ HT, habitus dorsolateral view [USNM, © Paul D. Brock]; D. P. schulthessi (Redtenbacher, 1908) ♀ (Ecuador, Prov. Imbabura, Paramba), habitus dorsolateral view [ZMUH]; E. P. schulthessi (Redtenbacher, 1908) ♂ (Ecuador), habitus dorsolateral view [ZMUH].

FIGURE 75. Phanocloidea Zompro, 2001 terminalia of ♂♂: A. P. muricata (Burmeister, 1838), lateral view [coll. FH]; B. P. muricata (Burmeister, 1838), dorsal view [coll. FH]; C. P. muricata (Burmeister, 1838), ventral view [coll. FH]; D. P. venezuelica sp. n. ♀ PT, lateral view [coll. FH] (Arrow indicating the characteristically specialised posterior margin of the poculum also seen in M); E. P. venezuelica sp. n. ♀ PT, dorsal view [coll. FH]; F. P. venezuelica sp. n. ♀ PT, ventral view [coll. FH]; G. P. submutica (Redtenbacher, 1908), lateral view [coll. FH]; H. P. submutica (Redtenbacher, 1908), dorsal view [coll. FH]; J. P. submutica (Redtenbacher, 1908), ventral view [coll. FH]; K. P. pallidenotata (Redtenbacher, 1908), lateral view [MNHN] (Arrow indicating the characteristically specialised posterior margin of the poculum, also seen in J);; L. P. pallidenotata (Redtenbacher, 1908), dorsal view [MNHN]; M. P. pallidenotata (Redtenbacher, 1908), ventral view [MNHN]; N. P. semiptera sp. n. ♂ HT, lateral view [USNM]; O. P. semiptera sp. n. ♂ HT, dorsal view [USNM]; P. P. semiptera sp. n. ♂ HT, ventral view [USNM]; Q. P. globocephala (Conle, Hennemann & Gutiérrez, 2011), lateral view [CEBUC, © Yeisson Gutiérrez]; R. P. globocephala (Conle, Hennemann & Gutiérrez, 2011), dorsal view [CEBUC, © Yeisson Gutiérrez] (Arrow in A, C and N indicating the large triangular posterolater projectiongh of abdominal tergum IX).