Baculonistria, Hennemann & Conle, 2008

Hennemann, Frank H. & Conle, Oskar V., 2008, Revision of Oriental Phasmatodea: The tribe Pharnaciini Günther, 1953, including the description of the world's longest insect, and a survey of the family Phasmatidae Gray, 1835 with keys to the subfamilies and tribes (Phasmatodea: " Anareolatae ": Phasmatidae), Zootaxa 1906, pp. 1-316 : 85-86

6.1 Genus Baculonistria gen. nov.

Type species: Baculum album Chen & He, 1990: 54 , by present designation.

Baculum, Chen & He, 1990: 54 .

Phobaeticus, Cai & Liu, 1993: 469 .

Chen & He, 1997: 114, fig. 3a, b.

Brock, 1996: 28 (in part).

Otte & Brock, 2005: 268 (in part). Chen & He, 2007: 347.

Description (♂, ♀): Medium-sized to long, elongate and moderately slender Pharnaciini , both sexes apterous. Sexual dimorphism moderate. ♂♂ either much smaller and more slender than ♀♀. Body surface unarmed and strongly shiny in ♂♂. Head longer than wide and narrowed towards the posterior, vertex flat and smooth. In ♀♀ with two minute spines between the eyes. Antennae of ♂♂ slightly shorter than head, pro- and mesonotum combined, in ♀♀ conspicuously shortened and just about 1.5x longer than head and pronotum combined. Antennomeres IV–XII of ♀♀ distinctly shortened, indistinctly longer than wide. Mesothorax of ♀♀ short, about as long as metanotum and median segment combined. All sterna and pleurae simple, mesosternum not keeled. Median segment very short and wider than long, about 1/8 the length of metanotum. Abdominal tergites II–VIII longer than wide and parallel-sided. Sternum VII of ♀♀ with a distinct praeopercular organ, formed by a gently rounded, transverse lobe. Semi-tergites of anal segment of ♂♂ raised anterodorsally, of moderate length and rounded apically. Vomer of ♂♂ produced and sclerotised, roughly Y-shaped with the apex split. Poculum of ♂♂ convex and at the angle conically elevated; ± acute. Subgenital plate of ♀♀ keeled, boat-shaped and not reaching to the tip of the anal segment, or very elongate, lanceolate and projecting over the anal segment by more than 2x the combined length of tergites VIII–X. Cerci small, conical and cylindrical in cross-section. All legs of moderate length and minutely dentate ventrally; smooth dorsally. Anterodorsal carina of ♂♂ profemora unarmed. Meso- and metafemora of ♂♂ slightly broadened. Mesofemora as long as metanotum (♀♀) or metanotum and median segment combined (♂♂). Medioventral carina of meso- and metafemora distinct, sparingly spinose and occasionally with a prominent spine sub-apically. Hind legs of ♀♀ short and staying clearly beyond apex of abdomen. Probasitarsus as long as (♀♀) or longer than remaining tarsomeres combined (♂♂); simple. Meso- and metabasitarsus at least as long as the following three tarsomeres combined; simple.

Eggs (Figs. 192–193): Medium-sized. Capsule ovoid, distinctly longer than high and oval in cross-section. Polar area impressed and with longitudinal, keel-like extensions dorsally and ventrally. Anterior end of capsule with a prominent opercular collar. Capsule surface minutely punctate and all over covered with numerous, prominent impressions. External micropylar plate slightly less than ½ the length of capsule, broad and roughly heart-shaped, with a broad notch posteromedially. Open internally. Median line very distinct and conspicuously raised from capsule surface. Operculum flat, oval. Capitulum hat-like and distinctly stalked.

Differentiation ( Table 2): Distinguished from all other members of Pharnaciini and its closest relative Phryganistria Stål, 1875 by: the short mesonotum which is just indistinctly longer than the metanotum; extremely short and transverse median segment, which is only about 1/8 the length of the metanotum; distinct and spinose medioventral carina of the meso- and metafemora; short mesofemora which are about as long or indistinctly longer than the metanotum (distinctly longer than combined length of metanotum and median segment in all other genera); simple basitarsi and short antennae of both sexes, which are shorter than the head, pro- and mesonotum combined (♀♀ in particular). ♀♀ furthermore differ from all other genera of Pharnaciini by: having two minute spines between the eyes; distinctly shortened antennomeres IV–XII and having the praeopercular organ formed by a singe, gently rounded transverse lobe at posterior margin of tergite VII (paired lobes in all other genera). ♂♂ are additionally distinguished by the unarmed anterodorsal carina of the profemora. The eggs are distinctive by having a very prominent opercular collar, the capsule surface with numerous large impressions and a broad, heart-shaped micropylar plate which covers less than ½ of the dorsal egg surface.

Etymology: Feminine. Combined from “ baculus ” (lat. = twig) and the ending “- nistria ” of Phryganistria Stål, 1875 to mirror the close relation with this genus.

Distribution ( Fig. 85): Central and east China (Sichuan Prov., Chongqing Prov., Henan Prov. & Anhui Prov.). This is the ony genus of Pharnaciini which has dispersed as far north as to the southeastern regions of the Palearctic realm.