Phobaeticus

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 : 195-197

Phobaeticus (?) incertus Brunner v. Wattenwyl, 1907

(Figs. 167–168, 252, 395)

Phobaeticus incertus Brunner v. Wattenwyl, 1907: 185. HT, ♀ (+ 4 eggs ex abdomen): 3476; Banka v. Mart; Phobaeticus incertus Br., Brunner det.; Holotypus (MNHU). Brock, 1996: 28. Otte & Brock, 2005: 268. Zompro, 2005b: 267.

Nearchus grubaueri Redtenbacher, 1908: 448 . HT, ♀: Grubauer 1902, Kwala Kangsar, Perak; Mus. Caes. Vindobon; det. Br. v.W. Pharnacia grubaueri (NHMW, Nr. 857). syn. nov. Bragg, 1995b: 275. Brock, 1995: 95. Brock, 1998a: 32. Seow-Choen, 2000: 35, pl. 92 (♀). Bragg, 2001: 393. Brock, 2002: 43. Otte & Brock, 2005: 209.

Further material: [2 ♀♀]:

PENINSULAR MALAYSIA:

1 ♀: Malakka, Perak, A. Grubauer leg.; B. Jachau vend. 15.12.1901 ( ZMUH) ; 1 ♀: Malacca, Selangor, Ulu Gombak, N.C.E. Miller 1928 ( BMNH) .

Etymology: “ Incertus ” (lat. = uncertain, unknown).

Description: ♀♀ ( Fig. 105): Long (body length 167.0–209.0 mm; incl. subgenital plate 189.0–227.0 mm) slender species (± 7.5 mm) with a very long, lanceolate subgenital plate (± 40.0 mm). Body surface smooth and slightly glossy. General colouration of body and legs uniformly dark greyish or reddish brown, occasionally with a bold white longitudinal median line, which begins on the head, is very fine on the mesonotum, interrupted on abdominal tergites and terminates on tergite VI. The line may be very broad and form a wedgeshaped marking on the vertex. Bases of profemora pale yellowish or red interiorly. Legs with indistinct whitish annulations, armature dull red. Eyes dark reddish brown. Antennae blackish brown.

Head: Head elongate, suboval 1.5x longer than wide, broadest at eyes and slightly narrowing towards the posterior. Vertex flat and smooth. Between the bases of the Antennae with a small but distinct, transverse depression. Eyes large, circular and moderately convex; their length contained a little more than 2x in that of cheeks. Antennae reaching to posterior margin of mesonotum; all antennomeres bristled. Scapus dorsoventrally flattened and about 1.7x longer than wide, apex slightly club-like. Pedicellus distinctly shorter than scapus, cylindrical. Following segments first increasing until mid of antenna, then decreasing in length towards apex.

Thorax: Pronotum rectangular, 1.5x longer than wide, shorter and narrower than head. Anterior margin slightly raised, median transverse depression flat and curved, almost reaching lateral margins of segment. Anterior half with an impressed median line. Mesothorax 2.4–2.5x longer than head and pronotum combined, mesonotum with a faint longitudinal median line and very slightly broadened towards posteriorly. Mesosternum with a very shallow longitudinal median keel, which is most decided in anterior portion and gradually terminates towards the posterior margin. Metanotum 3x longer than wide, less than half the length of mesonotum, very slightly constricted medially. Metasternum smooth.

Abdomen: Median segment about 2/3 the length of metanotum, rectangular and 1.5x longer than wide. Segments II–VI increasing in length, II 2x, III–IV 2.5x and V–VI 3x longer than wide, lateral margins very gently convex. VII slightly narrower than previous, 3x longer than wide. Tergite VI with a small, transverse posteromedian tubercle; remaining tergites smooth. VIII distinctly narrower and about 3/5 the length of VII, 2.5x longer than wide, strongly convex and constricted medially. IX half the length of VIII, strongly convex, roughly quadrate. Anal segment longer than IX, with a fine median carina and a small, triangular excavation posteromedially; lateral margins widely excavated at bases of cerci. Supraanal plate small, strongly keeled, rounded and not projecting over posterior margin of anal segment. Cerci small, oval in cross-section and slightly tapered towards the apex. Subgenital plate longitudinally keeled, gradually tapered towards an acute apex, very long and lanceolate; projecting over apex of abdomen by more than the combined length of tergites VIII–X (Fig. 252).

Legs: All long and slender with all carinae distinctly and more or less uniformly dentate, lacking any considerably enlarged spines or teeth. Profemora about as long as pro- and mesothorax combined, mesofemora a little longer than mesothorax, metafemora projecting over posterior margin of abdominal segment IV and metatarsi reaching to apex of anal segment. Anterodorsal carina of profemora with ± 20 distinct and very sharp, triangular teeth; posteroventral carina with a similar number of slightly smaller teeth. Medioventral carina of profemora distinct and dentate; about midways on ventral surface of femur. Medioventral carina of meso- and metafemora distinct and armed with a longitudinal row of ± 10 pointed spines. Medioventral carina of meso- and metatibiae strongly raised and densely dentate. Probasitarsus slightly shorter than remaining tarsomeres combined, all carinae unarmed, the dorsal carina gradually raised towards the apex. Meso- and metabasitarsi with a slightly raised and rounded dorsal carina, all carinae densely serrate, about as long as following three tarsomeres combined. All basitarsi with a minutely dentate medioventral carina.

Eggs (Figs. 167–168): The following description is based on a single fully developed egg which was removed from the ovipositor of the HT of N. grubaueri Redtenbacher in NHMW. Eggs extracted from the abdomen of the HT of Phobaeticus incertus Brunner v. Wattenwyl in MNHU were only used for comparison and confirming the synonymy of these two species. The description below is based on the unique fully developed egg in NHMW.

Large, general colouration of capsule dark greyish brown with irregular lighter markings. Capsule with irregularly raised and impressed areas, slightly laterally compressed and longer than high. There is a distinct wide transverse indention across the polar-area and the micropylar plate is conspicuously impressed. Whole capsule surface densely but minutely granulated and covered with numerous small, whitish to pale brown, wart-like structures. Micropylar plate small and roundly rhomboidal, its length contained about 4x in that of capsule. Micropylar cup, distinct, pale brown, cup-like and positioned well away from the posterior margin of the plate. Operculum orange-brown slightly oval, strongly concave and with distinct radial lamella-like ridges. Capitulum prominent, conical with deep radial impressions and on very short stalk; brown.

Measurements [mm]: length (including capitulum) 4.9, length 4.0, width 3.1, height 3.9, length of micropylar plate 0.9.

Comments: Brunner v. Wattenwyl (1907: 185) described Phobaeticus incertus based on a single ♀ from Banka Island, a few kilometres off the northeast coast of Sumatra, in MNHU. Redtenbacher (1908: 448) described Nearchus grubaueri based on a single ♀ from Kuala Kangsar, Perak (Peninsular Malaysia) in NHMW, not being aware that this was identical to Brunner v. Wattenwyl’s species. Detailed examination and comparison of the HT’s of Ph. incertus Brunner v. Wattenwyl and N. grubaueri Redtenbacher has not shown any significant differences, except from the latter being remarkably larger and having distinct white markings on the body and head. Comparison of eggs extracted from the abdomen of the HT of Ph. incertus and a single egg removed from the ovipositor of the HT of N. grubaueri have also not revealed any differences that would allow specific distinction and additionally confirm the synonymy of these two taxa. Consequently, N. grubaueri falls as a junior synonym of Ph. incertus Brunner v. Wattenwyl (syn. nov.). The taxonomic position of Ph. incertus is questionable and certain features indicate relation to Eucarcharus Brunner v. Wattenwyl, 1907 and Nesiophasma Günther, 1934 , two genera of the tribe Stephanacridini (see comments above). The specific name “ incertus ” indicates that already Brunner v. Wattenwyl was uncertain about the generic position of his new species.

Two ♀♀ and eggs from the Andaman Islands were examined from photos kindly sent by P.D. Brock (Slough, England) and represent a new record for Ph. (?) incertus . Both were collected from the canopy of primary rain forest between 20–25 metres above the ground (pers. comm. with P.D. Brock) .

♂ unknown.

Distribution (Fig. 395): Pulau Banka prope Sumatra (in the Straight of Malacca), Peninsular Malaysia ( Malacca; Perak: Kuala Kangsar & Selangor: Ulu Gombak) & Andaman Islands.

Number of specimens examined: 4