Parastheneboea Redtenbacher, 1908

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 : 41-42

Parastheneboea Redtenbacher, 1908

Type-species: Parastheneboea insignis Redtenbacher, 1908: 474 [= Apora laetior Brunner v. Wattenwyl, 1907], by monotypy.

Parastheneboea Redtenbacher, 1908: 474 .

Bragg, 2001: 593.

Otte & Brock, 2005: 255.

Apora Brunner v. Wattenwyl, 1907: 241. Type-species: Apora laetior Brunner v. Wattenwyl, 1907: 242, by subsequent designation of Bragg, 1993: 34. [Preoccupied by Apora Gunnerus, 1768 (Echinodermata) ]

Echinoclonia Carl, 1913: 43 . Type-species: Echinoclonia borneensis Carl, 1913: 44 , pl. 1: 4 & 5 (Ψ) [= Apora laetior Brunner v. Wattenwyl, 1907], by monotypy. [Synonymised by Günther, 1932: 260]

Comments. As presently treated the genus appears to contain two distinct generic units. The genotype P. laetior laetior (Brunner v. Wattenwyl, 1907) and all other Bornean taxa, except P. exotica (Brunner v. Wattenwyl, 1907), have a rather elongate, roughly parallel-sided head, flat vertex, a rather slender and parallel-sided body, unarmed ventral body surface and distinctly basally curved and compressed profemora. ΨΨpossess an appendicular ovipositor and have the anal segment broad, with the posterior margin rounded or truncate. The anal segment of ɗɗhas the posterior margin rounded and slightly indented medially. The second unit is formed by P. yehi Brock, 1999 from Peninsular Malaysia and the two newly described Chinese species. These have the head indistinctly longer than wide, strongly convex and armed with spines, the profemora only very gently curved and compressed basally, the basitarsi longer than the remaining tarsomeres combined and the thorax ± broadened. ΨΨhave the abdomen broadened basally, possess conspicuous paired lobes on the abdominal sternites and have the anal segment tapered towards a rather narrow, indented apex but lack an appendicular ovipositor. ɗɗin contrast have the posterolateral angles of the anal segment considerably elevated. In several aspects the Bornean P. exotica (Brunner v. Wattenwyl) represents an intermediate between these two groups. The conically elevated vertex, broadened thorax and just indistinctly basally curved and compressed profemora, as well as the basally broadened abdomen and distinct posterolateral lobes of the abdominal tergites of ΨΨof P. e x o t i c a (Brunner v. Wattenwyl) resemble P. y e h i Brock and P. foliculata n. sp., whereas the unarmed ventral body surface and appendicular ovipositor of ΨΨ, lack of posterolateral lobes of the abdominal tergites of ɗɗand the bullet-shaped eggs resemble the other Bornean species in the genus.

Unfortunately, eggs of the genotype P. laetior laetior (Brunner v. Wattenwyl) are not known but the first author’s collection (coll. FH, No. 0343-E) contains a sample of eggs of P. imponens (Brunner v. Wattenwyl, 1907) from Mount Kinabalu, Sabah. They are bullet-shaped, almost 3.5x longer than wide, cylindrical and have the polar-are distinctly conically pointed and tri-carinate; the micropylar plate is lanceolate and pointed anteriorly. Despite these, the eggs of P. e x o t i c a (Brunner v. Wattenwyl) and P. foliculata n. sp. are the only ones of the genus that have so far been sufficiently described and illustrated. They do however show striking morphological differences which again indicate the genus to consist of two distinct generic units. Eggs of P. exotica (Brunner v. Wattenwyl) are similar to those of P. imponens (Brunner v. Wattenwyl). They are elongate, cylindrical, bullet-shaped and have the polar end conical with four distinct, converging ridges; as in P. imponens the operculum is surrounded by a collar of setae. Eggs of this type of shape are usually associated with taxa in which ΨΨhave an appendicular ovipositor and are laid into soil, moss or crevices of bark. They are widely distributed throughout the subfamily Necrosciinae (e.g. Pseudodiacantha Redtenbacher, 1908 , Centrophasma Redtenbacher, 1908 or Orxines Stål, 1875 ). Eggs of P. foliculata n. sp. are of a very distinct shape and glued to a surface by the flattened ventral surface of the capsule. They are oval in cross-section, have the polar-area rounded and the anterior margin without an opercular collar of setae ( Figs. 5 & 6 ), thus resembling the eggs of e.g. Marmessoidea Brunner v. Wattenwyl, 1893 or Sipyloidea Brunner v. Wattenwyl, 1893 (both Necrosciinae ). Both features of the insects and eggs indicate the second unit, formed by P. y e h i Brock and the two newly described Chinese species, to represent a new as yet unrecognised genus. However, any broader discussion or splitting of the genus should be part of a detailed revisional study of Parastheneboea Redtenbacher and in particular requires knowledge of the eggs of the genotype P. laetior laetior (Brunner v. Wattenwyl).

The Bornean species of Parastheneboea Redtenbacher , with the exception of P. e x o t i c a (Brunner v. Wattenwyl), appear to be closely related to Galactea Redtenbacher, 1908 . The first author’s collection (coll. FH, No’s 0343-4 & 5) contains the so far undescribed ɗɗof P. imponens (Brunner v. Wattenwyl). They are rather untypical for Parastheneboea Redtenbacher having scale-like tegmina and fully developed alae.

Another genus supposedly closely related to Parastheneboea Redtenbacher is the Chinese Acanthophasma Chen & He, 2000 (Type-species: Oxyartes varia Chen & He, 1992 ). This was originally placed in close relation to Oxyartes Stål, 1875 (subfamily Necrosciinae ), which is most certainly not the case. Hennemann (2007: 24) suggested possible relationship to Andropromachus Carl, 1913 (subfamily Lonchodinae ) but the presence of small, squamiform alae rather affiliates it with Necrosciinae . Any confirmed positioning of Acanthophasma Chen & He requires knowledge of the still unknown ΨΨand eggs.

Distribution. Borneo, Peninsular Malaysia and SW-China (Chongqing & Yunnan).

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 6. Parastheneboea foliculata n. sp. 1. Habitus of ΨHT, lateral view. 2. Habitus of ΨHT, dorsal view. 3. Apex of abdomen, lateral view (ΨHT). 4. Apex of abdomen, ventral view (ΨHT). 5. Egg, dorsal view [scale = 1 mm]. 6. Egg, lateral view [scale = 1 mm].