Pseudosermyle claviger, Conle, Oskar V., Hennemann, Frank H. & Fontana, Paolo, 2007

Conle, Oskar V., Hennemann, Frank H. & Fontana, Paolo, 2007, Studies on neotropical Phasmatodea V: Notes on certain species of Pseudosermyle Caudell, 1903, with the descriptions of three new species from Mexico (Phasmatodea: Diapheromeridae: Diapheromerinae: Diapheromerini), Zootaxa 1496, pp. 31-51 : 35-36

Pseudosermyle claviger n. sp.

( Figs. 4–5 , 17 )

HT, ♂: Mexico, Veracruz, Santiago Tuxtla, Cerro del Vigia, 12.VI–9.IX.1964 (UNAM). PT, ♂: Mexiko, Veracruz, Cerro del Vigia, leg. Carlos, 1996 (coll. OC).

Distribution: Mexico: Veracruz.

Etymology: The specific name claviger (lat. = carrier of the club) refers to the club-shaped cerci of ɗɗ. Differentiation: Closely related to P. t o l t e c a ( Saussure, 1859) with which it has the club-shaped cerci and elongate body in common. ɗɗ however differ by the distinctly incurving cerci and the distinctly shorter than wide sternite IX which bears a distinct sinistral dorsolateral spine.

Description: The following description of the ɗ is based on the dried and pinned types. Attention is to be drawn to the colour, as the dried specimens are not in a very good condition and probably lost their original colour.

ɗɗ ( Fig. 17 ): Large (body length 67.3–70.7 mm), very slender and elongate for the genus. Body smooth, head with two minute, blunt tubercles between the eyes. General colouration of body and head pale to mid brown with indistinct greenish longitudinal stripe along the lateral surfaces of meso– and metathorax. Terminal three segments of abdomen of somewhat paler colouration than rest of body. Legs of same general colour as body, but partly indistinctly yellowish annulated. Antennae uniformly pale to mid brown in basal half, very indistinctly annulated with yellowish segments in apical half.

Head: Elongate, 1.5x longer than wide, slightly narrowed towards the posterior, oval in cross–section. Vertex flat and smooth, between the eyes with two low blunt tubercles. Eyes small, circular and strongly convex. Antennae distinctly longer than head and thorax combined, projecting over apex of abdomen. Antennomeres very short and decreasing in length towards apices of antennae; all densely setose. Scapus dorsoventrally flattened, rectangular and about 2x longer than wide. Pedicellus cylindrical, broader than following antennomeres and about half the length of scapus.

Thorax: Meso- and metathorax round in cross-section and slightly constricted medially. Pronotum parallel-sided, slightly shorter and more slender than head, 1.5 x longer than wide, slightly constricted medially. Transverse median depression distinct, slightly curved and reaching to lateral margins of segment. Mesonotum elongate, about 8x longer and more slender than pronotum, at least 12–15x longer than wide, slightly widened at the posterior and anterior margins. Metanotum about 8x longer than wide, about 2/3 the length of mesonotum, slightly widened at the posterior and anterior margins. Pro- meso- and metapleurae as well as sterna smooth and simple.

Abdomen: As long as head and thorax combined. Surface smooth. Transverse fissure between median segment and metanotum distinct and almost straight. Median segment slightly longer than wide, 1/6 the length of metanotum. Segments II–VI longest and most slender, parallel sided and of uniform length 4– 5 x longer than wide. VII shorter than VI, 4x longer than wide. Tergite VIII widest, broader than VII, widened towards the posterior margin, distinctly swollen in the posterior half and longer than wide. IX narrower than VIII and X, constricted medially and transverse, being 2x wider than long. Anal segment narrower than VIII, about as wide as long, strongly convex and moderately tapered towards a rounded, but medially incised posterior margin. Sternites II–VII smooth and shiny. Supraanal plate very small and not visible from dorsal aspect. Cerci club-shaped, distinctly incurving, thickened apically and bearing a small blunt sub-apical tubercle at the interior surface ( Fig. 5 ). Both round in cross-section, longer than anal segment and covered with many minute pale setae. Sternite IX wider than long, as long as anal segment and bearing a distinct sinistral dorsolateral spine with a flattened apex ( Fig. 4 ). Poculum small and simple, cup-shaped, posterior margin slightly projecting over anal segment.

Legs: All long and slender, profemora slightly longer than mesonotum, mesofemora shorter than mesonotum, hind legs distinctly projecting over apex of abdomen. All distinctly carinated, destitute of teeth or spines and with all carinae minutely bristled. Profemora considerably compressed and curved basally.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 7. [scale = 1 mm] 1. Pseudosermyle chorreadero n. sp. ɗ, terminal abdominal segments (lateral view). 2. Pseudosermyle chorreadero n. sp. ɗ, cerci (dorsal view). 3. Pseudosermyle chorreadero n. sp. Ψ, terminal abdominal segments (lateral view). 4. Pseudosermyle claviger n. sp. ɗ, terminal abdominal segments (lateral view). 5. Pseudosermyle claviger n. sp. ɗ, cerci (dorsal view). 6. Pseudosermyle incongruens (Brunner v. Wattenwyl, 1907) ɗ, terminal abdominal segments (lateral view). 7. Pseudosermyle incongruens (Brunner v. Wattenwyl, 1907) ɗ, cerci (dorsal view).

FIGURES 15 – 20. [scale = 10 mm] 15. Pseudosermyle chorreadero n. sp. ♂, HT, (UNAM). 16. Pseudosermyle chorreadero n. sp. Ψ, PT, (UNAM). 17. Pseudosermyle claviger n. sp. ♂, HT, (UNAM). 18. Pseudosermyle incongruens (Brunner v. Wattenwyl, 1907) ♂, LT, (NHMW). 19. Pseudosermyle phalangiphora (Rehn, 1907) ♂, (coll. OC). 20. Pseudosermyle phalangiphora (Rehn, 1907) Ψ, (coll. OC).