NECROSCIINAE Brunner von Wattenwyl, 1893

Srinivasan, G., Surendar, C., Chatterjee, Parbati & Mukherjee, Tushar Kanti, 2017, Additional records of Mantodea and Phasmida from Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Records of the Zoological Survey of India 117 (3), pp. 264-264 : 264-

Subfamily NECROSCIINAE Brunner von Wattenwyl, 1893

Tribe Necrosciini Brunner von Wattenwyl, 1893

1. Sipyloidea atricoxis ( Westwood, 1859) * ( Figure 7a, b, c, male; 8a, b, female).

1859. Necroscia atricoxis Westwood, Cat. Orth. British Museum, 1: 146, pl. 21:5.

1893. Sipyloidea atricoxis Brunner von Wattenwyl, Annali del Museo Civico di Storia Naturale Giacomo Doria, Genova (2)13(33): 87.

Description: Green male. Pale green-yellow insect. Antennae greenish black near basal segments, gradually and distally being totally blackish, joints paler. Head pale green, smooth, a little elongated, depressed, not globose. Prothorax rectangular, with very few minute granules, a black spot at postero-median end. Mesothorax carinated, covered with minute granules, pale green, very little narrowed up to the middle from front, then gradually widened posteriorly where it is a little wider than front margin. Elytra oval elongated, hump lie in front of middle, little prominent and with a small black line; costal area uniformly pale green; anterior of anal area pale green-yellow; long veins of anal area blackish. In hind wings, costal area opaque green; long veins blackish-brown, anal area colourless. Legs are slender and smooth; fore femora incurved at base. Abdominal segments uniformly pale green both dorsally and ventrally; segments are gradually longer up to 5 th and later segments are gradually shorter, segments rounded, uniformly narrow; 5-8 th segments ventrally with black marks which of 8 th is most distinct by being a median longitudinal patch; 5 th to 9 th at postmedian dorsal point with a black spot; pleurae of 6 th and 7 th at posterior end with a black spot; 8 th very little wider posteriorly; 10 th segment strongly fornicate, carinated, apex nearly straight, appears constricted posteriorly where it is divided into two conical ends deflexed down laterally; last three segments finely carinated, nearly triangular. Poculum elongated boat-form, apex rounded, reaches end of 9 th segment. Cerci short, tips in contact, ventrally directed extending a little from end of 10 th segment. Total length 51, head 2, prothorax 2, mesothorax 9, metathorax 5, m. seg 3.6, antenna 44, elytra 3.5, hind wing 26. Fore leg 13+14+6.5, middle leg 11+10+5, hind leg 14+14+7.

The blackish male: very similar to the previous green form. Body with blackish patches on all body parts and not green at all. The area anterior to the eyes colourless with oval swelling, posterior area pale grey, post-ocular black band very distinct. Eyes round, colourless.Antennae extend beyond the end of abdomen; first two segments whitish with black marks, rest segments deep brownish to blackish. Prothorax with short paired longitudinal black marks; with very few minute blunt tubercles. Mesothorax with pale straw coloured granules scattered over the dorsal surface which are fewer in posterior half and concentrated in anterior half; with distinct carina; laterally in the middle with a pair of oblong black patch; a black line from middle backwards along lateral margin for a short distance; a pair of rounded black lined mark near posterior margin; mesosternum blackish. Metathorax and median segment: pale whitish; median segment a little more than ½ of metathorax. Abdominal segments: dorsally grey coloured with blackish single spot at distal apices of 5-9 th segments, similar spots ventrally at apices of 7-8 th segents only; 9 th longer than 8 th; 10 th smaller than 8 th and 3-carinated, apex divided into short rounded lobes. Ventrally, segments 6 th to 9 th black; poculum elongated boat-form, black with rounded apex. Elytra oblong oval, blackish, longitudinal veins deep brownish; hind margin nearly straight; hump conical, feebly black spotted, placed in front of middle; the longitudinal area in front of hump with a distinct pale greenish yellow patch. Hind wing: just exceeds 5 th abdominal segment; costal area blackish with paler patches, veins deep brownish; anal area and veins colourless. In foreleg, femur smooth, blackish, incurved at base; tibia and tarsi dirty white. Middle leg and hind leg: the four posterior femora and tibiae with blackish bands. Total length 45, mesothorax 8.5, antenna 54, hind wing 25.

Materials examined: 2 males, 12.xii.2013, 11º44’27.9 N, 92º39’14.7 ” E, 109 m, Ferrargunj, Jarwa Reserve forest , 13 km towards north from Port Blair, South Andaman, coll. G. Srinivasan.

3 males (1 nymph), in spirit, 26.ii.2016, 06º80’82.7 ” N, 93º88’57.7 ” E, Forest Beat House, Sastry Nagar, Great Nicobar Islands, coll. G. Srinivasan.

Remarks: This species is a new record from the island. This blackish male is exactly the same as the previous green male. Thus the species distinctly shows colour variation (green-yellow and blackish form). The green form was collected from the green bush and has no black or deep brownish spot. The shape of elytra and the ventral coloration on last three segments are same in both males. The blackish form was collected from the same spot but from the forest floor. The site is covered by evergreen green rain forests with wild cane plantations and small shrubs. The forest floor is covered by small twigs which makes difficult to identify the stick insects among litter due to their camouflage. The males from Sastry Nagar have body parts green.

Female: Brown insect. Mesonotum minutely and lightly granulated, granules more restricted to anterior portion, posterior almost smooth, finely carinated, near middle with a pair of oval deep brown oblique patches. Elytra oval elongated, overall pale brown, hump black, anterior anal area pale, long veins marked by interrupted by black spots. Hind wing reaches middle of 6 th abdominal segment. Abdominal segments 1-6 on both sides with paired brownish black spots; similar but single spot in the middle of metathorax; segments 3-9 additionally dorsally with a black spot at their median extremity. Legs; all coxae black spotted at their inside; all femora and tibiae with pale brown bands. Operculum boat form, apex pointed, as long as end of supra anal plate, carinated in its distal half. Cerci short, rounded and within margin of supra anal plate. Total length 82, hind wing 45, fore leg 21+18+9.5, middle leg 12+10+7, hind leg 16+15.5+8.

Materials examined: 1 female, 6 km interior to Vivekanandpur near a nallah, 09.iii.2016, 10º73’26.0” N, 92º56’88.9” E, 1m, at light (3.30 am), coll. G. Srinivasan.

Distribution: India: Great Nicobar Islands.

Remark: It is not clear if the male was described before. There are some differences from those mentioned for the female by Westwood, 1859, pp. 146-147. These are: the antennal white rings not clearly visible; darker longitudinal lines over head absent; costa of elytra not whitish; presence of distinct spots on abdomen and the absence of distinct spot at apices of femora. In the males, coxal spot is seen in middle coxae only; femora with deep brown spot at dorsal apices, band on legs hardly visible as they are uniformly brownish; hind wing reaches end of 5 th abdominal segment.

The locality of the type female is mentioned as “ India oriental” which is ambiguous. Hence we consider it as a new record from the island .