Interphasma lineatum, Ho, 2020

Ho, Wai-Chun George, 2020, New taxa of Clitumninae from Vietnam (Phasmatodea: Phasmatidae), Zoological Systematics 45 (2), pp. 104-117 : 105-106

Interphasma lineatum sp. nov. ( Figs 1–4 , 27–34 )

Diagnosis. This new species is closely related to I. marginatum Chen & Zhang, 2008 , but differs in the presence of a small median elevation on the cerci and the shape of semi anal abdominal tergites in the male and the hump-like praeopercular organ on the posteromedian area of seventh abdominal sternum in the female.

Description. Male. Medium-sized. Body slender and slim, distinctly slimmer than female. General colour of body and legs light brown or dark brown, with a black stripe along lateral margins of thorax and abdomen. Head oval, roughly as long as pronotum, with sparse and small granules. Vertex with two obscure elevations between compound eyes. Occiput flat, median longitudinal and lateral furrows distinct. Genae with a blackish postocular stripe. Compound eyes oval, its length about three times that of genae. Antennae short, reaching subapical area of profemora, with 21 segments; scapus flattened and constricted at base, median longitudinal carina distinct, as long as third segment, longer than pedicellus. Thorax sparsely covered with a few small granules. Pronotum rectangular, longer than wide, anterior margin gently curved inwards, posterior margin truncate, transverse and longitudinal sulci crossing at middle point. Mesonotum slender and elongate, longer than combined length of metanotum and median segment, gently expanded posteriorly in second half, with a few minute pits along lateral margins. Metanotum longer than median segment, with a few minute pits along lateral margins. Abdomen sparsely covered with a few granules. Median segment rectangular, longer than wide. Parallel-sided from second to seventh tergites. Eighth tergum gently expanded posteriorly, longer than ninth tergum. Anal segment tapering posteriorly, as long as ninth tergum, dilated into two distinct semi-tergites. Inner margins of semi-tergites curved inwards, apices obtuse and pointing downwards in lateral view, with a few minute teeth. Poculum cup-shaped, with a rounded hump basally, posterior margin rounded, reaching anterior area of anal segment. Cerci with a small elevation near middle area, cylindrical, weakly curved inwards, apices rounded. Legs very slender and long. Unarmed, sparsely covered with short bristles. All femora thicker than corresponding tibiae. Profemora curved basally.

Female. Medium-sized. Body slender, distinctly larger and more robust than male. General colour of body and legs light brown or dark brown. Head oval, longer than pronotum. Sparsely covered with small granules. Occiput moderately convex, with distinct median longitudinal furrow, with a few enlarged granules. Genae with a blackish postocular stripe. Compound eyes oval, its length about four times that of genae. Antennae with short bristles, reaching middle area of profemora, with 16 to 17 segments; scapus dorsoventrally flattened, basally constricted, distinctly carinate mediolongitudinally, longer than pedicellus, as long as third segment. Thorax wrinkled, sparsely covered with small granules and interspersed with a few enlarged granules. Pronotum trapezoidal, gently expanded posteriorly, anterior margin curved inwards, posterior margin truncate, transverse and longitudinal sulci just crossing after middle point. Mesonotum gently expanded posteriorly, median longitudinal line distinct. Metanotum longer than median segment. Abdomen cylindrical, gradually tapering posteriorly. Sparsely covered with small granules and interspersed with a few enlarged granules. Median segment wider than long. Seventh sternum with a flattened praeopercular organ on posterior area, tapering posteriorly, apex blunt. Eighth tergum almost as long as ninth tergum. Anal segment shorter than ninth tergum, with rounded posterior margin. Supra-anal plate indistinct. Subgenital plate scoop-shaped, mediolongitudinally carinate, apex pointed and reaching posterior area of anal segment. Cerci short, apices pointed and not surpassing posterior margin of anal segment. Legs slender and long. Unarmed. All femora thicker than corresponding tibiae. Profemora curved at base.

Measurements. Length. Body, ♂ 52.0–58.0 mm, ♀ 60.0–70.0 mm; antennae, ♂ 16.0–18.0 mm, ♀ 10.0–12.0 mm; head, ♂ 3.0 mm, ♀ 3.5–5.0 mm; pronotum, ♂ 2.5–3.0 mm, ♀ 3.0–4.0 mm; mesonotum, ♂ 13.0–14.0 mm, ♀ 13.0–16.0 mm; metanotum, ♂ 7.0–8.0mm, ♀ 7.0–8.0mm; median segment, ♂ 2.0 mm, ♀ 2.0–3.0mm; profemora, ♂ 27.0–33.0 mm, ♀ 25.0– 32.0 mm; mesofemora, ♂ 17.0–19.0 mm, ♀ 14.0–18.0 mm; metafemora, ♂ 23.0–25.0 mm, ♀ 19.0–25.0 mm; protibiae, ♂ 32.0–38.0 mm, ♀ 27.0–36.0 mm; mesotibiae, ♂ 18.0–20.0 mm, ♀ 15.0–19.0 mm; metatibiae, ♂ 26.0–31.0 mm, ♀ 22.0– 27.0 mm.

Material examined. Holotype ♂, Vietnam, Nge An Prov., c. 21 km NW of Kim Son Town, Pu Hoat Nature Reserve, elev. 840 m, 5–15 May 2018, Abramov, A.V. ( MMUE). Paratypes. 8♀, 4♂, same data as holotype ( HKES & MMUE) .

Distribution. Vietnam.

Etymology. The specific epithet of this new species is derived from the postocular stripe on the genae in the both sexes.

Figures

Figures 1–26. Clitumninae spp. 1–4. Interphasma lineatum sp. nov. 5–8. Medauroidea cattienensis sp. nov. 9–12. Medauroidea cornuta sp. nov. 13–16. Medauroidea fasciata sp. nov. 17–20. Neomedaura yokdonensis gen. & sp. nov. 21–22. Parapachymorpha pseudospinosa sp. nov. 23–26. Prosentoria vietnamensis sp. nov. 1, 7, 11, 15, 19, 25. Male end of abdomen, lateral view. 2, 8, 12, 16, 20, 26. Male end of abdomen, dorsal view. 3, 5, 9, 13, 17, 21, 23. Female end of abdomen, lateral view. 4, 6, 10, 14, 18, 22, 24. Female end of abdomen, dorsal view. Scale bars=5mm.

Figures 27–34. Interphasma lineatum sp. nov. 27. Male habitus. 28. Male abdomen, lateral view. 29. Male abdomen, dorsal view. 30. Female habitus. 31. Female abdomen, lateral view. 32. Female abdomen, dorsal view. 33. Male head and thorax, dorsolateral view. 34. Female head and thorax, dorsolateral view. Scale bars=5mm.