Cnipsomorpha jinpingensis, Ho, 2021

Ho, George Wai-Chun, 2021, Contribution to the knowledge of Chinese Phasmatodea X: Eight new species of Cnipsomorpha from China (Phasmatidae: Clitumninae: Medaurini), Zootaxa 5026 (1), pp. 102-126 : 106-108

Cnipsomorpha jinpingensis sp. nov.

(Figs. 6–10, 32–33, 45–46, 58–61, 79, 86–87)

Types. Holotype: ♀, 2200m, Primitive broad-leaved forests near Jinhezhen , Jinping , Honghe, Yunnan, China, 26.VIII.2019, George Ho Wai-Chun ( HKES) ; Paratypes: 5♂, 2 eggs (naturally laid by holotype ♀), same data as holotype ♀ ( HKES) .

Diagnosis. Cnipsomorpha jinpingensis sp. nov. is similar to C. colorantis ( Chen & He, 1996) , but can be separated by the horn-like praeopercular organ on the posteromedian area of seventh abdominal sternum and the serrated anteroventral and posteroventral carinae of tibiae in the female and the weakly curved inner margins of semi anal abdominal segments and the short length of cerci in the male.

Description. Female (Figs. 6–8, 32, 45, 58–59, 79). Small size. Body robust, distinctly larger than male. General colouration of body and legs brownish green, with blackish markings.

Head: Covered with a few small and acute granules. Oblong, longer than wide, gently tapering posteriorly behind compound eyes. Vertex convex, with paired short supra-antennal spines. Occiput distinctly convex, with three pairs of medial spines along median longitudinal furrow, anterior pair largest and longest, median pair smallest, posterior pair medium-sized; also with paired supra-orbital spines, smaller than anterior occipital medial spines, larger than posterior occipital medial spines. Compound eyes small and rounded, its length about four-and-a-half-times that of genae. Antennae with 14 segments, surpassing middle area of profemora; scapus flattened basally, roughly as long as combined length of pedicellus and third segment; and pedicellus as long as third segment.

Thorax: Sparsely covered with a few small granules. Pronotum trapezoidal, gently expanded posteriorly, anterior margin weakly incurved, posterior margin truncate, transverse and longitudinal sulci crossing at middle point; with a pair of posterior medial spines, also with short tubercle-like spines on anterior portion of lateral margins. Mesonotum moderately expanded posteriorly, swollen medially, about three times length of pronotum; with paired anterior medial, pre-median medial, median medial, post-median medial and posterior medial spines, pre-median and post-median pairs largest; also with paired pre-median and median spines, median spines largest on mesonotum; lateral margins with a few spines. Metanotum almost square, slightly longer than wide, more than two times length of median segment; with pre-median medial, median medial and post-median medial spines, also with anterior and posterior spines. Mesopleurae and metapleurae with a supra-coxal spine and a few spines.

Abdomen: Cylindrical and tapering posteriorly. Sparsely granulated. Second to ninth tergites with triangularly expanded posterolateral angles. Median segment narrow, wider than long, with posterior spines and a few tuberclelike spines. Second, sixth and seventh tergites with paired anterior medial, posterior medial and posterior spines.Third to fifth tergites with paired anterior medial, median medial, posterior medial and posterior spines. Posteromedian area of seventh sternum with a horn-like praeopercular organ, thick-built, elongated and tapering posteriorly, apex pointed and reaching anterior area of ninth tergum. Eighth and ninth tergites with a pair of spinose, tooth-like crests posteromedially, also with anterior medial and posterior spines. Anal segment as long as ninth tergum, posterior margin with three small emarginations; median longitudinal carina elevated, with a pair of anterior medial spines, posterior apex elongated and bifurcated. Subgenital plate scoop-shaped, posterior apex pointed, reaching middle area of anal segment. Cerci long, flattened, apices pointed and surpassing posterior margin of anal segment.

Legs: Slender. Femora thicker than corresponding tibiae, with blackish markings. Profemora weakly curved basally, longer than combined length of pronotum, mesonotum and metanotum. Anterodorsal, posterodorsal, anteroventral and posteroventral carinae of femora with five to six distinct small serrations. Tibiae longer than corresponding femora, anterodorsal, posterodorsal, anteroventral and posteroventral carinae with indistinct small serrations.

Male (Figs. 9–10, 33, 46, 60–61). Body slender and slim, distinctly smaller and more slender than female. General colouration of body and legs brownish green.

Head: Oblong, with very few small granules. Vertex gently convex, unarmed, with two obscure and flattened elevations between compound eyes. Occiput rounded and convex, median longitudinal furrow distinct; with a pair of supra-orbital spines, also with two pairs of occipital medial spines, anterior pair largest. Compound eyes rounded, its length about two-and-a-half-times that of genae. Antennae with 18 segments, apices reaching subapical area of profemora; scapus flattened basally, as long as third segment; and pedicellus shorter than scapus.

Thorax: Sparsely covered with small granules. Pronotum nearly trapezoidal, gently expanded posteriorly, anterior margin gently incurved, posterior margin truncate, with a pair of short posterior medial spines, transverse and longitudinal sulci crossing at middle area. Mesonotum moderately expanded posteriorly, with paired medial spines along median longitudinal line pre-medially, medially and posteriorly, median pair largest, anterior pair as large as posterior pair. Metanotum nearly square, with a pair of pre-median and posterior medial spines. Mesopleurae and metapleurae with a small supra-coxal spine.

Abdomen: Slender and cylindrical. Median segment narrow, wider than long, with paired short posterior spines. Second to eighth tergites with triangularly expanded posterolateral angles. Second to sixth tergites with paired posterior spines. Seventh to ninth tergites with two paired hump-like posterior granules. Eighth tergum gently expanded posteriorly, longer than ninth tergum. Anal segment longer than eighth tergum, dilated into two apically tapering semi-tergites, forming a deep V-shaped emargination; semi-tergites swollen pre-medially, medially tapering posteriorly, inner margins weakly curved, apices obtuse. Poculum cup-shaped, distinctly elevated medially, posterior margin rounded and reaching anterior margin of anal segment. Cerci cylindrical basally, other portion flattened, short, gently incurved, apices rounded and not exceeding posterior apices of anal segment.

Legs: Slender and long. Sparsely covered with short bristles. Femora thicker than corresponding tibiae. Profemora weakly curved basally. Anterodorsal, posterodorsal, anteroventral and posteroventral carinae of femora and tibiae with indistinct small serrations. Tibiae longer than corresponding femora, medioventral carina weakly raised basally.

Measurements in Table 2 .

Eggs (Figs. 86–87). Capsule brown, oval, posterior pole rounded, surface reticulate-foveate; depressions dark brown, more or less rounded, with dense and small granulations. Micropylar plate brown, oval, tapering anteriorly, posterior apex rounded. Micropylar cup placed at posterior margin of micropylar plate. Median line short, placed behind micropylar cup, about one-fifth length of micropylar plate. Operculum centrally depressed and lacking capitulum.

Measurements. Length 2.0 mm, width 1.5 mm, height 1.7 mm.

Distribution. China (Yunnan).

Etymology. This new species is named after the type locality, Jinping, Yunnan, China,

Suggested common name (Chinese). *平華¬'.