Pericentrus biwenxuani, Ho, 2017

Ho, George Wai-Chun, 2017, Contribution to the knowledge of Chinese Phasmatodea V: New taxa and new nomenclatures of the subfamilies Necrosciinae (Diapheromeridae) and Lonchodinae (Phasmatidae) from the Phasmatodea of China, Zootaxa 4368 (1), pp. 1-72 : 54-56

Pericentrus biwenxuani sp. nov.

(Figs. 217–220, 261–269, 292–293)

Types. Holotype: ♀, 1400m, Motuo , Xizang, China, 17.VIII.2013, Bi Wen-Xuan (SEM) ; Paratypes: 1♂, 2♀ & 50 eggs (extracted from abdomen of paratypes ♀), 1400m, Motuo , Xizang, China, 17.VIII.2013, Bi Wen-Xuan (1♂ in SEM & 2♀ & 50 eggs in HKES) ; 1♂ & 1♀, 1850m, Bari , Motuo, Xizang, China, 29.VII.2014, Bi Wen-Xuan ( HKES).

Diagnosis. Pericentrus biwenxuani sp. nov. [ China (Xizang)] is similar to P. bicoronatus ( Westwood, 1848) [ India (Assam, Sikkim & West Bengal)] and P. pinnatus Redtenbacher, 1908 [ Bhutan & India (Sikkim)], but can be separated by indistinct lateral expansions of abdominal segments, pair of spinose lamellae on third to fifth abdominal tergites and strongly elongated and elevated median longitudinal carina on abdominal subgenital plate in female and spinose hump on mesonotum medially, indistinct lateral expansions of abdominal segments and curved apices of cerci in male.

Description. Female (Figs. 217–218, 261–265). Medium-sized. General colouration of body and legs brown. Body robust, larger than male.

Head: Oval, gently constricted behind compound eyes. Vertex flat, with paired spines between compound eyes, apices pointing forwards, also with a pair of small and short supra-orbital spines. Occiput convex, with two small swellings on posterior margin. Distinctly armed with four occipital spines on each side of median longitudinal furrow, median and posterior pairs normal, spine-like, other two lateral pairs enlarged, crest-like bearing a few small and short spines. Compound eyes small and rounded. Antennae long and filiform, surpassing apices of forelegs, sparsely covered with short bristles; scapus flattened and constricted basally, longer than pedicellus; third segment as long as scapus.

Thorax: Sparsely and inconspicuously covered with a few small granules. Pronotum rectangular, anterior margin curved inwards, posterior margin rounded, transverse and longitudinal sulci crossing before middle area; armed with paired spines on anterior and posterior margins, also with a pair of comparatively small and short spines placed just before transverse sulcus. Mesonotum longer than combined length of pronotum and metanotum, distinctly swollen medially, median longitudinal line indistinct; centrally elevated with a hump bearing three pairs of medial spines and two pairs of lateral spines, each spine crest-like bearing a few small and short spines; also armed with paired pre-median and posterior medial spines; lateral margins with five to six spines. Metanotum almost as long as median segment, with a pair of posterior medial spines. Mesopleurae with a few short spines marginally and a shot supra-coxal spine. Metapleurae with a few short spines marginally and a long supra-coxal spine.

Abdomen: Rough, sparsely covered with small granules. Median segment wider than long, with a pair of medial spines. Second to seventh tergites with posterolateral expansions, indistinct on second, sixth and seventh tergites. Second tergum with a pair of median medial spines. Third to fifth tergites with a pair of spinose crests on posteromedial area, gradually increased in size posteriorly, between paired crests also elevated with a small and indistinct crest. Sixth tergum with a pair of posterior medial spines. Second to sixth sternites with a pair of small elevations posteriorly. Seventh tergum with a pair of hump-like praeopercular organ posteromedially. Eighth tergum longer than ninth tergum, both tergites with a small hump-like crest posteromedially. Anal segment almost as long as ninth tergum, constricted posteriorly, with a broad V-shaped emargination on posterior margin. Supraanal plate small, mediolongitudinally carinate, posterior margin rounded and surpassing posterolateral angles of anal segment. Subgenital plate boat-shaped, posterior margin acute, surpassing posterior margin of supra-anal plate; elevated with median and lateral longitudinal carinae in second half, median carina strongly elevated. Cerci short and straight, cylindrical basally, apices flattened and pointed, not surpassing end of subgenital plate.

Legs: Slender and long. Femora thicker and shorter than corresponding tibiae. Procoxae armed with a short spine, mesocoxae and metacoxae unarmed. Profemora incurved basally, anterodorsal, posterodorsal, anteroventral and posteroventral carinae with three to five small serrations. Anterodorsal, posterodorsal, anteroventral and posteroventral carinae of mesofemora and metafemora with five to six small serrations. Anterodorsal and posterodorsal carinae of tibiae with three to five small serrations, anteroventral and posteroventral carinae unarmed, medioventral carina weakly elevated basally.

Male. (Figs. 219–220, 266–269). Medium-sized. Body slender, smaller and more slender than female. General colour of body and legs brown.

Head: Oval, constricted behind compound eyes. Vertex flat, with paired spines between compound eyes, apices pointing anteriorly; with very few small granules and also with a pair of short and small supra-orbital spines. Occiput gently convex, median longitudinal furrow distinct, armed with four spines on each side of median longitudinal furrow, median and posterior pairs normal, spine-like, two other lateral pairs lamella-like. Compound eyes small and rounded. Antennae filiform and long, with sparse and short bristles; scapus constricted basally, as long as third segment, longer than pedicellus.

Thorax: Sparsely and inconspicuously covered with a few small granules. Pronotum rectangular, transverse and longitudinal sulci crossing before middle area, anterior margin weakly curved inwards, posterior margin rounded; with paired short spines on anterior and posterior margins, posterior pair larger than anterior pair, also with a short spine on lateral margins medially. Mesonotum longer than combined length of pronotum and metanotum, weakly swollen medially, median longitudinal line indistinct; armed with paired posterior medial spines; centrally elevated with a hump bearing two pairs of lateral spines and three pairs of medial spines; lateral margins with a few short and small spines. Metanotum with a pair of posterior medial spines. Mesopleurae and metapleurae with a short and small supra-coxal spine.

Abdomen: Covered with sparse and inconspicuous granulations. Median segment square, with a pair of postmedian medial spines. Second to seventh tergites with indistinct posterolateral expansions. Second to fifth tergites with a pair of spines posteriorly. Second to fourth sternites with a pair of small and distinct tubercles posteriorly. Eighth tergum expanded posteriorly. Ninth tergum as long as eighth tergum, gently constricted posteriorly, with an obscurely elevated hump posteromedially. Anal segment longer than ninth tergum, split into two straight semitergites, inner surfaces with small dentations, tapering posteriorly, apices pointed. Poculum cup-shaped, elevated medially, posterior margin rounded, reaching anterior margin of anal segment. Cerci cylindrical basally, flattened in second half, apices rounded and curved, almost reaching posterior margin of anal segment.

Legs: Slender and long. Femora thicker than corresponding tibiae. Procoxae armed with a short spine, mesocoxae and metacoxae unarmed. Profemora incurved at base, anterodorsal and posterodorsal carinae with three to four small serrations, anteroventral and posteroventral carinae with indistinct serrations. Anterodorsal, posterodorsal, anteroventral and posteroventral carinae of mesofemora and metafemora with four small serrations. All tibiae longer than corresponding femora, anterodorsal and posterodorsal carinae with three to four small serrations, anteroventral and posteroventral carinae unarmed, medioventral carina weakly elevated basally.

Measurements in Table 26 .

Eggs (Figs. 292–293). Capsule grayish brown, with blackish brown small dense punctuations, oval, tapering posteriorly, posterior pole rounded. Micropylar plate oval, anterior and posterior apices rounded. Micropylar cup placed at end of micropylar plate. Median line long, almost as long as micropylar plate, placed after micropylar cup. Operculum grayish brown, with small punctuations as capsule, gently convex medially, marginally thickened; with a stalked capitulum centrally, apex dorsoventrally flattened and rounded.

Measurements. Length 3.0 mm, width 1.8 mm, height 2.0 mm.

Distribution. China (Xizang).

Notes. The description, illustrations and measurements of eggs are based on extracted eggs which were removed from the abdomen of the paratypic females and probably in an immature stage.

Etymology. This species is named in honour of Bi Wen-Xuan [specialist of Cerambycidae (Coleoptera) , Shanghai, China] who discovered and collected this new Pericentrus species from Xizang, China.

Conclusion

In this study, 29 new taxa including one new genus, 24 new species and four new subspecies are described and seven new combinations are suggested. The genus Pericentrus Redtenbacher, 1908 is reported for the first time from China. The diversity of Necrosciinae and Lonchodinae in China is apparently high and more than 150 species are recognised in these subfamilies ( Chen & He, 2008; Hennemann et al., 2008a; Ho, 2016a & unpubl. data). Most of them are found in the tropical and subtropical regions of southern and southwestern China. New taxa can possibly be discovered in any localities of China. However, some described species are only known from single male or female specimen. This needs further specimen collecting and research to study their taxonomic status and to achieve a comprehensive faunal documentary.

Tables

TABLE 26. Measurements of Pericentrus biwenxuani sp. nov.

Lengths (mm)	Female (HT)	Females (PT)	Males (PT)
Body	60.0	60.0–65.0	48.0–49.0
Head	5.0	5.0	3.5
Antennae	35.0	33.0–36.0	37.0–42.0
Pronotum	5.0	5.0	3.0–3.5
Mesonotum	12.0	11.0–13.0	10.0
Metanotum	3.0	3.0–3.5	3.5
Median segment	3.0	3.0–3.5	2.0
Profemora	14.0	14.0–15.0	15.5–16.0
Mesofemora	12.0	12.0–13.0	12.0
Metafemora	17.0	16.0–17.0	15.0–16.0
Protibiae	16.0	17.0–19.0	19.0–20.0
Mesotibiae	14.0	14.0–16.0	14.0–15.0
Metatibiae	21.0	21.0–22.0	21.0