Phanocles solidus, 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 : 209-210

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/D146B4C9-2662-49D8-B825-AAD873C2A28E
taxon LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:act:D146B4C9-2662-49D8-B825-AAD873C2A28E
treatment provided by	Plazi
scientific name	Phanocles solidus
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Phanocles solidus sp. n.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:D146B4C9-2662-49D8-B825-AAD873C2A28E

( Figs. 54E View FIGURE 54 , 59E View FIGURE 59 , 63N–P View FIGURE 63 , 67M View FIGURE 67 , 87M View FIGURE 87 )

HT, ♀: Arenillas, Prov. El Oro, Ecuador (F. Campos R.) [ ANSP] .

Diagnosis. Females of this very distinctive new species (the only sex known) resemble those of P. brevipes sp. n. also known from Ecuador in having a prominently lobed abdominal tergum VII, stocky and strongly lobed legs as well as distinctly crested basitarsi. They however readily differ from both species by the much smaller size (body length including subgenital plate 150.0 mm vs. 184.0 mm in brevipes ), much stockier shape and proportionally much shorter body segments (mesothorax only 5.2x longer than prothorax vs.> 6x in brevipes ), shorter cephalad horns, strongly tubercular thoracic segments, lack of prominent irregularly crenulate posteromedian excrescences on abdominal terga II–VI, larger posterolateral lobe of abdominal tergum VII, much smaller lobes of the praeopercular organ (large, trapezoidal land extending over posterior margin of abdominal sternum VII in brevipes ), narrow and rounded apex of the subgenital plate (broadly trapezoidal in brevipes ), shorter gonapohyses VIII, that do not reach to the tip of the subgenital plate (extending over subgenital plate in brevipes ) and lack of dorsal lobes on the mid and hind legs.

Etymology. The name ( solidus lat. = solid, stable) refers to the stocky shape of ♀♀ this distinctive new species, which are the most heavy-built ones in the entire genus.

Description. ♀♀ ( Fig. 54E View FIGURE 54 ): The unique holotype is complete except for the tips of both antennae and has only the abdomen somewhat darkened caused by the preservation process.

Small (body length including subgenital plate 150.0 mm) but very stocky for the genus with a distinctly bi-cornute head, irregularly tubercular thorax, distinctive black spots on the meso- and metasternum and a prominently and unevenly laterally deflexed and lobed abdominal tergum VII. General colour of the holotype ochreous mid brown, the abdomen somewhat darker and with a slight reddish brown hue and legs with a greyish wash. Thoracic tubercles tipped with dark reddish brown; the meso- and metasternum with the largest tubercles marked by a bold, circular black spot. Eyes ochre. Antennae drab with the ventral surface greyish black.

Head ( Fig. 59E View FIGURE 59 ): Sub-globose with the vertex weakly convex, scarcely longer than wide, broadest at the eyes and the genae somewhat narrowing posteriorly.Vertex behind the eyes with a prominent pair of laterally compressed, carinate and irregularly dentate, apically pointed and somewhat lateral directed horns that project by about one-third the height of head capsule. Vertex otherwise irregularly tubercular and the genae supplied with a few small, scattered nodes. Frons with a shallow, oval impression between bases of antennae and a pair of obtuse tubercles between the eyes. Eyes slightly angular dorsally, rather small and moderately projecting from head capsule; their diameter contained about 2.5x in length of genae.Antennae at least projecting beyond posterior margin of mesonotum (broken in the holotype). Scapus moderately compressed dorsoventrally and elliptical in cross-section, about 1.3x longer than wide and weakly narrowing towards the base. Pedicellus round in cross-section, constricted towards the apex and a little more than half the length of scapus. III notably shorter than pedicellus and IV with a glossy, node-like basal swelling dorsally.

Thorax: Pronotum somewhat shorter and narrower than head, roughly rectangular in dorsal aspect and about 1.4x longer than wide; the lateral margins very gently concave. Surface unevenly supplied with rather small but variably sized tubercles and granules. Transverse median sulcus prominently impressed ( Fig. 59E View FIGURE 59 ), almost straight and expanding over entire width of segment. The medio-longitudinal line notably impressed in posterior half of segment. Mesothorax 5.3x longer than prothorax, gently widened pre-medially and posteriorly. Metanotum less than one third the length of mesonotum, somewhat narrowing towards the posterior and only 1.7x longer than wide. Meso- and metanotum both with an obtuse medio-longitudinal carina and unevenly set with granules and tubercles of variable sizes, these generally more pronounced on mesonotum although and the largest conical. Meso- and metapleurae with a longitudinal median row of moderately sized conical tubercles and otherwise minutely tubercular or granulose. Meso- and metasternum more sparsely granulose than terga and pleurae and each with a few somewhat enlarged conical tubercles, that are marked by a black spot (ca. 14 on mesosternum; Fig. 87M View FIGURE 87 ).

Abdomen: Median segment scarcely longer than metanotum, about 2x longer than width at anterior margin, minutely and sparsely tubercular and with the lateral margins distinctly concave; the medio-longitudinal carina just weakly indicated. Segment II somewhat less than three-quarters the length of median segment, rectangular and 1.7x longer than wide. III–VI roughly uniform in length and diameter, 1.2x longer than II and on average 2x longer than wide; VII shorter than all preceding segments. All terga sparsely supplied with some nodes and with two obtuse longitudinal lateral bulges parallel to lateral margins. Tergum VII with most of lateral margins strongly deflexed to form a basically rounded lobe that has the outer margin unevenly undulate, laterally projects by about half the width of segment and posteriorly distinctly projects beyond the posterior margin of the tergum ( Figs. 63 View FIGURE 63 N-P). Sterna minutely granulose and each with a distinct longitudinal lateral carina that becomes increasingly more lamellate towards the posterior and terminates in a rounded lobe on VI and VII; on VII these are forming rounded lobes that notably project beyond the posterior margin of sternum. Terga VIII–X roughly uniform in width and less than two-thirds as wide as preceding segment. VIII slightly narrowing towards the posterior, somewhat trapezoidal in dorsal aspect and scarcely more than half the length of VII. IX three-quarters the length of VIII and roughly quadrate in outline with the lateral margins protruded into a small, rounded lobe posterolaterally. Anal segment about as long as VIII, somewhat narrowed posteriorly, carinate medio-longitudinally and with the posterior margin somewhat undulate and multi-carinate dorsally but basically rectangular in outline; the lateral margins rectangular and with a small, rounded lobe at the angle ( Figs. 63N–O View FIGURE 63 ). Epiproct very small and wholly concealed by anal segment. Cerci small, slender and with the apex slightly club-like. Gonapophyses VIII projecting notably beyond anal segment, gently upcurved and with the interior surface canaliculated ( Fig. 63N View FIGURE 63 ). Subgenital plate distinctly keeled and rugose in the apical half with the apex narrowly rounded and projecting beyond tip of abdomen by somewhat less than length of anal segment ( Figs. 63N–P View FIGURE 63 ); basal half with a somewhat undulate longitudinal carina on each lateral surface.

Legs: All fairly short, stocky, distinctly carinated and the meso- and metafemora distinctly arched. Profemora about as long as mesothorax, mesofemora scarcely longer than metathorax, metafemora reaching about half the way along abdominal segment IV and metatarsi reaching to abdominal segment VII. Both outer ventral carinae of meso- and metafemora distinctly deflexed about one-quarter off the base to form an irregularly multi-dentate lobe ( Fig. 67M View FIGURE 67 ). All basitrasi with a distinct, rounded dorsal lobe (most prominent on probasitarsi) and about as long as remaining tarsomeres except claw taken together.

Comments. Males and eggs unknown.

Table 47: Measurements of Phanocles solidus sp. n.