Asceles Redtenbacher, 1908

Hennemann, Frank H., 2021, Stick insects of Sulawesi, Peleng and the Sula Islands, Indonesia- a review including checklists of species and descriptions of new taxa (Insecta: Phasmatodea), Zootaxa 5073 (1), pp. 1-189 : 124

Genus Asceles Redtenbacher, 1908

( Fig. 48 )

Type-species: Necroscia malaccae Saussure, 1868: 69 , by subsequent designation of Brock, 1995: 87.

Comments: This speciose genus is widely distributed throughout most of the Oriental region and also has species in New Guinea. On Sulawesi it is represented with only one known species, that is briefly discussed below.

The Philippine Sipyloidea morio Redtenbacher, 1908 was described from a unique male from an unspecified locality. The authors collections contains three ♂♂ from the island of Mindoro, Philippines and these have shown S. morio to be very similar and apparently congeneric to the Sulawesian Asceles rufescens (Redtenbacher, 1908) . Therefore, Redtenbacher’s species is here transferred to Asceles and now becomes Asceles morio (n. comb.). One of the syntypes of Asceles rulanda rulanda Redtenbacher, 1908 in the collection of NHMW is from the island of Luzon, Philippines, while all other syntypes are from New Guinea and the island of Buru in Wallacea. Hence, this Philippine specimen is likely to be the opposite sex of A. morio but this assumption deserves scrutiny of the entire syntype series at NHMW. Asceles rulanda modestior (Redtenbacher, 1908) from “ Moluccas ” was placed as a subspecies of A. rulanda by Günther (1934b: 85) but unfortunately the status of this taxon cannot be surveyed because the holotype is not traced in the collection of MNCN. Examination of the type specimens of Sipyloidea roseonotata Redtenbacher, 1908 from “ Moluccas ” in NHMW and Roon Island ( Bismarck Archipelago) in ZMUH has proven this species to be a likely synonym of either A. rulanda rulanda or A. rulanda modestior . Consequently, and because there can be no doubt it is congeneric to either of these roseonotata is here transferred to Asceles and now becomes Asceles roseonotata (n. comb.). The authors collection contains a series of specimens from the islands of Buru and Seram as well as from the Aru islands, which all key out to rulanda and roseonotata but apparently represent two distinct species. Much further work is needed for clarifying the identities, possibly synonymies and relationships of modestior, roseonotata , rulanda and morio .

Figures

FIGURE 48. Asceles rufescens (Redtenbacher, 1908): A. ♀, dorsal view [coll. FH, No. 0312-4]; B. ♀, dorso-lateral view [coll. FH, No. 0312-4]; C. Head, pro- and mesothorax of ♀ in dorso-lateral aspect [coll. FH, No. 0312-4]; D. Terminal abdominal segments of ♀ in lateral aspect [coll. FH, No. 0312-4]; E. Terminal abdominal segments of ♀ in dorsal aspect [coll. FH, No. 0312-4]; F. Terminal abdominal segments of ♀ in ventral aspect [coll. FH, No. 0312-4]; G. ♂, dorso-lateral view [coll. FH, No. 0312-1]; H. ♂, dorso-lateral view [coll. FH, No. 0312-3]; J. Head, pro- and mesothorax of ♂ in dorso-lateral aspect [coll. FH, No. 0312-3].