Baculonistria alba ( Chen & He, 1990 ) 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 : 87-91

Baculonistria alba ( Chen & He, 1990) comb. nov.

( Figs. 87–88, 192–193, 266–268, 351, 358, 368, 416, 429–430)

Baculum album Chen & He, 1990: 54 , figs. 1 a (♂), b–c (♀). HT, ♂: China, Chongqing, Zhongxian County, leg. Zeng Lin 9.X.1989 (BFU); AT, ♀: China, Chongqing, Zhongxian, leg. Zeng Lin 9.X.1989 (BFU).

Phobaeticus albus, Chen & He, 1997: 114 , fig. 3a (♂) & b (♀). Chen, 1999b: 34. Otte & Brock, 2005: 268. Chen & He, 2007: 347, figs. 315 a-d.

Baculonistria alba (in press), Hennemann et al., 2008: 9.

Phobaeticus sichuanensis Cai & Liu, 1993: 469 , figs. 1–4. HT, ♀: China, Chongqing, Zhongxian, leg. Zeng Lin & Hu Liancheng 9.X.1989 (DBNU); AT, ♂: China, Chongqing, Zhongxian, leg. Zeng Lin & Hu Liancheng 9.X.1989 (DBNU); PT: 2 ♂♂, 2 ♀♀: same data (DBNU). syn. nov. Zeng, Hu et al., 1990: 1. [Notes on biology and pest status] Brock, 1996: 30. Otte & Brock, 2005: 270.

Further material [5 ♂♂, 6 ♀♀, eggs]:

CHINA:

1 ♂, 1 ♀, 4 eggs: SW-China, Chongqing Municipality, Wanzhou County, Chongqing, nr. Zhongxian County , leg. Weiwei Zhang 1.–8.VIII.2006 (coll. FH, No’s 0614-1, 2 & E) ; 3 ♂♂, 5 ♀♀, eggs: ex Zucht: R. Galunder (Nümbrecht), Herkunft: SW-China: Chongqing, F1-Generation, 2008 (coll. FH, No’s 0614-3 to 9 & ED) .

87. ♀ SW-China, Chongqing, Zhongxian Co. (coll. FH, No. 0614-1)

88. ♂ SW-China, Chongqing, Zhongxian Co. (coll. FH, No. 0614-2)

Diagnosis: ♀♀ are easily distinguished from B. yuexiensis ( Chen & He, 1993) from E-China by the very long, lanceolate subgenital plate which projects over the apex of the anal segment by more than 2x the combined length of tergites VIII–X, and distinct sub-apical spine on the medioventral carina of the meso- and metafemora. ♂♂ differ from B. longicornis ( Bi & Wang, 1998) by: the relatively shorter antennomeres; antennae with 25 segments; medioventral carina of meso and metafemora with a distinct sub-apical spine and femora lacking pale elliptical spots.

Etymology: The name (lat. albus = white) refers to the white portions of the head and thorax of ♂♂.

Description: The descriptions presented below is based on the ♂ and ♀ in coll. FH. The colouration is described from colour-photographs of live specimens taken by Weiwei Zhang (Chongqing, China).

♀♀ ( Fig. 87, 416, 430): Long to very long (body length 159.0– 194.5 mm, including subgenital plate 172.0–221.0 mm) and slender for the genus with a very long and lanceolate subgenital plate (33.4–50.5 mm). Body entirely smooth and slightly shiny. General colouration of body and legs greyish or greenish mid brown with paler grey, yellowish or whitish speckles. Meso- and metasternum mid to dark brown with pale yellow markings. Lateral surfaces of the head with a fine dark brown postocular line, the cheeks creamish white. Leg armature black. Antennae brown dorsally and black ventrally. Larger spines of the legs black. Eyes very dark purplish brown.

Head: Oval, about 1.4x longer than wide and narrowed towards the posterior, broadest at the eyes. Between the eyes with a pair of minute, forward-pointing black spines. Eyes circular and projecting hemispherically, their length contained almost 3x in that of cheek. Antennae slightly longer than head and pronotum combined and distinctly shorter than profemora; with 25 segments. Scapus dorsoventrally compressed, 2.5x longer than wide and narrowed towards the base. Pedicellus 2/5 the length of scapus, cylindrical. III 1.5x longer than pedicellus, cylindrical. Following antennomeres cylindrical and increasing in length; IV–X conspicuously shortened.

Thorax: Pronotum shorter and narrower than the head, narrowed anteriorly and with posterior margin 1.5x broader than anterior margin. Anterior margin raised and with an impression medially. Median transverse depression short, widely V-shaped and not reaching lateral margins of segment. Mesothorax very gently, gradually widening towards the posterior; as long as metanotum and median segment combined. Metanotum indistinctly shorter than mesonotum, parallel-sided and about 4.5x longer than wide.

Abdomen: Median segment just slightly more than 1/8 the length of metanotum. Segments II–VI slightly increasing in length; III 2x, VI 2.5x longer than wide. VII gently narrowing towards the posterior and almost 3x longer than wide. Sternites II–VII smooth. Praeopercular organ formed by a single gently rounded and thickened transverse lobe at posterior margin of sternum VII. Tergite VIII slightly narrower than previous, parallel-sided, 2.5x longer than wide and about 2/3 the length of VII. IV half the length of VIII, slightly longer than wide and strongly convex. Anal segment elongate, 1.4x longer than IX and flattened. Posterior margin with a wide, triangular median excision and the lateral angles rounded (Fig. 268). Supraanal plate prominent, broadly rounded and with a faint longitudinal median keel. Cerci small, finely bristled and distinctly projecting over posterior margin of anal segment. Subgenital plate very elongate, lanceolate and almost 2.5x longer than combined length of tergites VIII–X; apex pointed (Fig. 266).

Legs: Of moderate length and slender. Profemora almost as long as head, pro- and mesonotum combined, mesofemora about as long as metanotum and metatibiae slightly projecting posterior margin of abdominal segment VI. Anterodorsal carina of profemora with 12–15 sharp, triangular serrations which decrease in size towards apex of femur, posteroventral carina with 10–12 minute serrations. Protibiae unarmed. Dorsal carinae of meso- and metafemora and tibiae unarmed. Ventral carinae of femora minutely dentate; medioventral carina distinct, armed with 5–7 moderately sized spines and a prominent sub-apical spine. Apical ¾ of ventral carinae of meso- and metatibiae serrate. Probasitarsus elongate, simple and longer than remaining tarsomeres combined. Meso- and metabasitarsu as long as following two tarsomeres combined, simple and unarmed.

♂♂ ( Fig. 88, 416, 429): Medium-sized (body length 138.5–164.0 mm) and moderately slender insects. Body surface entirely smooth and strongly shiny. General colouration of the body pale greyish green and yellowish along the lateral surfaces, posterior margin of each body segment broadly pale brown. Dorsal portions of meso- and metanotum with a washed white longitudinal median stripe; meso- and metapleurae often whitish. Head white with a distinct dark brown postocular stripe (Fig. 429). Tergites VIII–X pale greyish brown; VIII and IX with a white spot anterolaterally (sometimes lacking on VIII). Fore legs, all tibiae, apices of femora and coxae greyish brown. Remaining portions of meso- and metafemora pale greyish green. Antennae very dark brown with the apex slightly paler. Eyes very dark purplish brown.

Head: Generally as in ♀♀ but lacking minute spines between the eyes. Antennae relatively longer than in ♀♀, almost reaching posterior of mesonotum and with antennomeres relatively longer; 25-jointed. Eyes more prominent.

Thorax: Pronotum slightly shorter and narrower than the head, anterior portion gently narrowed and anterior margin slightly raised. Transverse median depression shallow, widely V-shaped and not reaching lateral margins of segment. Mesothorax slightly broadened at the posterior; indistinctly longer than metanotum and median segment combined. Metanotum very gently constricted medially and about 8.5x longer than wide.

Abdomen: Median segment about 1.3x longer than wide with the anterior margin slightly rounded; less than 1/7 the length of metanotum. Segments II–VI increasing in length, VI and VII slightly decreasing; V longest. II about 3x, V 4.5x longer than wide. II–VI very slightly constricted medially, VII gently widening toward posterior margin. Tergite VIII trapezoidal, slightly widening toward the posterior and about half the length of VII. IX slightly shorter than VIII, strongly convex and gently constricted medially. Anal segment longer than VIII, laterally compressed, strongly keeled and split, forming two broad, roughly triangular apically rounded semi-tergites (Fig. 267). These slightly swollen and club-like apically and covered with minute black teeth on their interior surfaces. Below anterior margin with a distinct , longitudinal furrow. Cerci elongate, less than half the length of anal segment, cylindrical and finely bristled. Vomer well developed and sclerotised, visible from externally and roughly Y-shaped with the apex split. Poculum small, cup-like, hardly reaching posterior margin of tergite IX and with a distinct , conical hump in the centre.

Legs: Of moderate length, the meso- and metafemora conspicuously thickened and distinctly broader than corresponding tibiae. Profemora slightly longer than head, pro- and mesonotum combined, mesofemora about as long as metanotum and median segment combined, metatibiae slightly exceeding apex of abdomen. Profemora with a few very minute teeth on posteroventral carina, otherwise unarmed. Protibiae unarmed. Meso- and metafemora unarmed dorsally, the antero- and posteroventral carinae each irregularly dentate. Medioven- tral carina prominent and armed with 5–6 small spines and a prominent, black sub-apical spine. Meso- and metatibiae smooth dorsally, the three ventral carinae minutely dentate. Probasitarsus very elongate, unarmed and longer than remaining tarsomeres combined. Meso- and metabasitarsi about as long as remaining tarsomeres combined except claw.

Eggs (Figs. 192–193): Medium-sized. Capsule ovoid, distinctly longer than high and oval in cross-section. Polar area impressed and with longitudinal, rounded and keel-like extensions dorsally and ventrally. Anterior end of capsule constricted and with a prominent, broad opercular collar. Capsule surface minutely punctate and all over covered with numerous, prominent impressions of variable size and shape. External micropylar plate slightly less than ½ the length of capsule, broad and roughly heart-shaped, with a broad notch posteromedially. In the centre with a broad, roughly heart-shaped and impressed region. Median line very distinct and prominently raised from capsule surface. Operculum flat, oval. Capitulum prominent, hat-like and with a distinct stalk. Capsule greyish brown with the impressions and central, heart-shaped impression of the micropylar plate black. Opercular collar very dark brown. Operculum dark grey to black, capitulum orange.

Measurements [mm]: length 4.0, length (including capitulum) 4.7, width 2.5, height 2.9, length of the micropylar plate 1.9. Cai & Liu (1993: 471) cited the following dimensions or specimens from Zhongxian County: length 3.68 mm, width 2.32 mm, height 2.64 mm.

Comments: Chen & He (1990: 54) described Baculum album from Zhongxian County, Sichuan Province. Subsequently, Chen & He (1997) recorded it from the Three Gorge Reservoir at the Yangtze River and transferred it to Phobaeticus Brunner v. Wattenwyl, 1907. In 1993 Cai & Liu described Phobaeticus sichuanensis also from Zhongxian County, Sichuan Province, unaware that this species had already been described by Chen & He (1990) based on specimens collected from the same locality. The type specimens of Baculum album Chen & He in BFU and Phobaeticus sichuanensis Cai & Liu, 1993 (syn. nov.) in DBNU could unfortunately not be examined for the present study. However, an adult couple and eggs collected from Wanzhou County, Chongqing were kindly presented to the first author by Weiwei Zhang (Chongqing, China) for examination and match very well with the descriptions of both species, except for being comparatively longer (→ Table 3). * according to Chen & He (1990: 55) ** accordingt to Cai & Liu (1993: 470)

Chen & He (1994) and Cai & Liu (1993) reported this species to have caused considerable damage on a variety of plants in the Zhongxian County in 1986 (Sichuan Province, now Chonqing municipality) and that an area of several hundred hectars was almost completely destroyed. They stated more than one hundred specimens were counted per tree and the following plants to have shown considerable defoliation: Vernicia fordii (Euphorbiaceae) , Cupressus funebris (Cupressaceae) , Platycarya strobilacea , P. orientalis (Juglandaceae) , Sapium sebiferum (Euphorbiaceae) , Cyclobalanopsis sp. (Fagaceae) , Salix cheilophila (Salicaceae) , Zea mays (Poaceae) and Solanum tuberosum (Solanaceae) .

Zeng et al. (1990: 1 ff.) discussed the biology and life-cylce in Chongqing and western Hubei Province and reported B. alba to take three years to complete a generation. Eggs are laid between early July and late August. They take about 11–13 months to hatch, the nymphs will reach 2 nd instar in late autumn, over-winter and become adult in the third year.

Culture stock from Chongqing municipality was introduced to Germany in 2007 and successfully reared in captivity. At least bramble ( Rubus spp. , Rosaceae ), rose ( Rosa spp. , Rosaceae ) and oak ( Quercus robur , Fagaceae ) are frequently accepted as alternative foodplants. Eggs have an incubation time of approximately three months and nymphs reach maturity in about 4 months. The insects prefer rather well ventilated conditions and a large cage is necessary for successful breeding. Captive reared ♀♀ of the F1-generation produced an average of 10 eggs per day (personal communication with R. Galunder).

Distribution (Fig. 368): SW-China (Chongqing municipality: Zhongxian County; Yangtze River, Three Gorge Reservoir 160–1200 m & Wanzhou County, Chongqing) and Hubei Province.

Number of specimens examined: 11.