Spinocloidea panamaense, 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 : 277-280

publication ID

https://doi.org/ 10.11646/zootaxa.5444.1.1

publication LSID

lsid:zoobank.org:pub:5DE4A9DD-99F7-4E23-AD50-58DC491BB75E

persistent identifier

https://treatment.plazi.org/id/A4455443-FCDD-41B3-9417-5E09F30384FA

taxon LSID

lsid:zoobank.org:act:A4455443-FCDD-41B3-9417-5E09F30384FA

treatment provided by

Plazi

scientific name

Spinocloidea panamaense
status

sp. nov.

Spinocloidea panamaense sp. n.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:A4455443-FCDD-41B3-9417-5E09F30384FA

( Figs. 77A–C View FIGURE 77 , 78B–D, 78K–M, 78O–Q View FIGURE 78 , 86H–J View FIGURE 86 , 95B View FIGURE 95 , 98E View FIGURE 98 , 108A–B View FIGURE 108 )

HT, ♂: Camino Plantación , Parque Nac. Soberanía, Prov. Panamá, 17.Sept.1992, col. D. Quintero [ MIUP] .

PT, ♂: Panamá: Prov. Panamá, Cerro Azul , urb. Las Nubes , Camino a Rio Cascadas, 8 May 2001, col. R. Miranda , D.Q. [ MIUP] .

PT, ♂: Panamá: Panamá Pr., Cerro Azul , Las Nubes , Camino a Rio Las Cascades, 29.abr.2001, col. D. Quindero A. [ MIUP] .

PT, ♀ (n4): Panamá: Panamá Pr., Cerro Azul , Las Nubes , Camino a Rio Las Cascades, 29.abr.2001, col. D. Quintero A. [ MIUP] .

PT, ♀ (n5): Panamá: Cerro Azul , Sendero en Residencial, Las Nubes —Rio Las Cascades, 13.abr.2002, col. D. Quintero A. [ MIUP] .

PT, ♀ (n4): Panamá: Panamá Pr., P.N. Sob. Camino Plantación, 12–Mayo–2001, V.de Loeiza [ MIUP] .

PT, 2 ♂♂, 2 ♀♀, 5 eggs: Panama, LP-04, Prov. Coclé, Res. Biol. Alto de Campana, Sendero Panamá “ Panamá Trail”, 700-900 m, leg. F. Hennemann 13.11.2019 (night); Alt.: 700–900 m, 8°40’57.1” 79°55’31.3”W, Moist cloud forest [ FH, 1190–1 to 4, E] .

PT, 1 ♂, 3 ♀♀, 50 eggs: Ex Zucht F. Hennemann 2020, F1– Generation, Herkunft: Panama, Prov. Coclé, Res. Biol. Alto deCampana, Sendero Panamá “ Panamá Trail”, 700–900 m, leg. F. Hennemann 13.11.2019 [ FH, 1190–5 to 8, E2] .

PT, 7 ♂♂, 5 ♀♀: Ex Zucht F. Hennemann 2021, F2– Generation, Herkunft: Panama, Prov. Coclé, Res. Biol. Alto de Campana , Sendero Panamá “ Panamá Trail”, 700–900 m, leg. F. Hennemann 13.11.2019 [ FH, 1190–9 to 20, E2] .

Diagnosis. Females are very similar to those of S. armata ( Conle et al., 2011) but may be separated by the somewhat stockier shape and relatively shorter body segment and limbs, smaller number and shorter but stronger spines of the meso- and metanotum, less distinct praeopercular organ, deflexed and rounded posterolateral angles of abdominal tergum VII and more prominent sub-basal lobe on the two outer ventral carinae of the meso- and metafemora. Males are easily distinguished from those of S. magnifica (Hebard, 1923) , the currently only other known ♂ of the genus, by the smaller size, less globose and pale cream head (dark yellow in magnifica ), brown pronotum (green in magnifica ), green meso- and metanotum (brown with only the posterior portion dark green in magnifica ), brown and unevenly annulated femora (plain green in magnifica ) and somewhat broader vomer.

Etymology. The name refers to the distribution of this pretty new species in wide parts of central Panama.

Description. The colouration is described from photographs of live specimens taken at Parque Nacional Soberanía, Altos de Campana and Valle de Antón ( Figs. 108A–B View FIGURE 108 ).

♀♀ ( Figs. 77A–B View FIGURE 77 ): Large (body length incl. subgenital plate 159.0–181.0 mm) and rather stocky for the genus with a glossy body surface, spinose mesonotum, densely but minutely spinulose meso- and metapleurae and a very long, lanceolate subgenital plate that projects distinctly beyond the apex of the abdomen. General colour variable and ranging from light olive over various shades of buff and drab to dark brown, the body either plain or all over furnished with dull cream to pale ochre markings. Head with several faint longitudinal streaks, depending in colour from the main colouration of the specimen. Mesopleurae dull red. Mesonotal and metanotal spines ochre at the base with the apical two-thirds ranging from dark orange to reddish brown. Spinules of the meso- and metapleurae dark yellow to ochre. Bases of profemora red interiorly. Meso- and metafemora faintly annulated and the basal portion slightly lighter in colour than rest of femur. Eyes yellow and irregularly flecked with dark brown. Colour of scapus and pedicellus corresponding to colour of head, rest of antennae brown dorsally and black ventrally.

Head ( Figs. 78B–C View FIGURE 78 ): Sub-globose, scarcely 1.2x longer than wide and broadest behind the eyes, vertex moderately convex, smooth and with two shallow, transverse swellings behind the eyes; oval region between the eyes concave. Frons with a straight, transverse impression between bases of antennae. Eyes fairly prominent, almost circular in outline, projecting hemispherical and their diameter contained almost exactly 2x in length of genae. Antennae very long and slightly projecting over posterior margin of abdominal segment V. Scapus compressed dorsoventrally, roughly 2x longer than wide, somewhat arched but roughly uniform in width and carinate laterally. Pedicellus round in cross-section, slightly tapered towards the apex and a little more than half the length of scapus. III 2x longer than pedicellus and IV only half the length of III.

Thorax: Pronotum about as long but narrower than head, about 1.6x longer than wide and roughly rectangular with a very slight narrowing pre-medially ( Figs. 78A–B View FIGURE 78 ). Median line slightly impressed in posterior half and the transverse median sulcus almost straight rather shallow, just not reaching to lateral margins of segment and laterally terminating in a small inward angled impression. Anterior margin somewhat inflated and with six small granules. Mesothorax 6.3x longer than prothorax and almost uniform in diameter with just a slight widening posteriorly; metanotum roughly half the length of mesonotum and about 4x longer than wide. Mesonotum armed with a variable number (± 20) of differently sized, anteriad directed and occasionally curved spines, most of which are arranged pairwise ( Figs. 78 View FIGURE 78 B-C). Medio-longitudinal line very indistinct and along lateral surfaces with a longitudinal row of small tubercles. Metanotum with a smaller number of notably less pronounced spines or spiniform tubercles, the lateral surface only with a weakly indicated longitudinal row of granules. Meso- and metapleurae set with a longitudinal row of small, obtuse spines close to anterior margin and otherwise with a variable number of less evenly placed spiniform tubercles. Meso- and metasternum with a few paired tubercles.

Abdomen: Median segment about 1.75x wider than long, slightly trapezoidal with posterior margin wider than anterior margin and less than 0.2x the length of metanotum; smooth. Segment II roughly 2.2x longer than median segment and about 1.8x longer than wide. Segments II–V slightly increasing and VI–VII decreasing in length and slightly sub-equal in diameter with IV–V widest segments; IV 2x longer than wide and VII scarcely longer than II. All terga smooth except for a fine longitudinal lateral carina. VII (sometimes also VI) with the posterolateral angles weakly rounded and deflexed, sometimes forming a fairly obvious lobe in VII. All sterna with a rather distinct longitudinal lateral carina and otherwise set with a few small granules. Praeopercular organ on sternum VII merely represented by rough swelling of the posteromedian portion ( Fig. 78M View FIGURE 78 ). Terga VII–X notably narrower than preceding and roughly uniform in width. Tergum VIII scarcely less than half the length of VII and about 1.4x longer than wide with the posterolateral angles ± rounded and deflexed. IX about three-quarters the length of VIII, roughly rectangular and scarcely longer than wide. Anal segment slightly shorter than IX, with an indistinct medio-longitudinal carina, the posterior margin with a wide almost semi-circular excavation and the outer angles fairly acuminate ( Fig. 78L View FIGURE 78 ); lateral margins with a distinct excavation at base of cerci ( Fig. 78K View FIGURE 78 ). Epiproct roundly triangular, acutely tectate longitudinally and projecting by more than one-third the length of anal segment. Cerci elongate, somewhat compressed laterally, slender and gradually tapering towards a pointed and slightly incurved apex; roughly reaching to tip of epiproct. Gonapophyses VIII projecting beyond tip of abdomen by notably more than length of anal segment with the tip broadened, truncated and slightly upcurved ( Figs. 4C View FIGURE 4 , 78K–L View FIGURE 78 ). Subgenital plate long, lanceolate, distinctly canaliculate longitudinally, gradually tapering towards and narrow but obtuse apex and projecting over apex of abdomen by somewhat more than the combined length of the three terminal abdominal terga ( Figs. 78K–M View FIGURE 78 ).

Legs: fairly long and slender, profemora slightly longer than mesothorax combined, metafemora almost reaching to posterior margin of abdominal segment V and metatibiae slightly projecting beyond tip of subgenital plate. Medioventral carina of meso- and metafemora with 4–6 small apical teeth. The two outer ventral carinae each with a ± distinct roundly triangular lobe sub-basally; which is somewhat less pronounced on metafemora. Pro- and metabasitarsi slender and somewhat longer than remaining three tarsomeres taken together.

♂♂ ( Fig. 77C View FIGURE 77 ): Fairly large (body length 115.0–129.0 mm) and slender for the genus with a distinctive and fairly complex colouration. General colour of body greyish mid brown and occasionally with a slight greenish wash, meso- and metathorax bright green except for the posterior and very anterior portions, which are brown. Pronotum with a washed cream-coloured stripe along lateral margins. Head pale cream with the vertex brown and a broad, well defined dark brown postocular streak along genae ( Fig. 78D View FIGURE 78 ). Three terminal abdominal terga whitish to light cream laterally and with a black longitudinal lateral stripe ( Fig. 78O View FIGURE 78 ). Epiproct and vomer pale cream, cerci black. Legs light to mid brown, the basal half of the meso- and metafemora reddish and the apical half of the femora and all tibiae irregularly flecked and annulated with darker brown and cream to pale ochre. Eyes yellow and marbled with dark brown. Antennae black except for a dark brown scapus and pedicellus.

Head ( Fig. 78D View FIGURE 78 ): Generally as in ♀♀ but somewhat less globose, the transverse swelling between the eyes less pronounced and the eyes relatively larger and projecting notably more than hemispherical; their diameter contained only 1.3x in length of genae. Antennae almost reaching to tip of abdomen, scapus somewhat less elongate and less arched than in ♀♀ and only about 1.5x longer than wide. Pedicellus and following two segments as in ♀♀.

Thorax: Pronotum basically as in ♀♀ but scarcely longer than head; no granules on anterior margin. The transverse median sulcus less indented but the medio-longitudinal line somewhat more impressed over entire length of segment ( Fig. 78D View FIGURE 78 ). Mesothorax uniform in diameter except for a very slight posterior widening and 8x longer than pronotum; metanotum two-thirds the length of mesonotum and 14x longer than wide.

Abdomen: Median segment only 0.12x the length of metanotum, trapezoidal in outline with posterior margin wider than anterior margin and almost 1.5x longer than width of anterior margin. Segments II scarcely 4x longer than median segment. II–V almost uniform in length and on average 7x longer than wide, VI–VII slightly decreasing in length and all roughly uniform in diameter; VII shorter than all preceding and only 5x longer than wide. Terga VII–X slightly wider than preceding and taken together just scarcely longer than VII. VIII widest of all segments, trapezoidal with posterior margin almost 1.7x wider than anterior margin and length almost 2x width of anterior margin. IX scarcely shorter than VIII and somewhat narrowed in posterior half; lateral surfaces with a shallow longitudinal bulge. Anal segment three-quarters the length of IX, narrowed posteriorly with the posterior margin gently excavated and the outer angles obtusely rounded ( Fig. 78P View FIGURE 78 ), inflated and ventrally armed with several minute denticles; lateral margins with a tooth-like protrusion roughly midway along margin. Epiproct shield-shaped and projecting considerably over posterior margin and outer posterior angles of anal segment. Vomer triangular, almost symmetrical and with a narrowed, straight terminal hook; ventral surface with several fine transverse ridges ( Fig. 95B View FIGURE 95 ). Cerci longer than anal segment, gently incurved with the apical portion somewhat inflated, compressed dorsoventrally and truncated interiorly. Poculum rather small, roundly scoop-shaped ( Fig. 78O View FIGURE 78 ) with the posterior margin rounded, fairly labiate and reaching only about two-thirds the way along tergum IX ( Fig. 78Q View FIGURE 78 ).

Legs: All very long, slender and wholly unarmed except for about 4–6 minute apical teeth on medioventral carina of meso- and metafemora. Profemora a little longer than head, pro- and mesothorax combined, mesofemora almost as long as pro- and mesothorax combined, metafemora reaching to posterior margin of abdominal segment VI and metatibiae projecting greatly beyond apex of abdomen. Basitarsi slender and longer than remaining tarsomeres combined.

Nymphs. Newly hatched nymphs are olive drab in colour all over flecked with cream and yellow, the legs are rather darker and marbled with creamish white. Upon hatching they have a body length of 19–20 mm. Later instars retain the lichenose colouration during their entire nymphal development and are prettily flecked with various tones of brown, grey, olive, green, yellow and white. As a typical habit the abdomen is often curled in a distinctive S-like manner.

Variability. Females show notable variability in size, colouration as well as the number and size of the thoracic spines. The colouration ranges from pale olive over various shades of buff and drab to dark brown, the body either being plain in colour or all over flecked with dark cream or pale ochre. The thoracic spines range from dark orangey brown in pale olive specimens to dark reddish brown in dark brown specimens. The spines of the mesonotum in particular may be rather short and straight but in some specimens are more elongated and arched towards the anterior. Some of the spines of the metanotum may be reduced to stout spiniform tubercles in lesser armed specimens. Slight variability is moreover seen in the size and shape of the sub-basal lobe of the two outer ventral carinae of the meso- and metafemora, which may occasionally be very indistinct on the metafemora. Also, the posterolateral lobes of abdominal tergum VII show some variability in development, with specimens that have this strongly developed also possessing slight rounded deflexions of the posterolateral angles of terga VI and VIII.

Egg ( Fig. 98E View FIGURE 98 ). Since this is the only egg known from the genus so far, the descriptions correspond to the diagnosis for the genus given above. Measurements [mm]: Overall length 3.9, length 3.4, width 1.9, height 3.0, length of micropylar plate 2.1.

Table 66: Measurements of Spinocloidea panamaense sp. n.

FH

Fort Hays

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Arthropoda

Class

Insecta

Order

Phasmida

Family

Phasmatidae

Genus

Spinocloidea

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