Pharnacia heros Redtenbacher, 1908

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 : 103-106

Pharnacia heros Redtenbacher, 1908 stat. rev.

( Figs. 98–99, 203–204, 314, 372)

Pharnacia heros Redtenbacher, 1908: 453 . LT [by present designation], ♀: Java orient. Montes Tengger 4000´1890 H. Fruhstorfer; Java H. Fruhstorfer vend. 10.II.1894: 3, Tirachoidea heros Redt. ♀ Typus. Jos. Redtenbacher determ. 1899, public. 1906-08; Bestimm.-Verz. Nr. 3 „ T. Hypharpax Ww.“ (ZMUH); PLT, ♀: Java occident. Sukabumi, leg. Fruhstorfer 2000´1893; H. Fruhstorfer vend. 15.1.1895; 4; Tirachoidea heros var. Redt. ♀ (Typus) Jos. Redtenbacher determ. 1899, public. 1906-08, Bestimm.-Verz. Nr. 4 (ZMUH). [Not: PLT, ♀: Sumatra, Indragiri, leg. Mechel 2. 1895 (NHMB). This is the PLT of Pharnacia sumatrana (Brunner v. Wattenwyl, 1907); see comments below]

Weidner, 1966: 231.

Zompro, 2002a: 189.

Phobaeticus heros, Brock, 1996: 28 .

Otte & Brock, 2005: 268.

? Pharnacia nigricornis, Caudell, 1927: 19 . [Misidentification]

Further material [1 º, 1 ♂]:

JAVA:

1 ♂: Volcan Gede, Java, 2. 1893, Collection A. Finot, Phryganistria acanthopus de Haan ( MNHN, coll. Finot, Box- No. 280) ; 1 ♀: Volcan Gede, Java, Collection A. Finot, Phryganistria acanthopus de Haan ( MNHN, coll. Finot, Box-No. 280) .

Diagnosis: Close to Ph. tirachus ( Westwood, 1859) but distinguished by: the slightly more robust body and legs; relatively shorter body segments; shorter, more globose and convex head; densely serrate anterodorsal carina of the protibiae; lacking considerably enlarged lobes on the same carina, and less prominent armature of the mid and hind-legs of both sexes. Furthermore, ♀♀ differ by the more slender lateral lobes of tergite VII and ♂♂ by the broader, apically constricted and rounded semi-tergites of the anal segment.

Etymology: “ Heros ” (gr. = hero). A noun in apposition to the generic name.

Description: ♀♀ ( Fig. 98): Small to medium-sized (body length 164.0–180.0 mm) and rather slender for the genus (maximum body width 9.0–10.0 mm). General colouration of body and legs dark greyish brown and irregularly set with numerous pale greyish or yellowish markings and speckles. Meso- and metafemora each with a bold dark sub-basal band Eyes reddish brown. Antennae dark brown.

Head: Oval, 1.5x longer than wide, vertex gently convex. Between the bases of the antennae with a small, curved impression. Eyes small, convex and slightly truncate at anterior margin; their length contained a little more than 3x in that of cheek. Antennae reaching about 2/3 the way along the mesonotum, antennomeres increasing in length towards apices of antennae. Scapus dorsoventrally flattened, parallel-sided and about 2.3x longer than wide. Pedicellus less than half the length of scapus, cylindrical.

Thorax: Pronotum 2/3 the length and narrower than head, with posterior margin broader than anterior margin, 1.2x longer than wide. Anterior margin with a slightly raised transverse carina, median transverse depression indistinct, gently curved and reaching to lateral margins of segment. Mesothorax very slightly constricted at the anterior, about 2.5x longer than head and pronotum combined. Mesonotum slightly widened posteriorly and with a fine, longitudinal median carina. Mesosternum smooth. Metanotum 2/5 the length of mesonotum, 2x longer than wide, parallel-sided, anterior or posterior margins slightly raised.

Abdomen: Median segment slightly shorter than metanotum, about 2x longer than wide and rectangular. Segment II slightly shorter than median segment, 1.5x longer than wide. III–VI slightly increasing in length, III 2.3x, VI 2.7x longer than wide. Tergites II–VIII each with a small, rounded posteromedian tubercle. VII shorter than previous, 2x longer than wide and posteriorly dilated into a broad, rounded lobe which laterally projects by about half the body width and posteriorly slightly projects the margin of the tergite. VIII shorter and narrower than VII, strongly convex and slightly constricted medially. IX as wide as VIII, but considerably shorter and just indistinctly longer than wide. Anal segment slightly longer than IX and with a fine median carina. Posterior margin with a shallow, roundly triangular median excavation, outer angles tapered and rounded at the apex. Supraanal plate small, rounded and with a distinct dorsal keel. Cerci small, oval in crosssection and tapered towards the apex. Gonapophyses elongate, up-curving and slightly projecting over apex of abdomen. Subgenital plate strongly keeled, boat-shaped and reaching to apex of anal segment (Fig. 203).

Legs: All rather long and moderately slender. Profemora almost as long as pro-, and mesothorax combined, mesofemora slightly shorter than mesothorax, metafemora projecting over posterior margin of abdominal tergite IV and hind tarsi slightly projecting over apex of abdomen. All carinae except ventral carinae of protibiae minutely serrate or dentate. Anterodorsal carina of profemora with 20–24 acutely triangular serrations, posteroventral carina with a similar number of considerably smaller teeth. Anterodorsal carina of protibiae elevated and distinctly and densely serrate (Fig. 314). Mesofemora with a broad triangular, dentate sub-basal lobe on posteroventral carina and a single enlarged tooth about ¼ off the base on posterodorsal carina. The latter carina protruded into a distinct , black bi-, or tri-dentate apical lobe. Posterodorsal carina of meso- and metatibiae with a rounded lobe about 1/3 of the base on posterodorsal carina (less decided on metatibiae) and a rounded, dentate lobe at the apex. Basitarsi with all carinae slightly elevated; slightly longer than following three tarsomeres combined.

♂♂ ( Fig. 99): Medium-sized (body length 112.3 mm) and very slender for the genus, with long, slender legs but comparatively short alae (50.0 mm). General colouration of body and legs mid brown, legs with indistinct pale greyish transverse bands. Posterior portion of anal segment very dark brown, cerci pale brown. Abdominal sternites II–VII with irregular white speckles. Mesonotum and mesosternum green, metasternum yellowish with a few elongate white spots. Tegmina mid brown with a large black marking on the central hump and costal region of alae slightly greenish mid brown; both with anterior margin white. Anal region of alae transparent grey. Armature of legs black. Antennae mid brown.

Head: Generally as in ♀♀ but vertex more convex and eyes relatively larger and projecting hemispherically; their length contained a little more than 2x in that of cheek. Antennae reaching to posterior margin of tergite II, otherwise as in ♀♀.

Thorax: Pronotum as in ♀♀. Mesothorax almost 3x longer than head and pronotum combined, mesonotum parallel-sided and smooth. Mesosternum with a faint longitudinal median carina, metasternum smooth. Tegmina oval, strongly constricted towards the base and with a prominent, rounded and slightly forward-pointing central hump. Alae reaching to posterior margin of abdominal tergite V.

98. Pharnacia heros Redtenbacher, 1908 , ♀ PLT, Java, Sukabumi (ZMUH)

99. Pharnacia heros Redtenbacher, 1908 , ♂ Java, Mount Gede (MNHN, coll. Finot)

100. Pharnacia kalag Zompro, 2005 , ♀ HT, Philippines, Mindanao Id., Lantapan (coll. OZ)

101. Phobaeticus ingens ( Redtenbacher, 1908) , ♀ LT, SW-India, Malabar Coast, Meppadi ( MHNG)

102. Phobaeticus ingens ( Redtenbacher, 1908) , ♂ N-Myanmar, Highland of Tenasserim (coll. FH, No. 0251-2)

Abdomen: Median segment distinctly longer than metanotum, smooth. Segments II–VI slightly increasing in length II 5x, VI about 6.5x longer than wide, all gently constricted medially. Tergites V–VII with a minute posteromedian tubercle. VII a little shorter than VI, slightly widening towards the posterior, in posterior por- tion with a small and narrow, rounded lateral lobe. VIII ¾ the length of VII, strongly swollen, convex, widened towards the posterior and 1.5x broader than previous segments. IX slightly longer than VIII but distinctly narrower and decidedly constricted medially; about 2.5x longer than wide. Anal segment about as long as IX. Semi-tergites with posterior portion strongly constricted and the apex roundly truncate (Fig. 204). Interior surfaces minutely dentate. Cerci small and rather short, cylindrical and tapered towards a pointed apex, not reaching tip of anal segment. Poculum reaching half way along tergite IX, strongly convex, cup-like and angled.

Legs: All very long and slender. Profemora longer than head, pro-, and mesonotum combined, mesofemora slightly exceeding posterior margin of abdominal segment II, metafemora reaching to apex of abdominal segment V and metatibiae projecting considerably over apex of abdomen. Anterodorsal carina of profemora with 15–17 triangular serrations of average size, posteroventral carina with a similar number of small teeth. Anterodorsal carina of protibiae very minutely but densely dentate. Probasitarsus almost as long as remaining tarsomeres combined, with a smooth but slightly elevated dorsal carina. All carinae of mid and hind legs set with minute teeth, more sparingly on dorsal carinae although. Posteroventral carina of mesofemora with a shallow dilation basally and three slightly more prominent, triangular teeth. Medioventral carina of meso- and metafemora gently raised and set with a few very minute spines. Posterodorsal carina of meso- and metatibiae with a distinct and rounded, dentate apical lobe. Meso- and metabasitarsus slightly longer than remaining tarsomeres combined and with a very slightly elevated dorsal carina.

Comments: Redtenbacher (1908: 453) originally described Pharnacia heros from three syntypic ♀♀, two in ZMUH and one in NHMB. The ♀ from the Tengger Mountains in ZMUH, which bears the green label “No. 3”, is here selected as the LT. Presumably Redtenbacher erroneously referred to the same Sumatran specimen in NHMB which had already been described as Phobaeticus sumatranus by Brunner v. Wattenwyl (1907: 184). Therefore, “ Sumatra ” is here regarded an erroneous record due to based on a different species. Weidner (1966: 231) erroneously listed the ♀ from Tengger-Gebirge as HT and the one from Sukabumi as PT. The collection of M. Finot in MNHN contains a nice ♀ and ♂ from Mount Gedeh in Western Java, which were erroneously identified as “ Phryganistria acanthopus de Haan ”. This ♂ in MNHN is the only one known of this species and served for the description above. Eggs unknown.

Distribution (Fig. 372): Java (Tengger Mountains 4000 ft.; Mount Gede & Sukabumi 2000 ft.).

Number of specimens examined: 4