Phyllium (Phyllium) bilobatum Gray, 1843

Hennemann, Frank H., Conle, Oskar V., Gottardo, Marco & Bresseel, Joachim, 2009, On certain species of the genus Phyllium Illiger, 1798, with proposals for an intra-generic systematization and the descriptions of five new species from the Philippines and Palawan (Phasmatodea: Phylliidae: Phylliinae: Phylliini) 2322, Zootaxa 2322 (1), pp. 1-83 : 46-47

Phyllium (Phyllium) bilobatum Gray, 1843

Phyllium bilobatum, Gray, 1843: 120 , fig. C (profemur of ♀). HT, ♀: Holotype; 42. 72 Phil. Isl.; Philippine Islands, H. Cuming, Esq.; Phyllium bilobatum Gray ; bilobatum, G.R.Gray, Cumings ; BMNH(E) #845231 (BMNH). Westwood, 1859: 175.

Kirby, 1904: 423.

Redtenbacher, 1906: 177.

Bruner, 1915: 231.

Klante, 1976: 71 (in part – Javanese specimens are Ph. (Ph.) jacobsoni Rehn & Rehn, 1933 ).

Grösser, 2001: 52, fig. 66 (in part – only Philippine record).

Otte & Brock, 2005: 272.

Grösser, 2008: 91 (in part – only Philippine record, figured specimens from Java and Malaysia are two distinct species).

Comments: Careful examination of the unique ♀ HT of Ph. bilobatum from “ Philippine Islands ” in BMNH reveals that it has been misinterpreted by Grösser (2008: 91) who also recorded it from Java and Peninsular Malaysia. However, both records obviously represent two distinct species both of which are not conspecific with the HT of Ph. bilobatum . While the Malayan specimens illustrated by Grösser (2008, figs. 15, 107 & 108) relate to Ph. hausleithneri Brock, 1999 (see below), the Javanese specimens are in fact Ph. jacobsoni Rehn & Rehn, 1933 , a species described from Nongkodjadjar in western Java.

The HT of Ph. bilobatum is characteristic for the slender abdomen and narrow but acute and posteriorly extending lobes of abdominal segments VII and VIII and the five very prominent and triangular, saw-like teeth of the interior lobe of the profemora. Both features frequently distinguish it from the Javanese and Malaysia specimens erroneously attributed to Ph. bilobatum by Grösser (2008: 91). Unfortunately, the typelocality is very inexact and no further material that definitely belongs to this species appears to have been recorded subsequently. Detailed photos of the HT in BMNH are available online at the Phasmida Species File http://phasmida.speciesfile.org (author: Paul D. Brock). Body length 65.0 mm.

Distribution: Philippines.