Medaura aculeiformis Xie & Qian, 2022

Qian, YuHan, Xie, ChongXin & Li, Cui, 2022, First record of the genus Medaura Stal (Phasmatodea, Phasmatidae, Clitumninae) from China, with description of a new species, Biodiversity Data Journal 10, pp. 96341-96341 : 96341

Medaura aculeiformis Xie & Qian sp. n.

Materials

Type status: Holotype. Occurrence: recordedBy: Jun Wang ; sex: Female ; lifeStage: adult; occurrenceID: 43F76939-9023-593C-BA65-DF8B02B82D08; Taxon : scientificName: Medaura aculeiformis; order: Phasmatodea ; family: Phasmatidae ; genus: Medaura ; Location : country: China; stateProvince: Yunnan; municipality: Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture ; locality: Mengla County ; Event : year: 2021; month: 8; day: 6; Record Level : institutionCode: SWFU Type status: Paratype. Occurrence: recordedBy: Jun Wang ; sex: 1 Female; lifeStage: 1 adult; occurrenceID: 764A17CD-C8D3-51BD-88CA-AA31DA7872A5; Taxon : scientificName: Medaura aculeiformis; order: Phasmatodea ; family: Phasmatidae ; genus: Medaura ; Location : country: China; stateProvince: Yunnan; municipality: Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture ; locality: Mengla County ; Event : year: 2021; month: 8; day: 6; Record Level : institutionCode: SWFU Type status: Paratype. Occurrence: recordedBy: Jun Wang ; sex: 1 Female; lifeStage: 1 nymph; occurrenceID: 78098D79-CF38-5B12-9578-6570E8588A36; Taxon : scientificName: Medaura aculeiformis; order: Phasmatodea ; family: Phasmatidae ; genus: Medaura ; Location : country: China; stateProvince: Yunnan; municipality: Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture ; locality: Mengla County ; Event : year: 2021; month: 8; day: 6; Record Level : institutionCode: SWFU

Description

Female. Medium-sized. Body slender. General colouration brown (Fig. 1 A-B).

Head. Squarish, longer than wide, vertex slightly concave and with two small granules between compound eyes. Compound eyes rounded, occupying 1/4 of the genae. Occiput centre slightly convex, covered with sparse and small granules (Fig. 1 C, D, H and I). Antennae filiform, 14 segments, shorter than half the length of fore femora; scapus rectangular and flattened, longer than pedicellus, almost 3x length of pedicellus; pedicellus flattened oval and longer than the third segment (Fig. 1 H and I). Thorax. Pronotum nearly rectangular, slightly longer than width, almost 1/2 length of head, with sparse small granules; transverse and longitudinal sulci crossing at middle area and distinctly. Mesonotum longer than width, anterior narrowed and gradually widened posteriorly, about 4.5x length of pronotum; with distinct median longitudinal carina and sparse small granules; a row of small granules on the lateral carina of mesonotum. Metanotum nearly rectangular, almost 2/3 length of mesonotum, median area narrow, median longitudinal carina distinct; 2-3 small granules on the lateral carina of metanotum (Fig. 1 A and B). Abdomen. Cylindrical, with slightly granulated, median longitudinal carina distinct. Median segment rectangular, wider than length, almost 1/4 length of metanotum, obviously segmented. Tergum II-VI robust and each segment gradually becoming longer. Tergite VII gradually narrowed. Tergite VIII narrowed in median area and broadened posteriorly, about 3/4 length of tergite VII. Tergite IX about 1/2 length of tergite VIII. Tergites II-IX with distinct lateral carina on both sides of median longitudinal carina. Anal segment gradually narrowing, about 1.5x length of tergite IX, end of anal segment with a deeply V-shaped incision in centre (Fig. 1 A, B, E-G and J). Sternite VII with a distinct needle-like praeopercular organ (Fig. 1 B, F and G). Operculum not surpassing posterior margin of anal segment, scoop-shaped and tapering posteriorly (Fig. 1 E-G). Cerci short, slightly lanceolate and hidden beneath anal segment (Fig. 1 H). Legs. All long and moderately slender, covered with sparse and short bristles; profemora distinctly curved basally, with minor serrations in dorsal carina; mesofemora with five round-lamellar lobes; metafemora smooth. Pro- and meta-femora shorter than corresponding tibiae; mesofemora about as long as mesotibiae. Protibiae smooth; meso- and meta-tibiae with a few small serrations (Fig. 1 A and B).

Measurements(mm)

Table 2

Diagnosis

The new species is similar to M. scabriuscula and M. jobrensis , but can be separated by the fewer antennal segments, ornamentation between the compound eyes, serrations or lobes on legs and the incised shape at end of the anal segment. The new species with two small granules between the compound eyes; antennae 13-14 segments; mesofemora with five round-lamellar lobes and mesotibiae with few tiny serrations; anal segment longer than 9th segment and end with deep and narrowed V-shaped incision in centre (Fig. 1 ). In M. scabriuscula , two bold spines between the compound eyes; antennae 18-19 segments; mesofemora with three large dentate foliaceous lobes dorsally and three small spines on the central carina, mesotibiae with two smaller foliaceous lobes at the proximal end; anal segment longer than 9th segment and tip boldly triangular incised in centre, giving it the appearance of having two leaf-like lobes. In M. jobrensis , with two bold spines on raised ridge between the compound eyes; antennae 21-22 segments; mesofemora with three large dentate foliaceous lobes dorsally and three small spines on the central carina, mesotibiae with two smaller foliaceous lobes at the proximal end and other minor spines; anal segment same length as 9th segment and tip slightly and unevenly triangularly incised in centre; end of 9th segment with large twin tubercles in centre (Figs 3 , 4 ; Brock and Cliquennois 2001).

Etymology

The name (lat. Medaura aculeiformis = needle-like) refers to the needle-like praeopercular organ on sternite VII of female.

Distribution

China (Yunnan).

Notes

Antennal segments of new species have 14 in adult, 13 in the last instar nymph. Three last instar nymphs fed on Rosa chinensis Jacq. ( Rosaceae ) and Nephrolepis auriculata (L.) Trimen ( Nephrolepidaceae ) in the lab, but these may not be the real host plants. One nymph died, two nymphs turned into adults and died soon afterwards without spawning. Adults bite each other, causing the posterior margin of the anal segment to be incomplete. Thus, the egg is unkown.

Type photos

Fig. 1

Figures

Figure 1. Medaura aculeiformis sp. n. A-G Holotype, female: A habitus, dorsal view; B habitus, lateral view; C head, dorsal view; D head, lateral view; E terminalia, dorsal view; F terminalia, lateral view; G terminalia, ventral view; H-J Paratypes, females ♀; H head, dorsal view, adult; I head, dorsal view, nymph; J terminalia, dorsal view, nymph.

Figure 3. Medaura jobrensis Brock & Cliquennois, 2001. A-D Paratype, female (from Phasmida Species File 2022, photos by Paul Brock, published under CC BC - ShareAlike 4.0 International Licence): A habitus, dorsal view; B head and thorax, lateral view; C end of abdomen lateral view; D female, paratype data labels; E habitus, dorsal view (Modified from Brock and Cliquennois 2001).

Figure 4. Medaura makassarinus (Westwood, 1859). A-F Holotype, male (from Phasmida Species File 2022, photos by Paul Brock, published under CC BC - ShareAlike 4.0 International Licence): A habitus, lateral view; B head and thorax, lateral view; C head and thorax, ventral view; D end of abdomen, dorsal view; E end of abdomen lateral view; F end of abdomen, ventral view.