Pterohirasea, Bresseel & Constant, 1835

Bresseel, Joachim & Constant, Jérôme, 1835, Two new stick insect genera from Vietnam, Nuichua gen. nov. and Pterohirasea gen. nov. with two new species (Phasmida: Diapheromeridae: Necrosciinae), Belgian Journal of Entomology 70, pp. 1-29 : 1-29

Genus Pterohirasea gen. nov.

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Type species: Pterohirasea nigrolineata sp. nov. by present designation and monotypy.

ETYMOLOGY. The genus name is the combination of ptero -, from the Greek word pteron meaning wing, and - hirasea, the ending of Neohirasea Rehn, 1904 , illustrating the close relationship between the two genera.

DIAGNOSIS

The genus is closely related to Nuichua gen. nov. but can be distinguished by the following characters:

1) Comparatively longer legs; legs completely unarmed and mesofemora not swollen ( Figs 10A–C , 12 A–C ).

2) Posternum with rough paired, almost circular sensory areas ( Fig. 9 ).

3) Tegmina absent; small alae present ( Figs 10 D, G , 12 D, H , 13 H, L ).

4) Poculum strongly rounded with outer margin curving downwards ( Fig. 10 F, H–I ).

5) Vomer with basal portion very broad, flattened and almost semicircular; posterior portion tapering, strongly upcurving and with two blunt terminal hooks ( Fig. 11 ).

6) Subgenital plate in females slightly projecting over apex of abdomen ( Fig. 12 E–G ).

DESCRIPTION

MALE AND FEMALE ( Figs 10 , 12 )

Head: longer than wide and mainly smooth, except few distinct, pale granules dorsally and on genae. Dorsal surface slightly flattened with distinct mediolongitudinal groove. Vertex rounded, posterolaterally also with a groove. Eyes circular and strongly projecting hemispherically followed by a broad dark postocular line. Antennae distinctly projecting over front legs. Scapus slightly flattened dorsoventrally and oval in cross-section. Pedicellus short, knob-like and round in cross-section.

Thorax: pronotum slightly shorter than head with few pale granules. Anterior margin strongly incurved with anterolateral angles extended and apically rounded. Base of anterolateral extensions with a minute pseudoforamen. Median longitudinal groove starting anteriorly, not reaching posterior edge. Centrally with a short transverse impression not reaching lateral edges. Posterior margin rounded. Mesonotum with few pale granules and parallel-sided. Metanotum with few pale granules, slightly longer than median segment, subapically with a small hump, followed by a short transverse furrow medially. Prosternum with anterior margin straight, widening toward the posterior; posterior margin concave. Posternum with rough, paired, almost circular sensory organs; longitudinally divided by a median furrow.

Wings: tegmina absent. Alae small, reduced, not reaching median segment; costal area blackish with reddish margin; anal area bright red.

Legs: profemora compressed and curved basally. All carinae present and unarmed; medioventral carina indistinct. Meso- and metafemora with carinae and armature as in profemora (female) or ventral carinae indistinct (male). Protibiae subrectangular in cross-section with outer ventral and dorsal carinae developed. Meso- and metatibiae with carinae as in protibiae, with medioventral carinae present but indistinct. Meso- and metatarsi with claws small when compared to body size; tarsomeres with a small posteromedian extension.

Abdomen: median segment longer than wide, slightly trapezoidal and subapically with a small, black transverse hump medially. All abdominal terga less than two times longer than wide (males) or transverse (females), with few pale granules. Terga II–IX with a small

18 posteromedian hump. Males with anal segment shorter than IX, tectiform with mediolongitudinal carina; slightly concave apically with outer margin slightly setose; ventral portion of outer margin of anal segment slightly swollen and armed with several black tubercles; posterolateral angles rounded. Poculum rounded; posterior margin flattened with outer rim curving downwards; reaching about base of vomer. Cerci reaching about apex of abdomen, laterally flattened with apices rounded, slightly incurving and distinctly setose. Vomer well developed and large; basal portion broad, flattened and almost semicircular; posterior portion tapering, strongly upcurving and notched apically, forming two blunt apices. Apices blackish and tapering towards the posterior. Females with anal segment about as long as tergum IX, tectiform with mediolongitudinal carina and broadly rounded apically; abdominal sternum VII with definite praeopercular organ; broadened at base, later tapering and resulting in a single spine. Subgenital plate reaching about apex of abdomen; laterally flattened basally, later spoon-shaped and tapering posteriorly; posterior portion with a definite median longitudinal carina.

EGG ( Fig. 13 O–Q ).

Capsule oval, brownish with darker markings and a reticulate structure; reticulum on capsule surface covered with minute stalked granules. Polar area with dark marking. Operculum oval and convex; coloured as capsule with several mushroom-shaped, stalked granules, more densely grouped in the central portion. Micropylar plate positioned almost centrally on capsule, slightly displaced towards polar area and almost circular. Micropylar cup black and distinct, followed anteriorly by a definite mediolongitudinal carina.

DISTRIBUTION. Central Vietnam.

Figures

Fig. 10. Pterohirasea nigrolineata sp. nov., holotype ♂. A, habitus, dorsal view. B, habitus, lateral view. C, habitus, ventral view. D, head and thorax, dorsal view. E, terminalia, dorsal view. F, terminalia ventral view. G, head and thorax, lateral view. H, terminalia, ventral view. I, terminalia, lateral view.

Fig. 12. Pterohirasea nigrolineata sp. nov., paratype ♀. A, habitus, dorsal view. B, habitus, lateral view. C, habitus, ventral view. D, head and thorax, dorsal view. E, terminalia, dorsal view. F, terminalia, ventral view. G, terminalia, lateral view. H, head and thorax, lateral view.

Fig. 9. Pterohirasea nigrolineata sp. nov., prosternal sensory organs.

Fig. 13. Pterohirasea nigrolineata sp. nov. A–N, captive reared, from Phong Dien VNMN Station (photographs by J. Constant). A–B, nymph. C, ♂, dorsal view. D, ♂, lateral view. E, ♂, head and thorax. F, ♂, dorsal view. G, ♂, lateral view. H, ♂, head and thorax. I, ♂, abdomen ventral view. J, ♀, dorsal view. K, ♀, lateral view. L, ♀, head and thorax dorsal view. M, ♀, abdomen ventral view. N, ♀, terminalia dorsal view. O, newborn nymph (photograph by T. Bollens). P–R, egg. P, lateral view. Q, dorsal view. R, operculum.

Fig. 11. Pterohirasea nigrolineata sp. nov., ♂ vomer. A, ventral view. B, detail of apex. C, lateral view.