Neohirasea fenshuilingensis, 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 : 16-17

Neohirasea fenshuilingensis sp. nov.

(Figs. 40–41, 70–74, 274–275)

Types. Holotype: ♀, 1300–1400m, Fenshuiling, Jinping, Yunnan, China, 4.IX.2016, George Ho Wai-Chun (HKES); Paratypes: 8 eggs (naturally laid by holotype ♀), 1300–1400m, Fenshuiling, Jinping, Yunnan, China, 4.IX.2016, George Ho Wai-Chun (HKES).

Diagnosis. Neohirasea fenshuilingensis sp. nov. [ China (Yunnan)] can be easily separated from other known species by its distinctly serrate anterodorsal, posterodorsal, anteroventral and posteroventral carinae of femora in female.

Description. Female (Figs. 40–41, 70–74). Body robust and stout. General colouration of body and legs greenish brown.

Head: Covered with sparse and small granulations. Oval, longer than wide. Vertex flat. Occiput distinctly elevated with a hump bearing a few enlarged granules. Posterior margin of occiput with indistinct swellings. Median and lateral longitudinal furrows indistinct. Compound eyes oval and small. Antennae filiform, not reaching apices of protarsi, covered with sparse long and sparse short bristles; scapus flattened basally, median longitudinal carina indistinct, longer than third segment; pedicellus shorter than third segment.

Thorax: Thick-built. Pronotum trapezoidal, expanded posteriorly, shorter than head, covered with a few small granules, also lined with enlarged granules on each side of longitudinal sulcus; anterior margin strongly incurved, with a pair of spine-like tubercles, posterior margin rounded; transverse and longitudinal sulci crossing at middle point. Mesonotum wrinkled and granulated, constricted anteriorly and posteriorly, moderately swollen medially, weakly carinate mediolongitudinally; elevated with a hump on pre-median area, bearing 20 short tubercles; also with paired tubercles near anterior margin and posterior margin; lateral margins interspersed with comparatively larger granules, medial one largest. Metanotum wrinkled, centrally elevated with a small hump bearing four tubercles. Mesopleurae, mesosternum and metasternum with sparse and small granules. Metapleurae covered with a few small granules and a short supra-coxal tubercle.

Abdomen: Cylindrical, tapering posteriorly. Wrinkled, sparsely granulated. Median segment to sixth tergites with a curved tubercle posteromedially, apex pointing posteriorly, also with a large granule on each side of the curved tubercle. Median segment broader than long, as long as metanotum. Seventh to ninth tergites with a crestlike structure posteromedially, increased in size posteriorly, apex obtuse. Seventh sternum with paired praeopercular organ posteromedially, dorsoventrally flattened, triangle-shaped, pointing posteriorly. Anal segment longer than ninth tergum, with two indistinct emarginations on posterior margin, posterolateral angles rounded. Subgenital plate scoop-shaped, elongated posteriorly, mediolongitudinally carinate after middle area, apex rounded and surpassing posterior margin of anal segment. Cerci short, flattened, apices pointed and not surpassing posterior margin of anal segment.

Legs: Slender and long, sparsely covered with short bristles. Anterodorsal, posterodorsal, anteroventral and posteroventral carinae of femora with two to three distinct serrations, serrations on ventral carinae smaller than the serrations on dorsal carinae. Profemora incurved basally. Anterodorsal and posterodorsal carinae of tibiae with five small serrations, anteroventral and posteroventral carinae unarmed.

Male. Unknown.

Measurements in Table 4.

Eggs (Figs. 274–275). Capsule grayish brown, oval, posterior pole rounded, wrinkled and granulated. Micropylar plate oval. Micropylar cup placed near posterior margin of micropylar plate. Median line short, about one-fourth of micropylar plate. Operculum grayish brown, lacking capitulum, gently convex medially, wrinkled and granulated.

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

Distribution. China (Yunnan).

Notes. The left hindleg of the holotypic female is a regenerated leg and measurements and description are only given to the right hindleg.

Etymology. The specific epithet is derived from the type locality, Fenshuiling (Jinping, Yunnan, China).