Cnipsomorpha colorantis ( Chen & He 1996 ) Chen & He, 1996

Hennemann, Frank H., Conle, Oskar V., Zhang, Weiwei & Liu, Ye, 2008, Descriptions of a new genus and three new species of Phasmatodea from Southwest China (Insecta: Phasmatodea), Zootaxa 1701, pp. 40-62 : 56-57

Cnipsomorpha colorantis ( Chen & He 1996) n. comb.

Cnipsus colorantis Chen & He, 1996: 286 , figs. 1 & 2 (Ψ). HT, Ψ: China, Yunnan Province, Xishuanganna, Mengsong, Menglong 1600 m, 26.IV.1958, leg. Hong Chuipei (IZCAS).

Otte & Brock, 2005: 109.

Differentiation. Easily distinguished from the other two members of the genus by: the very small size; 13- jointed antennae; lack of anterior spines on the pronotum; more numerous spines of the mesonotum and presence of a sub-basal spine-like appendage of the lateral surfaces of the subgenital plate.

Description. The following is a translation of the original Chinese description, supplemented by the illustrations provided by Chen & He (1996) and photos of a live specimen in Mai (2004) & Yang et al. (2005). The HT in IZCAS could unfortunately not be examined for the present study.

Ψ. Very small (body length 28.4 mm) and moderately slender for the genus. Dorsal body surface furnished with numerous spines and tubercles of variable size and a slight longitudinal median carina. Ventral body surface more sparingly and much less decidedly tuberculose and spinose. General colouration of body and legs green with numerous brown and blackish speckles and markings; the legs irregularly but decidedly annulated. Each dorsal body segment with a short, curved green line laterally. Head with a V-shaped brown marking between the eyes. Eyes brown, antennae blackish brown. Longitudinal median carina on thorax yellow. Chen & He (1996) described the preserved HT as yellowish brown, which was certainly discoloured by a provisional storage in ethanol.

Head: Globose, indistinctly longer than wide, vertex convex and rounded. Between the eyes furnished with a pair of small spines; just behind the eyes with a further pair of spines, which is slightly larger and in greater distance to another. Vertex armed with 10 spines of variable sizes; centre with four prominent coronal spines, the anterior pair being larger; close to posterior margin another pair of enlarged spines. Antennae very short, rather broad, consisting of 13 segments and considerably shorter than profemora; all antennomeres densely setose. Scapus dorsoventrally flattened and slightly dilated laterally, pedicellus much shorter and cylindrical. Third antennomere very short and constricted basally.

Thorax: Pronotum shorter and slightly narrower than the head, roughly trapezoidal; in posterior half armed with a pair of moderately sized spines. Prosternum flat. Mesothorax more than 2.5x longer than pronotum, constricted anteriorly, decidedly swollen medially and gently narrowing towards the posterior margin. Swollen and convex median portion of the mesonotum set with 16 rather symmetrically paired spines, two pairs of spines in posterior portion, the posterior ones being distinctly smaller. Lateral margins armed with two conspicuous spines pre-medially, the posterior one decidedly larger. Metanotum about 2/3 the length of mesonotum, dorsally armed with three pairs of rather prominent spines and a further, much smaller pair of spines towards posterior margin. Two rather decided, spine-like median tubercles on lateral margins. Meso- and metasternum sparingly tuberculose.

Abdomen: Median segment contained almost 4.5x in length of metanotum; posteromedially with a small pair of spines. Segments II–VII narrower than thorax and of approximately equal length and width, VIII–X broader; II–VII slightly longer than wide, all longer than median segment. Posterolateral angles of tergites II– VII elevated triangularly, posterior margins each armed with three prominent spines, the median ones largest and formed by the longitudinal median carina, the lateral ones slightly smaller. Dorsal surface of II–V with four medium spines, roughly arranged in a quadrate; these indistinct and tubercle-like on VI and VII. Sternites II–VII each with two pairs of spine-like, whitish tubercles; the posterior ones more prominent. Tergites VIII– X with a distinct longitudinal carina laterally. Longitudinal median carina of VIII and IX terminating in a spine-like protuberance, which is considerably larger and leaf-like on IX. Anal segment longer than IX, with a distinct and medially elevated longitudinal median keel, posterior margin with outer angles each elevated in a rounded lobe; posteromedian portion indented. Cerci prominent, almost as long as anal segment, elongate, dorsoventrally flattened lanceolate with the apex decidedly pointed. Subgenital plate small, scoop-shaped, slightly keeled and more convex in the apical half and tapered towards the pointed tip, which almost reaches half way along anal segment. Lateral surfaces with a conspicuous spine-like appendage in basal portion, produced by the longitudinal lateral carina.

Legs: All long and moderately slender; profemora about as long as head, pro- and mesonotum combined, metafemora reaching about half way along abdominal segment VI, hind legs projecting considerably over apex of abdomen. All femora decidedly carinate, medioventral carina of femora conspicuous but unarmed. All four carinae of all femora armed with several distinct, triangular teeth of variable sizes. Dorsal carinae of tibiae each with a few small, triangular teeth; ventral carinae unarmed. Tarsi setose.

Measurements in table 2.

Comments. So far only known from the unique ΨHT. Photos of a live Ψspecimen in Mai (2004) and Yang et al. (2005) were taken at Tengchong County, Yunnan Province taken by Mai Guoqing.