Interphasma lizipingense, Ho & Shi, 2013

Ho, George Waichun & Shi, Fuming, 2013, A new species of the genus Interphasma Chen & He, 2008 (Phasmida: Clitumninae: Medaurini) from Sichuan, China, Zootaxa 3734 (4), pp. 492-496 : 494-496

Interphasma lizipingense sp. nov.

( Figures. 1–8 )

Type material. Holotype: ♂, Liziping , Shimian, Sichuan, China, 12–13.VIII.2010, Shi Fuming ( HBU) . Paratypes: 3♂♂, 8♀♀, Liziping , Shimian, Sichuan, China, 12–13.VIII.2010, Shi Fuming ( HBU & HKEM) .

Diagnosis. The new species is related to the type-species I. lushanense Chen & He, 2008 , but differs in its 14 antennal segments and elongate preopercular organ in female, and 17 antennal segments and nearly square-sized median segment in male.

Description. Male. Medium-sized. Body slender and slim. General colour of body and legs green. Smooth, lacking granulation. Apterous. Unarmed.

Head: Oblong, slightly longer than pronotum. Length of frons shorter than first antennal segment. Vertex with two slight elevations between compound eyes. Occiput flat, occipital furrows indistinct, with two small swellings at posterior margin. Genae with a brownish postocular stripe. Compound eyes oval, their length about 2.5 times that of genae. Antennae dark brown, except two green basal segments; short, reaching middle of profemora, with 17 segments; first segment flattened at base, median carina indistinct, about 2.5 times length of second segment; second segment shorter than first segment; third segment cylindrical, longer than first segment; remaining segments cylindrical, distinctly shorter than third segment; apices of terminal segment pointed.

Thorax: Smooth, lacking distinct granulation. Pronotum rectangular, parallel-sided, anterior margin curved inward, posterior margin truncate, with distinct transverse and longitudinal sulci crossing at middle. Mesonotum elongate, about 4–4.2 times length of pronotum, longer than the combined length of metanotum and median segment, broadly emarginate medially, lateral margins with small pits. Metanotum parallel-sided, 3.7–4 times length of median segment, with small pits along lateral margins. Mesopleurum and metapleurum smooth. Mesosternum and metasternum covered with sparse and short bristles.

Abdomen: Slender. Covered with sparse and short bristles. Median segment nearly square, the shortest length among abdominal terga. Parallel-sided from second to sixth terga. Seventh and eighth terga gently expanded posteriorly. Second to eighth terga with small pits along lateral margins. Third to sixth terga roughly equal in length. Eighth tergum slightly longer than ninth tergum. Anal segment elongate, longer than eighth tergum, dilated into two distinct semi-terga at onefourth, with a deep V-shaped emargination posteriorly. Inner margins of the semi-terga moderately curved inward, its apices with sparse and minute teeth, slightly pointed apically. Poculum small, cup-shaped, with a rounded hump basally, posterior margin rounded, reaching posterior margin of ninth tergum. Cerci short, cylindrical, gently curved inwards, tapering apically, not surpassing apices of semi-terga.

Legs: Very slender and long. Uniformly green. Distinctly unarmed, only sparsely covered with short bristles. All femora thicker than corresponding tibiae. Profemora curved basally, longer than combined length of head and thorax. Mesofemora slightly as long as mesotibiae.

Female. Medium-sized. Distinctly larger and robust than male. General colour of body and legs green.

Head: Oblong. Covered with very sparse and small granules. Length of frons as long as second antennal segment. Vertex with a pair of small and black granules between compound eyes. Occiput slightly convex, with distinct median furrow, with four small swellings at posterior margin. Genae with faint blackish postocular band. Compound eyes oval, their length about 2.5 times that of genae. Antennae green, brown from eighth to terminal segments; with sparse and short bristles; short, not reaching middle of profemora, with 14 segments; first segment dorsal-ventrally flattened, constricted at base, distinctly carinate medially, about 2 times length of second segment; remaining segments cylindrical; terminal segment with rounded apices.

Thorax: Sparsely covered with small granules. Pronotum rectangular, shorter than head, about 1.5 times longer than wide, anterior margin curved inward, posterior margin truncate; transverse and longitudinal sulci crossing at middle, both ends of transverse sulcus not reaching lateral margins. Mesothorax cylindrical, slightly as long as mesofemora. Mesonotum elongate, about 4–4.3 times length of pronotum, parallel-sided, median line distinct. Mesopleurum and metapleurum with sparse and small granules along margin. Mesosternum and metasternum with less granulation than mesonotum and metanotum.

Abdomen: Cylindrical, gradually tapering posteriorly. Covered with sparse granules. Medially and laterally carinate. Median segment about 2 times wider than long. Third to sixth terga roughly equal in length. Seventh sternum with distinct preopercular organ, pyramid-like, thick at base, strongly elongate posteriorly and tapering apically, apex pointed, reaching middle of eighth tergum. Anal segment longer than ninth tergum, with broad U-shaped emargination posteriorly. Supra-anal plate small, posterior margin rounded. Subgenital plate scoop-shaped, apex pointed, reaching middle of anal segment. Cerci short, triangular, tapering posteriorly, apices pointed, surpassing posterior margin of anal segment.

Legs: Slender and long. With similar structure as in male. Unarmed. All femora thicker than corresponding tibiae. Profemora curved at base.

Measurements in Table 1.

Distribution. Sichuan Province, China.

Etymology. This new species is named after the type-locality, Liziping.

Table 1. Measurements of Interphasma lizipingense Ho & Shi sp. nov.

Figures

FIGURES 1–4. Interphasma lizipingense Ho & Shi sp. nov.; 1. Male, habitus. 2. Female, habitus. 3. Male, antennae, head, prothorax, mesothorax, lateral view. 4. Female, antennae, head, prothorax, mesothorax, lateral view.

FIGURES 5–8. Interphasma lizipingense Ho & Shi sp. nov.; 5. Male, end of abdomen, lateral view. 6. Male, end of abdomen, dorsal view. 7. Female, end of abdomen, lateral view. 8. Female, end of abdomen, dorsal view; scale bar = 5 mm.