Cryptophyllium nuichuaense gen. et, 2021

Cumming, Royce T., Bank, Sarah, Bresseel, Joachim, Constant, Je ́ ro ̂ me, Tirant, Stephane Le, Dong, Zhiwei, Sonet, Gontran & Bradler, Sven, 2021, Cryptophyllium, the hidden leaf insects - descriptions of a new leaf insect genus and thirteen species from the former celebicum species group (Phasmatodea, Phylliidae), ZooKeys 1018, pp. 1-179 : 1

Cryptophyllium nuichuaense gen. et sp. nov. Figures 6E , 48 , 49

Material examined.

Holotype ♀: "Coll. I.R.Sc.N.B., Vietnam, Ninh Thuan prov., Nui Chua N. P., 11°42'N 109°09'E, 3-9.VII.2014, night coll. Leg. J. Constant and J. Bresseel, GTI project I.G.:32.779, DNA PH006". Deposited in the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences (RBINS).

Paratype: 1 ♀, "Coll. I.R.Sc.N.B., Vietnam, Ninh Thuan prov., Nui Chua N. P., 11°42'N 109°09'E, 3-9.VII.2014, night coll. Leg. J. Constant and J. Bresseel, GTI project I.G.:32.779" (VNMN).

Remarks.

This species was collected on a night walk in 2014 within Nui Chua National Park by Jérôme Constant (RBINS) and Joachim Bresseel (RBINS) (Fig. 48 ). Unfortunately, only two females were found, and this species could not be brought into breeding to reveal details about the egg, male, or freshly hatched nymph morphology. This is one of the many apparently highly endemic species within southern Vietnam, and we hope that future expeditions to this region reveal the male morphology and the range of this species with more clarity.

Differentiation.

Females are morphologically most similar to Cryptophyllium phami sp. nov. and Cryptophyllium bollensi sp. nov. due to their general femoral lobe shape, abdominal shape, femoral lobe spination, and thorax spination. When finer details are observed however these species can easily be differentiated. Cryptophyllium nuichuaense sp. nov. have slightly shorter alae which only reach onto the anterior of abdominal segment III, whereas the other species have longer alae reaching to the middle of segment III or even to the anterior margin of segment IV. Additionally, the antennae readily differentiate these three species as Cryptophyllium nuichuaense sp. nov. has antennal segments V, VI, and VII with ventral margins which project past the margin of segment VIII, giving the antennae a slightly lamellate appearance (Fig. 6E ), vs. the other two species which have these segments ventral margin flush with the ventral margin of segment VIII (Fig. 6B, F ).

Males are presently unknown, but due to the adult morphology we expect that they likely look similar to Cryptophyllium phami sp. nov. and Cryptophyllium bollensi sp. nov. males.

Distribution.

At present only known from Nui Chua N.P., in Ninh Thuan Province, Vietnam.

Description.

Female. Coloration. Coloration description is based upon the living type material (Fig. 48 ). Overall coloration is pale green throughout. The antennae, compound eyes, interior profemoral lobe margin, small patches along the protibial interior lobe, and the anterior of the prescutum margins are orange to red, but these areas are only sparsely marked.

Morphology. Head. Head capsule about as long as wide, vertex relatively smooth with the only notable feature being the posteromedial tubercle which is finely pointed (Fig. 49E ). Frontal convexity broad and blunt, with a slightly granular surface. Compound eyes slightly protruding from the head capsule, and are not particularly large, taking up slightly < ¼ of the head capsule lateral margins (Fig. 49E ). Ocelli absent. Antennal fields slightly wider than the width of the first antennomere. Antennae. Antennae consisting of nine segments, with the terminal segment about the same length as the preceding two segments’ lengths combined (Fig. 49C ). Antennomeres I-VII sparsely marked with small transparent setae, the terminal antennomere and antennomere VIII are covered in stout, brown setae (Fig. 49C ). Antennomeres V-VII ventral margins project farther than the ventral margin of segment VIII, therefore giving the antennae a slight lamelatte appearance (Fig. 6E ). Thorax. Pronotum with gently concave anterior margin and slightly convex lateral margins, which converge to a straight posterior margin that is slightly <half the width of the anterior margin (Fig. 49E ). The pronotum surface is smooth, with only a prominent pit in the center, and slight furrows anterior and lateral to the pit (Fig. 49E ). The pronotum has moderately formed anterior and lateral rims and a weakly formed posterior rim, all of which are relatively smooth (Fig. 49E ). Prosternum and the anterior half of the mesosternum are covered with numerous nodes, the metasternum has lateral margins which are slightly granular, and the central area is relatively smooth. Prescutum longer than wide, lateral rims with four or five small tubercles on the anterior ⅓, the remainder only has nodes throughout, giving the margin a rough textured appearance (Fig. 49E ). Prescutum anterior rim not strongly protruding, rim surface is granular, lacking a large sagittal spine (Fig. 49E ). Prescutum surface granular, with those along the sagittal plane slightly larger than the rest (Fig. 49E ). Mesopleura begin ca. ⅓ of the way through the prescutum length and evenly diverge; lateral margin with seven or eight small tubercles and several nodes interspersed (Fig. 49E ). Face of the mesopleura smooth or slightly wrinkled, with two notable divots, one on the anterior margin and one near the middle (Fig. 49E ). Wings. Tegmina long, reaching ½ through abdominal segment VII. Tegmina venation; the subcosta (Sc) is the first vein in the forewing, running parallel with the margin for the first half, and then bending and running towards the margin. The radius (R) spans the central portion of the forewing with two subparallel branched veins; the first radius (R1) branches ca. ¼ of the way through the wing length, terminates ca. ⅖ of the way through the wing length, and the radial sector (Rs) branches ca. ⅖ of the way through the wing length and terminates near the distal ⅓ of the wing length. There is a weak continuation of the radius following the prominent Rs branching which continues on as a short and thin R-M crossvein that weakly connects the two veins. The media (M) is simply bifurcate with both the media anterior (MA) and media posterior (MP) terminating near to the posterior ¼ of the wing. The cubitus (Cu) is also bifurcate, branching near the posterior ⅕ of the wing into the cubitus anterior (CuA) and cubitus posterior (CuP) which both terminate at or very near the wing posterior apex. The first anal vein (1A) is simple and fuses with the cubitus early on, at the length about midway between the splitting of the R1 and Rs. Alae short, with their apex only just passing the posterior margin of abdominal segment III or slightly passing onto the anterior margin of abdominal segment IV. Abdomen. Abdominal segments II through the anterior half of IV diverging. The posterior half of segment IV through segment VI are parallel, giving the abdomen a boxy appearance. Abdominal segment VII has a slightly rounded margin, no notable protruding lobe present. Segments VIII-X are notably narrower than the previous segments, and have converging margins to the broad rounded apex (Fig. 49G ). Genitalia. Subgenital plate starts at the anterior margin of segment VIII, is moderately broad, and extends ca. ¾ of the way onto segment X with straight margins ending in a fine point (Fig. 49H ). Gonapophyses VIII are long and moderately broad, exceeding the apex of abdominal segment X; gonapophyses IX are shorter and narrower, hidden below (Fig. 49H ). Cerci only slightly cupped, with a granular surface and margins, and few detectable setae (Fig. 49G ). Legs. Profemoral exterior lobe broad, rounded, and obtusely angled, smoothly arcing from end to end, ca. ⅓ again wider than the width of the interior lobe (Fig. 49D ). Edge of the profemoral exterior lobe granular, or with a slightly serrate surface of four or five very small teeth (Fig. 49D ). Profemoral interior lobe ca. 2½× as wide as the greatest width of the profemoral shaft, obtusely angled, and marked with five teeth arranged in a two-one-two pattern with shallow gaps between them (Fig. 49D ). Mesofemoral exterior lobe arcs from end to end but is slightly bent in the center, weighted towards the distal ½, with a smooth proximal margin and a slightly lumpy distal half appearing to be weakly formed teeth. Interior and exterior mesofemoral lobes about the same width. Mesofemoral interior lobe arcs smoothly end to end with six or seven small serrate teeth only on the distal half of the arc which is slightly wider than the proximal half of the arc. Metafemoral interior lobe arcs end to end, with the distal half slightly wider than the proximal half and marked with seven or eight serrate teeth on the distal half of the lobe only. Metafemoral exterior lobe is thin and smooth, hugging the metafemoral shaft and lacks dentation. Protibiae lacking an exterior lobe (Fig. 49D ). Protibiae interior lobe spans the entire length of the protibiae and is ca. 2½× the width of the protibiae shaft itself. The lobe is roundly triangular with the widest portion just slightly distal to the midline. Mesotibiae and metatibiae lacking exterior and interior lobes.

Measurements of holotype female [mm]. Length of body (including cerci and head, excluding antennae) 64.9, length/width of head 6.7/5.6, antennae 3.2, pronotum 4.5, mesonotum 5.9, length of tegmina 38.2, length of alae 15.2, greatest width of abdomen 22.0 (abdomen not perfectly flat), profemora 15.7, mesofemora 11.6, metafemora 14.2, protibiae 10.0, mesotibiae 8.2, metatibiae 11.4.

Measurements of paratype female [mm]. Length of body (including cerci and head, excluding antennae) 67.6, length/width of head 7.3/6.2, antennae 3.3, pronotum 4.9, mesonotum 6.2, length of tegmina 40.3, length of alae 16.4, greatest width of abdomen 24.6 (abdomen not perfectly flat), profemora 15.5, mesofemora 11.5, metafemora 15.9, protibiae 10.0, mesotibiae 8.6, metatibiae 11.8.

Etymology.

Toponym, named for the type locality, Nui Chua N.P. where this species was first discovered in Ninh Thuan Province, Vietnam.

Figures

Figure 6. Details of female phylliid antennae illustrated from specimens within the RBINS collection, illustrations by Julien Caudron (RBINS). Note that the figures start with the scapus, therefore the diagnostic fourth antennomere is the third one shown; to ensure clarity A has the segment number listed to the right of the image. Note that the fourth antennomere of Phyllium (A) is longer than the fifth antennomere in comparison to the Cryptophyllium gen. nov. representatives (B-H), which have the fourth antennomere short and disk-like A Phyllium ericoriai, Philippines B Cryptophyllium bollensi gen. et sp. nov., Vietnam, Phuoc Binh C Cryptophyllium celebicum comb. nov., Indonesia, Sulawesi D Cryptophyllium khmer gen. et sp. nov., Cambodia, Siem Reap Province E Cryptophyllium nuichuaense gen. et sp. nov., Vietnam, Nui Chua F Cryptophyllium phami gen. et sp. nov., Vietnam, Cat Tien G Cryptophyllium westwoodii comb. nov., Laos, Bokeo Province H Cryptophyllium westwoodii comb. nov., Thailand, Chiang Mai. Drawn to relative scale.

Figure 48. Cryptophyllium nuichuaense gen. et sp. nov. holotype female where she was found in August 2014 in Nui Chua N. P. by Jerome Constant (RBINS) and Joachim Bresseel (RBINS). Photographs by Jerome Constant (RBINS) A dorsal view B dorsolateral view C location where the female was found.

Figure 49. Cryptophyllium nuichuaense gen. et sp. nov. holotype female, photographs by Jerome Constant (RBINS) A habitus, dorsal B habitus, ventral C details of the antennae and anterior half of the head capsule D pro- tibial and femoral lobes, dorsal E details of the antennae, head, and thorax, dorsal F details of the base of the antennae, head, and thorax, lateral G terminalia, dorsal H genitalia, ventral.