Cryptophyllium wennae gen. et, 2021

Cumming, Royce T., Bank, Sarah, Bresseel, Joachim, Constant, Je ́ ro ̂ me, Tirant, Stephane Le, Dong, Zhiwei, Sonet, Gontran & Bradler, Sven, 2021, Cryptophyllium, the hidden leaf insects - descriptions of a new leaf insect genus and thirteen species from the former celebicum species group (Phasmatodea, Phylliidae), ZooKeys 1018, pp. 1-179 : 1

Cryptophyllium wennae gen. et sp. nov. Figure 67

Material examined.

Holotype ♀: "CHINA: Yunnan Province, Chashan Park, Simao District, Puer City, VI-2017, leg. Xiao-Yu Zhu". deposited in the Kunming Institute of Zoology (KIZ), Yunnan, China.

Remarks.

This species was unveiled through our molecular analysis to be distinct from the sympatrically occurring Cryptophyllium yunnanense comb. nov. but unfortunately, only this singular holotype is known to us at this time. Hopefully future collecting in this region will reveal additional specimens and the extent of their morphological variation.

Differentiation.

Females are morphologically most similar to Cryptophyllium oyae comb. nov. and Cryptophyllium tibetense comb. nov. due to the presence of small exterior tibial lobes, similar shaped exterior profemoral lobes (Fig. 67C ), similar thorax shape and spination (Fig. 67D ), and similar abdominal shape (Fig. 67A ). Due to morphological variation noted within these two species and the damaged alae and tip of the subgenital plate in the holotype Cryptophyllium wennae sp. nov. (both morphological features frequently helpful for differentiation), no consistent feature has yet been found to differentiate Cryptophyllium wennae sp. nov. from them except for size as the holotype Cryptophyllium wennae sp. nov. is only 78.5 mm long vs. Cryptophyllium tibetense comb. nov. which is noted as 106.5 mm long ( Liu 1993) or Cryptophyllium oyae comb. nov. which are 82.1 to 94.2 mm long (Cumming and Le Tirant 2020). Hopefully once the egg and male morphology is known more reliable morphological features can be found to differentiate this species more easily.

Males are presently unknown.

Distribution.

At present only known from the type locality of Puer City in Yunnan Province, China.

Description.

Female. Coloration. Based upon the singular dried holotype specimen (Fig. 67 ). Living individuals are always a more vibrant green and this specimen appears to have been fully green, without patches of variable brown. The dried holotype female is pale green throughout with discoloration of tan along the shafts of the legs and head, thorax, and abdomen likely due to the drying process.

Morphology. Head. Head capsule slightly longer than wide, vertex relatively smooth with only slight granulation throughout the surface, all relatively well-spaced (Fig. 67D ). The posteromedial tubercle is broader and taller than any other nodes on the head capsule (Fig. 67F ). Frontal convexity broad and about as long as the first antennomere, with a slightly lumpy surface, and with several setae present throughout (Fig. 67D ). Compound eyes slightly protruding from the head capsule, not notably large, taking up slightly < ¼ of the length of the lateral head capsule margins (Fig. 67D ). Ocelli absent. Antennal fields wider than the first antennomere (Fig. 67D ). Antennae. Antennae consisting of nine segments, with the terminal segment about the same length as the preceding two segments’ lengths combined (Fig. 67B ). Antennomeres I-VIII sparsely marked with small transparent setae, the terminal antennomere has darker, shorter, and denser setae than the other segments (Fig. 67B ). Thorax. Pronotum with gently concave anterior margin and straight lateral margins, which converge to a convex posterior margin that is half the width of the anterior margin (Fig. 67D ). The pronotum surface and moderately formed pronotum rims are smooth, lacking significant granulation, with only a prominent pit in the center, and slight furrows anterior, posterior, and lateral to the pit (Fig. 67D ). Prosternum with moderate granulation, mesosternum anterior margin and the anterior half of the sagittal plane with moderate granulation. Metasternum relatively smooth, lacking notable nodes. Prescutum as long as wide, lateral rims with nine or ten irregularly shaped but not large tubercles with those on the anterior slightly larger than those on the posterior (Fig. 67D ). Prescutum anterior rim prominent but not strongly protruding, surface marked throughout with irregular granulation, no prominent singular sagittal spine present (Fig. 67D ). Prescutum surface covered irregularly by moderate nodes, with slightly larger nodes along the sagittal plane (Fig. 67D ). Mesopleura beginning on the anterior margin of the prescutum and evenly diverging; lateral margin with five larger tubercles, and eight or nine smaller tubercles interspersed unevenly throughout with some tubercles touching side by side or with a slight gap between them (Fig. 67D ). Face of the mesopleura is mostly smooth but with lateral margins that have a slightly granular surface (Fig. 67D ). Wings. Tegmina long, reaching ½ through abdominal segment VII. The subcosta (Sc) is the first vein in the forewing and runs parallel with the tegmina lateral margin for the first ½ of the vein, then bends gently and runs to the lateral margin of the wing where it terminates ca. ¼ of the way through the length. The radius (R) spans the central portion of the forewing with two subparallel branched veins; radius 1 (R1) terminates ca. ⅓ of the way through the wing length, and the radial sector (Rs) terminates ca. ⅔ of the way through the wing length. There is a weak continuation of the radius following the prominent Rs branching which continues on as a short and thinner R-M crossvein that does not solidly connect the two veins as it reaches the media. The media (M) is simply bifurcate with both the media anterior (MA) and media posterior (MP) terminating near the posterior ¼ of the wing. The cubitus (Cu) is also bifurcate, branching near the posterior ⅕ of the wing into the cubitus anterior (CuA) and cubitus posterior (CuP) which both terminate at or very near the wing posterior apex. The first anal vein (1A) is simple and fuses with the cubitus early on, near the branching distance of the R1 from R. Alae in the holotype are unfortunately deformed, so we do not yet know what length alae this species has. Abdomen. Abdominal segments II through the anterior ⅓ of IV diverging slowly at first and then more strongly towards the posterior, with the posterior ⅔ of segment IV the widest segment. Segments V-VI are subparallel, and segment VII converges slightly more prominently and ends in a slight lobe. Segments VIII-X are notably narrower than the previous segments and converge uniformly to the rounded apex. Genitalia. Subgenital plate starts at the anterior margin of segment VIII, is long and narrow reaching significantly onto the terminal segment (Fig. 67G ). Gonapophyses VIII are long and moderately broad, exceeding the apex of abdominal segment X, gonapophyses IX are smaller and slender, hidden below the gonapophyses VIII (Fig. 67G ). Cerci flat, not strongly cupped, with a heavily granular surface and few detectable setae (Fig. 67E ). Legs. Profemoral exterior lobes notably wider than the interior lobe with an acute angle due to a slight recurve of the lobe (Fig. 67C ). Proximal edge of the profemoral exterior lobe slightly granular, and the bend and distal edge is marked by six or seven small serrate teeth (Fig. 67C ). Profemoral interior lobe ca. 3 × as wide as the greatest width of the profemoral shaft, with an obtuse angle, and marked with five prominent teeth arranged in a two-one-two pattern with large looping gaps between the teeth (Fig. 67C ). Mesofemoral exterior lobe arcs from end to end in a slightly bent lobe weighted on the distal half and marked with two serrate teeth on the distal half only. Interior and exterior lobes are of a similar width. Mesofemoral interior lobe arcs smoothly end to end, is marked with four or five serrate teeth only on the distal half of the arc, and is about as wide as the mesofemoral shaft. Metafemoral interior lobe arcs end to end, but is wider on the distal half, and has four or five serrate teeth on the distal half of the lobe only. Metafemoral exterior lobe is thin and smooth, hugging the metafemoral shaft. Protibiae interior lobe spans the entire length of the protibiae and is at least 2 × as wide as the protibial shaft. The lobe is distinctly triangular with the broadest point distal to the midline. Pro-, meso-, and meta- tibiae with small anteriorly situated exterior lobes, meso-, and meta- tibiae lack interior lobes.

Measurements of holotype female [mm]. Length of body (including cerci and head, excluding antennae) 78.5, length/width of head 7.9/7.5, antennae 4.6, pronotum 5.5, mesonotum 6.2, length of tegmina 54.5, length of alae (unknown, deformed in the holotype), greatest width of abdomen 31.8, profemora 17.5, mesofemora 13.0, metafemora 14.2, protibiae 9.7, mesotibiae 9.0, metatibiae 12.5.

Etymology.

Patronym. Named in honor of Zhiwei Dong’s wife, Ms. Wen-Na Chen, for her support and love over the years.

Figures

Figure 67. Holotype female Cryptophyllium wennae gen. et sp. nov., photographs by Zhiwei Dong (KIZ) A habitus, dorsal B details of antennae, dorsal C details of profemoral lobes D details of the head and thorax, dorsal E terminalia, dorsal F details of the head and thorax, lateral G genitalia, ventral.