Dimorphodes epidicus (Gunther, 1935) Hennemann, 2021

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 : 94

3. Dimorphodes epidicus (Günther, 1935: 5, pl. 1: 3 (♀ )).

HT, ♀: Tanke Salokko 1500 m; S-O. Celebes, Meng-koka-Geb., 1.1932, G. Heinrich; Typus [ MNHU]. n. comb .

Comments: This tiny species was described from a unique and incomplete ♀ HT in MNHU. Already at the time of description the specimen lacked both front legs, all tarsi and most of the left antenna. Subsequently, also the entire abdomen got lost. Günther (1935: 5) originally placed this species in the genus Menexenus but in a final amendment on page 29 of the same publication stated it should really belong in the genus Pachymorpha because of the short antennae that only consist of 17 segments and are no more than twice the length of the head. Examination of the specimen however clearly places epidicus in Dimorphodes , being a rather typical member of that genus in most anatomical aspects but remarkably small (body length 32 mm according to Günther, 1935: 5).

Distribution: SE-Sulawesi, Mengkoka Mountains, Gunung Tanke Salokko [MNHU].