Interphasma huayingshanense Li, Shi et Wang, 2021

Li, B. L., Shi, F. M. & Wang, H. J., 2021, Stick insects of the genus Interphasma Chen et He, 2008 (Phasmida: Phasmatidae) from China, Far Eastern Entomologist 422, pp. 24-32 : 26-30

Interphasma huayingshanense Li, Shi et Wang , sp. n.

http://zoobank.org/NomenclaturalActs/2be82d22-152f-431e-bc94-1e21761fe33f

Figs 1 –18

TYPE MATERIAL. Holotype – ♀, China: Sichuan, Huayingshan , 13.VIII 2019, coll.

Bo-Liang Li ( SICAU). Paratypes: 2♂, 2♀, same locality as holotype, 13.VIII 2019, coll. BoLiang Li & Di-Cheng Fan ; eight eggs naturally laid by female types ( SICAU).

DESCRIPTION. FEMALE ( Figs 1, 3 ; 10–12, 15–18).

Head: Oval, almost the same long as pronotum, with sparse granules. Vertex with a pair of small blackish granules on transverse ridge between compound eyes, and one irregular black mark near inner margin of compounded eye. Occiput flat, occipital furrows indistinct,

with irregular and sparse granules. Genae with small granules and a broad blackish postocular stripe. Compound eyes oval, prominent. Antennae 14-segmented, reaching the middle of fore femora, scapus flat and broad, about two times length of pedicel, other segments cylindrical,

3rd segment longest.

Thorax: Apterous, with irregular granules, brown or green. Pronotum trapezoidal, slightly expanded posteriorly, posterior area of pronotum with a pair of oval blackish speckles, anterior margin concave, posterior margin truncate, transverse and longitudinal sulci crossing at the

(paratype); 4, 6 – egg; 1, 2 – lateral view; 3, 5, 6 – dorsal view; 4 – anterior view.

Figs 7–18. Interphasma huayingshanense sp. n.: 7–9, 13, 14 – male; 10–12, 15–18 –

female; 7, 10 – head and pronotum, dorsal view; 8, 11 – median segment and tergite II; 9,

12–14, 16–17 – anal segment: 9, 12 – lateral view; 13, 16 – dorsal view; 14, 17 – ventral view; 15, 18 – sternite VII: 15 – lateral view; 18 – ventral view.

middle, apices of transverse sulcus curved forward, not reaching lateral edges. Middle area of mesonotum and metanotum with a rhombic pale. Mesonotum and metanotum randomly covered with sparse and not uniform size granules. Mesonotum longer than metanotum and median segment combined. Metanotum about 2.5 times as long as median segment. Meso-

pleurae and metapleurae with sparse granules.

Abdomen: With irregular granules, brown or green. Both median segment and tergite II wider than long. Tergite III longest. Tergites II-VII with irregular longitudinal wrinkles and some irregular pale stripes. Sternite VII with distinct praeopercular organ, which broad at base and narrow at apex, surpassing base of subgenital plate. Posterior margin of tergite IX with a posteromedian hump, pointing backwards. Subgenital plate boat-shaped, apex bluntly rounded, not reaching the posterior margin of anal segment. Cerci short, gently compressed,

tapering posteriorly, not reaching posterior margin of the anal segment.

Legs: Slender, unarmed, variegated, mainly green. Fore femora curved basally, shorter than fore tibiae. Mid femora and mid tibiae approximately equal length; hind femora shorter than hind tibiae. All femora thicker than corresponding tibiae.

MALE. ( Figs 2, 5 ; 7–9, 13–14).

Head: Vertex with a pair of obscure dark tubercles on a transverse ridge between compound eyes. Occipital furrows distinct. Antennae 19-segmented, longer than middle of fore femora.

Thorax: Apterous, smooth. Pronotum rectangular, lateral sides parallel, longer than wide;

posterior of longitudinal sulcus shallow. Mesonotum slender, posterior area of mesonotum with H-shaped yellow stripe. Metanotum about 2.5 times the length of median segment, with a pair of short longitudinal yellow stripes near posterior margin.

Abdomen: Smooth, tergite II longer than wide. Parallel-sided from tergites II-VII. Tergites

VIII-IX slightly expanded posteriorly, anal segment narrow. Tergite VIII slightly longer than tergite IX. Anal segment longer than tergite VIII, dilated into two distinct lobes, tapering posteriorly. Inner margins of lobes curved inwards, with more than 10 irregularly arranged teeth. Poculum bowl-shaped, posterior margin rounded, reaching anterior margin of anal segment. Cerci long, stout, cylindrical, pointing downward; the location of 2/3 cerci slightly protuberating outwards, apical areas curved downwards and inwards, apices bluntly rounded.

Legs: Similar to female.

Eggs ( Figs 4, 6 ). Capsule brown, acorns-shaped, posterior pole rounded, covered with a raised net-like structure, with granulations and short winkles. Micropylar plate oval, opening,

covering less than half of capsule length, anterior margin slightly pointed; micropylar cup placed at the middle of posterior margin of micropylar plate. Median line short and shallow.

Operculum dark brown, elliptical, concaved at the centre, swollen and wrinkled.

MEASUREMENTS. Length (in mm). Body (from anterior edge of head to posterior edge of anal segment): ♀ 53.8–56.4, ♂ 49.6–52.6; head (without antennae): ♀ 3.6–3.9, ♂ 3.1–3.5;

antennae: ♀ 7.5–7.9, ♂ 13.7–14.2; pronotum: ♀ 3.2–3.8, ♂ 2.9–3.3; mesonotum: ♀ 11.6–

12.9, ♂ 11.9–12.4; metanotum: ♀ 5.5–6.4, ♂ 6.5–6.9; median segment: ♀ 2.2–2.6, ♂ 2.6–

2.8; fore femora: ♀ 18.3–21.1, ♂ 18.5–21.2; mid femora: ♀ 10.4–13.7, ♂ 13.5–14.0; hind femora: ♀ 12.7–17.2, ♂ 16.8–17.8; fore tibiae: ♀ 20.7–24.3, ♂ 22.0–22.9; mid tibiae: ♀

11.9–13.9, ♂ 13.4–14.2; hind tibiae: ♀ 16.3–20.4, ♂ 18.8–19.8.

DIAGNOSIS. The new species is most similar to Interphasma lushanense , but differs from the latter in female, in I. lushanense , praeopercular organ of sternite VII narrower in apex but not elongate, posterior margin truncate; in new species praeopercular organ of sternite VII broad at its base, narrower and elongate in apex, and anal segment showing a small notch in the middle of posterior margin. Males differ from the lobes of the anal segment and cerci, in I. lushanense , lobes of anal segment wide at its base, middle of apical areas narrowed observably, cerci short; in new species, the lobes of the anal segment being broad at the base and gradually narrowing toward apex; and the cerci being long, robust and curved downwards.

DISTRIBUTION. China (Sichuan).

ETYMOLOGY. The new species is named after the type locality Huayingshan.

Figures

Figs 1–6. Interphasma huayingshanense sp. n.: 1, 3 – female (holotype); 2, 5 – male