Neohirasea unispina unispina, 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 : 24-25

Neohirasea unispina unispina sp. nov. & subsp. nov .

(Figs. 57–60, 68, 104–112, 278–279)

Types. Holotype: ♂, 1300–1400m, Fenshuiling, Jinping, Yunnan, China, 4.IX.2016, George Ho Wai-Chun (HKES); Paratypes: 14♂, 12♀ & 88 eggs (naturally laid by paratypes ♀), 1300–1400m, Fenshuiling, Jinping, Yunnan, China, 4.IX.2016, George Ho Wai-Chun (HKES & SNUC).

Diagnosis. Neohirasea unispina sp. nov. & sen. lat. [ China (Yunnan)] can be easily separated from all other species by posteromedially unispined mesonotum and metanotum in male and a laterally compressed lamella on eighth abdominal tergum and spine-like praeopercular organ on seventh abdominal sternum in female.

Description. Male (Figs. 57–58, 68, 104–106, 111). Medium-sized. Body slender and slim. General colouration of body and legs rufous brown to dark brown.

Head: Oval, longer than wide, indistinctly constricted posteriorly after compound eyes, inconspicuously and sparsely covered with minute granules. Vertex and occiput flat. Posterior margin of occiput with six indistinct swellings. Median longitudinal furrow distinct, lateral longitudinal furrows indistinct. Compound eyes small and oval. Genae with a pale brown postocular stripe. Antennae long and filiform, surpassing apices of protarsi; scapus flattened, longer than pedicellus; third segment as long as combined length of scapus and pedicellus.

Thorax: Sparsely covered with small granules. Pronotum rectangular, longer than wide, as long as head, anterior margin incurved, posterior margin truncate; transverse and longitudinal sulci crossing at middle area. Mesonotum parallel-sided, median longitudinal carina indistinct, with wrinkles, also interspersed with enlarged granules on lateral margins, posterior margin with a spine. Metanotum with a spine on posterior margin. Mesopleurae and metapleurae lacking supra-coxal armature.

Abdomen: Sparsely and inconspicuously covered with small granules. Median segment square, shorter than metanotum. Second tergum to anal segment carinate mediolongitudinally and laterolongitudinally. Second to seventh tergites parallel-sided, with a small spine posteromedially. Eighth tergum expanded posteriorly, as long as ninth tergum. Anal segment shorter than ninth tergum, longer than wide, posterior margin rounded. Poculum cupshaped, posterior margin rounded and reaching or not reaching anterior area of anal segment. Cerci short, small and flattened, apices not surpassing posterior margin of anal segment.

Legs: Slender and long. Covered with very sparse and short bristles. Unarmed. All femora roughly as long as corresponding tibiae.

Vomer: Apical part almost symmetrical, elongated apically, apex with four short spine-like tubercles forming three emarginations, two lateral emarginations deeper than median emargination, two outer tubercles longer than two inner tubercles.

Female (Figs. 59–60, 107–110, 112). Body distinctly larger and more robust than male. General colouration of body and legs brown to dark brown.

Head: Oval, indistinctly constricted behind compound eyes. Vertex and occiput flattened. Posterior margin of occiput with six small swellings. Compound eyes oval and small. Antennae long, surpassing apices of protarsi; scapus longer than pedicellus; third segment as long as combined length of scapus and pedicellus.

Thorax: Pronotum rectangular, longer than wide, longer than head; sparsely covered with small granules, anterior margin incurved, posterior margin rounded, transverse and longitudinal sulci crossing at middle point. Mesonotum parallel-sided, longer than combined length of pronotum, metanotum and median segment; median longitudinal carina distinct, with dense small granules and interspersed with a few enlarged granules, also with a slightly larger granule posteromedially. Metanotum with dense small granules and a slightly larger granule posteromedially. Mesopleurae, mesosternum, metapleurae and metasternum with small dense granules.

Abdomen: Cylindrical, gently tapering posteriorly, mediolongitudinally and laterolongitudinally carinate, also densely covered with small granules. Median segment trapezoidal, gently expanded posteriorly, shorter than metanotum. Second to sixth tergites with a small spine posteromedially. Eighth tergum with a laterally compressed lamella medially. Seventh and ninth tergites with a crest-like structure posteromedially. Seventh sternum with spine-like praeopercular organ posteromedially. Anal segment as long as ninth tergum, posterior margin with two small emarginations. Subgenital plate scoop-shaped, median longitudinal carina distinct, apex pointed and reaching posterior margin of anal segment. Cerci short, flattened, apices pointed and not surpassing posterior margin of anal segment.

Legs: Slender and long. Unarmed. All femora roughly as long as corresponding tibiae. Anterodorsal and posterodorsal carinae of mesofemora and metafemora indistinctly waved.

Measurements in Table 9.

Eggs (Figs. 278–279). Capsule grayish brown to brown with blackish markings, oval, posterior pole rounded, granulated. Micropylar plate oval. Micropylar cup placed near middle point of micropylar plate. Median line short, about one-third of micropylar plate. Operculum grayish brown to brown with blackish markings, lacking capitulum, gently convex medially, granulated.

Measurements. Length 2.4 mm, width 1.8 mm, height 2.0 mm.

Distribution. China (Yunnan).

Notes. This new species contains the nominate race and Neohirasea unispina parvula subsp. nov . described in this study.

Etymology. The specific epithet is derived from the character of one spine on the posterior margin of mesonotum and metanotum in the males.