Nanophyllium miyashitai, Cumming & Tirant & Teemsma & Hennemann & Willemse & Büscher, 2020

Cumming, Royce T., Tirant, Stephane Le, Teemsma, Sierra N., Hennemann, Frank H., Willemse, Luc & Buescher, Thies H., 2020, Lost lovers linked at long last: elusive female Nanophyllium mystery solved after a century of being placed in a different genus (Phasmatodea, Phylliidae), ZooKeys 969, pp. 43-84 : 43

Nanophyllium miyashitai sp. nov. Figure 20

Type material.

Holotype: ♂, Papua New Guinea: Morobe Province, Wau: IX, 2000. From the collection of Tetsuo Miyashita, Japan. Deposited in the Montreal Insectarium (Quebec, Canada) type collection.

Differentiation.

With the interior lobe of the profemora rounded, not angular, and the mesofemoral interior lobe broad and reaching fully end to end in a rounded triangle, this new species falls within the stellae species group. This is the first species from the stellae species group recorded from Papua New Guinea. The other two species are known from Jayapura, Irian Jaya, Indonesia (very near the border with Papua New Guinea so it is likely they also occur there but to date, we have not confirmed any specimens). This new species can be differentiated from the other two species in the stellae species group by the mesopleurae which have a prominent anterior tubercle followed by four additional small tubercles (only a single anterior tubercle in the other two species) and tegmina that are shorter, only about half the length of the metathorax (almost the length of the metathorax in the other two species).

Like the other members of the Nanophyllium stellae species group, the holotype is a male specimen and the female is unknown. It is expected that the female is larger than other known female Nanophyllium as the stellae species group members are larger than the pygmaeum species group members.

Description.

Male. Coloration. Antennae dark brown, a similar brown to that found throughout the head and thorax. The majority of the dorsal aspect throughout the remainder of the body and legs is of a similar lighter brown, but not a light as the stripe of light brown running along the sagittal plane along the head and thorax. Alae and tegmina have a similar dark brown to that found on the antennae. Throughout the ventral surface the coloration is the same as that found on the legs. Granulation on the body is mostly of a lighter brown than the surface it is found on.

Morphology. Head. Head capsule slightly longer than wide, with a vertex that is heavily granulose, which includes the two posteromedian tubercles which are no larger than the surrounding granulation around them (Fig. 20F ). Three well-developed ocelli are slightly posterior to the compound eyes which are ovular and slightly protrude from the head capsule (Fig. 20F ). Antennae. Antennae in the holotype are both damaged and repaired so the original number of antennomeres is unknown. The antennae are longer than the outstretched forelegs and the left antennae consist of 21 antennomeres and the right of 19 (including the scapus and pedicellus). Scapus and pedicellus with short clear setae and the scapus has a notable spur on the anterior rim lateral side. All segments beyond the scapus and pedicellus covered in stiff dark setae each longer than the segment is wide until the terminal four segments where the setae begin to steadily decrease in size until the terminal segment which has dense short setae. Thorax. Pronotum wider than long (width to length, 1: 0.75) with parallel lateral margins, and all margins slightly granulose. Surface of the pronotum heavily granulose like the vertex of the head capsule. Prescutum significantly wider than long (width to length, 3.3: 1), with converging lateral margins with a granular surface of at least five nodes (Fig. 20F ). Surface of prescutum slightly granular but lacking significant features. Mesopleurae gently diverging, anterior edge armed with a single tubercle, remainder of the rim with four small tubercles with a single seta protruding from the tip of each. Mesopleurae surface irregularly granular with a single distinct pit in the center. Pro-, meso-, and metasternum covered in irregularly spaced granules. Wings. Tegmina short, only reaching about halfway through the metathorax. Alae developed; exposed section of folded alae moderately sclerotized. Abdomen. Abdominal segments with folding in the holotype so shape description is only approximate. Abdominal segment II slightly tapering, III gradually widening, IV widening for the first quarter, then parallel, V through the first half of VI parallel, VII converging, VIII-IX parallel to subparallel. Anal abdominal segment X longer than wide with a broad rounded apex (Fig. 20D ). Poculum broad, about as broad as segment IX, ending in a broad rounded apex that reaches the anterior margin of segment X (Fig. 20E ). Cercus about as wide as the vomer but slightly shorter, margins marked with a row of thin tan setae and a dorsal surface that is heavily granular. Vomer long, reaching the majority of the length to the apex, with sides gradually converging to the hooked apex (Fig. 20E ). Legs. Profemora, interior lobe rounded with three small nubby, evenly spaced teeth (Fig. 20C ). Exterior lobe wider than the interior lobe and with a slight recurve and an edge that is smooth with a row of single stout setae along the entire length. Protibiae lacking an exterior lobe, interior lobe a rounded scalene triangle spanning the entire length of the protibia (Fig. 20C ). Mesofemora, exterior lobe smoothly arcing the length of the mesofemora, interior lobe smoothly triangular with five to six small nubby teeth on the distal half and about one and a half times as wide as exterior lobe. Interior and exterior lobe of metafemora smoothly arcing with interior lobe about twice as wide as the exterior lobe and the interior with a few small nubby teeth near the distal end. Meso- and metatibiae lacking exterior and interior lobes.

Measurements of holotype

[mm]. Length of body (including cerci and head, excluding antennae) 40.0, length/width of head 2.6/2.5, antennae (repaired) 16.4, pronotum 1.8, mesonotum 1.8, length of tegmina 5.9, length of alae 30.5, greatest width of abdomen 8.0, profemora 7.4, mesofemora 6.8, metafemora 7.3, protibiae 3.9, mesotibiae 5.0, metatibiae 6.7.

Distribution.

Currently only known from the type locality of Wau, Morobe Province, Papua New Guinea (Fig. 4 ).

Etymology.

Patronym. This species is dedicated to Mr. Tetsuo Miyashita (Japan). Miyashita is a major private collector who has amassed one of the largest insect collections in the world. Miyashita and the specimens from his collection have allowed the description of several new beetle taxa over the years with this being the first phasmid described from his collection.

Figures

Figure 4. Distribution map showing localities for the known and herein described species.

Figure 20. Holotype male Nanophyllium miyashitai sp. nov. A full body dorsal B full body ventral C right front leg D abdominal segment X and dorsal view of cerci E genitalia, ventral F head through thorax, dorsal.