Phanocles chiapasense, 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 : 172-173

Phanocles chiapasense sp. n.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:5B73F733-A3EF-47BA-88E8-B8E1E82F0DEE

( Figs. 55E , 67J–K )

HT, ♂: Soconusco (Chiapas) 1120 m üb. Meer ( Mexico), Herm. & Hans Kulow leg., ded. 6.VII.1900 [ ZMUH] .

Diagnosis. The genital morphgology of ♂♂ (the only sex known) of this new species strongly resembles that of the sympatric P. mexicanus sp. n. in the very short anal segment, that is only about half as long as abdominal tergum IX. However, this new species is larger (body length <95.0 mm in mexicanus ) and much slenderer and delicate in shape (mesothorax 9.5x longer than prothorax vs. 7.5x in mexicanus ) and has the vomer notably more elongate and gradually tapering towards the apex (with the basal portion rather ovoid in mexicanus ) and the anal segment parallel-sided and considerably longer than wide. These ♂♂ are also similar to those Ph. vosseleri ( Redtenbacher, 1908) from Belize and Guatemala in several morphological aspects but may be separated by the more delicate shape and relatively longer body segments (mesothorax 9.5x longer than prothorax vs. 7.5x in vosseleri ), less ovoiD–head and shorter head, lack of a medio-longitudinal carina on the meso- and metanotum, shorter and more obtuse cerci and vomer that has the lateral margins more distinctly inflated, the central portion much more impressed and lacks the transverse furrows seen in vosseleri . Chromatic traits can at this point not be considered due to discolouration of the unique holotype.

Etymology. Named after the distribution in the State of Chiapas in SW-Mexico. Neuter.

Description. ♂♂ ( Fig. 55E ): Moderately sized (body length 112.5 mm), very slender and delicate for the genus, apterous and with a median segment that is scarcely shorter than the metanotum. Colour of the unique holotype uniformy drab with a very slight olive-green wash (the specimens has apparently been conserved in spirits, thus the true colours of the live insect are surely faded). Head with the lower portion of the genae dark ochre and a washed brown longitudinal postocular line weakly indicated. Lateral portions of pronotum somewhat darker than median portion. Antennae with a slight reddish hue.

Head: Ovoid, about 1.2x longer than wide, broadest at the eyes and notably narrowing towards the posterior. Vertex very weakly rounded and with an impressed coronal line, posteriorly with a pair of obtuse median swellings. Frons with a large and very prominent impression between the bases of the antennae and vertex just behind the eyes with a pair of very shallow swellings. Eyes large, circular in outline and their diameter contained 1.4x in length of genae. Scapus moderately compressed dorsoventrally with the apical portion elliptical in cross-section; roundly rectangular in ventral aspect with the lateral margins very weakly rounded; about 1.6x longer than wide.

Thorax: Pronotum as long but notably narrower than head, roundly rectangular in dorsal aspect with the anterior margin slightly narrowed and the lateral margins gently narrowed pre-medially. Anterior margin with a median pair of obtusely conical, yellowish tubercles, the medio-longitudinal line impressed over entire length. Transverse median sulcus moderately impressed, very gently curved and expanding over complete width of segment. Mesothorax 9.5x longer than prothorax and uniform in diameter except for being slightly widened anteriorly and posteriorly, metanotum 0.36x the length of mesonotum, about 8.8x longer than wide and somewhat narrowed medially; meso- and metanotum both with a fine medio-longitudinal carina and smooth except for a longitudinal row of minute granules close to lateral margins. Meso- and metasternum very weakly tectate longitudinally.

Abdomen: Median segment 0.8x the length of metanotum, narrowed medially and almost 7x longer than width at anterior margin; surface with a slight medio-longitudinal carina. Segment II scarcely longer than median segment and as long as III, IV–VII slightly decreasing in length and all roughly uniform in diameter; III 6x and VII 3.2x longer than wide. All smooth and the terga with a very fine longitudinal carina close to lateral margins. Tergum VIII trapezoidal in dorsal aspect, wider than all preceding segments and somewhat more than half the length of VII; the posterior margin 1.6x wider than anterior margin and the lateral margins with an obtuse longitudinal lateral bulge. IX 1.2x longer than VIII, strongly convex longitudinally with the posterior two-thirds strongly narrowed and parallel-sided in dorsal aspect and the basal one-third roundly widened; the lateral margins almost straight, in-curved posteriorly and the lateral margins with a distinctly impressed longitudinal furrow just above lateral margins and a shallow longitudinal bulge above. Anal segment roughly half as long as IX, notably longer than wide, parallel-sided in the basal three-quarters and with an obtuse but prominent medio-longitudinal keel dorsally; the posterior margin deeply indented medially and the outer angles of posterior margin roughly semi-circular ( Fig. 67K ), strongly inflated set with minute denticles ventrally and with a slight concave emargination laterally. Vomer elongate, gradually narrowing towards a short but strongly upcurved terminal hook; ventral surface with a very deep medio-longitudinal furrow and the outer margins inflated. Cerci small, sub-cylindrical, gently upcurved and reaching to apex of anal segment. Poculum strongly convex, cup-shaped and angular in lateral aspect with a triangular, laterally compressed central protrusion ( Fig. 67J ); the posterior margin minutely indented medially and not reaching to posterior margin of tergum IX.

Legs: All long, slender and wholly unarmed. Profemora almost as long as head, pro- and mesothorax combined, mesofemora somewhat shorter than mesothorax, metafemora reaching about half the way along abdominal segment V and metatibiae somewhat projecting over apex of abdomen. Basitarsi slender, elongate and slightly longer than all remaining tarsomeres taken together.

Comments. Females and eggs unknown.

Table 35: Measurements of Phanocles chiapasense sp. n.

Figures

FIGURE 55. Phanocles Stål, 1875: A. P. ecuadoricus sp. n. ♂ PT (Ecuador, Prov. Esmeraldas, Rio Verde), dorsolateral view [MNCN]; B. P. falcatus sp. n. ♂ PT (Ecuador, Prov. Napo, Misahualli), dorsolateral view [coll. FH, No. 0919–3]; C. P. maximus sp. n. ♀ PT (captive reared from Panamá, Prov. Coclé, Valle deAntón), dorsolateral view [coll. FH, No. 1360–3]; D. P. spectabilis sp. n. ♂ PT (captive reared from Costa Rica, Prov. Puntarenas, La Gamba), dorsolateral view [coll. FH, No. 0563–18]; E. P. ploiaria (Westwood, 1859) ♀ (Panamá, Prov. Coclé, Valle de Antón 650–850 m), dorsolateral view [coll. FH, No. 0705–12]; F. P. obtusus (Redtenbacher, 1908) ♂ (Venezuela, Aragua N.P., Rancho Grande), dorsolateral view [ANSP].

FIGURE 67. Phanocles Stål, 1875: A. P. horni (Redtenbacher, 1908), lateral view of terminalia [coll. FH]; B.. horni (Redtenbacher, 1908), dorsal view of terminalia [coll. FH]; C. P. horni (Redtenbacher, 1908), ventral view of terminalia [coll. FH]; D. P. saussurei (Redtenbacher, 1908), lateral view of terminalia [coll. FH]; E. P. saussurei (Redtenbacher, 1908), dorsal view of terminalia [coll. FH]; F. P. saussurei (Redtenbacher, 1908), ventral view of terminalia [coll. FH]; G. P. mexicanus sp. n. ♂ PT, lateral view of terminalia [UMMZ, © Erika Tucker]; H. P. mexicanus sp. n. ♂ PT, dorsal view of terminalia [UMMZ, © Erika Tucker]; J. P. chiapasense sp. n. ♂ HT, lateral view of terminalia [ZMUH]; K. P. chiapasense sp. n. ♂ HT, dorsal view of terminalia [ZMUH]; L. P. maroniensis (Chopard, 1911) ♀ HT, right mesofemur in intero-lateral view [MNHN]; M. P. solidus sp. n. ♀ HT, right mesofemur in intero-lateral view [ANSP]; N. P. ploiaria (Westwood, 1859) ♀, right mesofemur in interolateral view [coll. FH]; O. P. ploiaria (Westwood, 1859) ♀, right mesofemur in intero-lateral view [coll. FH]; P. P. brevipes sp. n. ♀ HT, right metatibia in intero-lateral view [ANSP]; Q. P. brevipes sp. n. ♀ HT, left mid leg in intero-lateral view [ANSP].