Parotocrania segmentaria, Hennemann & Conle, 2024

Hennemann, Frank H. & Conle, Oskar V., 2024, Studies on Neotropical Phasmatodea XXVI: Taxonomic review of Cladomorformia tax. n., a lineage of Diapheromerinae stick insects, with the descriptions of seven new genera and 41 new species (Phasmatodea: Occidophasmata: Diapheromerinae), Zootaxa 5444 (1), pp. 1-454 : 134-135

8. Parotocrania segmentaria ( Redtenbacher, 1908: 420) [ Bacteria ]. HT, ♂: Patria?; Coll. Br. v. W. Patria?, Mus Dresden; det. Redtb. B. segmentaria sp. n.; 12.400 [NHMW, No. 812]. comb. n. ( Figs. 47 J-L)

Remarks: Unfortunately, the type-locality is a mystery and Redtenbacher (1908: 420) presumed it to be from Colombia, which is quite likely in aspect of the affinity to the Colombian P. cassicephala ( Conle, Hennemann & Gutierréz, 2011) . This species differs from all other known species in the genus by the very small size (body length of the holotype 68.0 mm). A penultimate instar ♀ nymph in the collection of ILUD is likely to be the opposite sex, hence this record is here given for P. segmentaria . The specimen has similar proportions to the ♂, being rather stocky with a mesothorax that is scarcely more than 6x the length of the prothorax and having a median segment that is roughly equal in length to the metanotum. It is generally buff in colour with two huge laterally compressed cephalic horns on the strongly convex vertex, which are oval in lateral aspect, has the mesofemora armed with prominent dentate lobes and the basitarsi with a an obtusely triangular medio-dorsal lobe. However, fresh material of both sexes from the same locality and an adult ♀ are necessary for confirming this possible affiliation.

Distribution: Colombia (?) [NHMW]; Central Colombia, Cundinamarca, Tobia, 5°7’21.89 N 74°27’0.81W, 750 m [ILUD].

Keys to the species of Parotocrania gen. n.

♀♀

1. Head without prominent horns............................................................................2

- Head armed with a huge pair of peg-like, tubercolose apically inward angled horns ( Fig. 48A ); Panama...... panamae sp. n.

2. Large (body length> 180.0 mm) and very slender species; mesothorax> 7x longer than prothorax; vertex flattened....... 3

- Small (body length <150.0 mm) and stocky species; mesothorax <6x longer than prothorax; vertex convex and tubercular. 4

3. Subgenital plate projecting beyond apex of abdomen by more than length of anal segment, apex acute; Ecuador.... pastazae

- Subgenital plate short, and scarcely projecting beyond tip of abdomen, apex tridentate; Colombia.................. regina

4. Head with two small spines between the eyes ( Fig. 48E ); mesofemora and basal portion of mesotibiae distinctly arcuate; mesofemora with small sub-apical lobes on two outer ventral carinae; mesotibiae with rounded dorsal lobes sub-basally ( Fig. 46P ).......................................................................................... dilatipes

- No pair of spines between the eyes ( Fig. 46B ); mesofemora and mesotibiae straight; mesofemora without sub-apical lobes; metatibiae wholly uanrmed................................................................. acutilobata sp. n.

[* ♀♀ of P. acutilobata Conle, Hennemann & Gutiérrez, 2011 , P. curvata sp. n. and P. segmentaria ( Redtenbacher, 1908) are not known]

♂♂

1. Apterous............................................................................................ 2

- Alate............................................................................................... 6

2. Head with a pair of large, cephalic horns................................................................... 3

- Head at best tubercular................................................................................. 4

3. Small (body length <70.0 mm); abdominal segments II–VIII strongly constricted medially and terga with posterolateral angles protruded into a spiniform projection ( Fig. 47K ); median segment about as long as metanotum; Colombia (?)... segmentaria

- Larger (body length> 90.0 mm); abdominal segment uniform in diameter; median segment longer than metanotum; NWColombia.................................................................................. cassicephala

4. Vertex flattened; meso- and metathorax minutely and sparsely granulose; median segment notably shorter than metanotum.. 5

- Vertex convex and tubercular/nodulose ( Fig. 48C ); meso- and metathorax distinctly nodulose; median segment almost as long as metanotum; Panama...................................................................... panamae sp. n.

5. Median segment 0.8x the length of metanotum; anal segment 1.8x longer than wide with posterior margin distinctly indented medially; basitarsi with dorsal carina rounded; Colombia.................................................. regina

- Median segment only half the length of metanotum; anal segment 1.2x longer than wide with posterior margin weakly emarginated; basitarsi slender; Ecuador.............................................................. pastazae

6. Head scarcely longer than wide, no horns on vertex ( Fig. 48D ); mid and hind legs strongly curvate ( Figs. 47B , 48F ); meso- and metabasitarsus prominently crested dorsally; E-Peru................................................ curvata sp. n.

- Head elongate and vertex with a pair of small but acute spines; mid and hind legs notdistinctly curved with femora and tibiae straight ( Fig. 46E ); NW-Ecuador............................................................ acutilobata sp. n.

Figures

FIGURE 46. Parotocrania gen. n.: A. P. panamae gen. n., sp. n. ♀ PT, habitus dorsolateral view [coll. FH, No. 1190–1]; B. P. panamae gen. n., sp. n. ♂ PT green colour form, habitus dorsolateral view [coll. FH, No. 1190–6]; C. P. panamae gen. n., sp. n. ♂ PT brown colour form, habitus dorsolateral view [coll. FH, No. 1190–2]; D. P. acutilobata gen. n., sp. n. ♀ HT, habitus dorsolateral view [NHMUK]; E. P. acutilobata gen. n., sp. n. ♂ PT, habitus dorsolateral view [MNCN]; F. P. panamae gen. n., sp. n. ♀ PT, terminalia in lateral view [coll. FH]; G. P. panamae gen. n., sp. n. ♀ PT, terminalia in dorsal view [coll. FH]; H. P. panamae gen. n., sp. n. ♀ PT, terminalia in ventral view [coll. FH]; J. P. acutilobata gen. n., sp. n. ♀ HT, terminalia in lateral view [NHMUK]; K. P. acutilobata gen. n., sp. n. ♀ HT, terminalia in ventral view [NHMUK]; L. P. dilatipes (Conle, Hennemann & Gutiérrez, 2011) ♀, terminalia in lateral view [MNHN]; M. P. dilatipes (Conle, Hennemann & Gutiérrez, 2011) ♀, terminalia in dorsal view [MNHN]; N. P. dilatipes (Conle, Hennemann & Gutiérrez, 2011) ♀, terminalia in ventral view [MNHN]; O. P. acutilobata gen. n., sp. n. ♀ HT, intero-lateral view of basal portion of left mesofemur [NHMUK]; P. P. dilatipes (Conle, Hennemann & Gutiérrez, 2011) ♀, intero-lateral view of right miD–leg [MNHN].

FIGURE 47. Parotocrania gen. n.: A. P. dilatipes (Conle, Hennemann & Gutiérrez, 2011) ♀ (Ecuador, Prov. Napo, Tena, MIsahualli), habitus dorsolateral view [MNHN]; B. P. curvata gen. n., sp. n. ♂ PT, habitus dorsal view [coll. YB, © Yannick Bellanger]; C. P. panamae gen. n., sp. n. ♂ PT, terminalia in lateral view [coll. FH]; D. P. panamae gen. n., sp. n. ♂ PT, terminalia in dorsal view [coll. FH]; E. P. panamae gen. n., sp. n. ♂ PT, terminalia in ventral view [coll. FH]; F. P. acutilobata gen. n., sp. n. ♂ PT, terminalia in lateral view [MNCN]; G. P. acutilobata gen. n., sp. n. ♂ PT, terminalia in ventral view [MNCN]; H. P. curvata gen. n., sp. n. ♂ HT, terminalia in lateral view [ZSMC]; J. P. segmentaria (Redtenbacher, 1908) ♂ HT, terminalia in lateral view [NHMW]; K. P. segmentaria (Redtenbacher, 1908) ♂ HT, terminalia in dorsal view [NHMW]; L. P. segmentaria (Redtenbacher, 1908) ♂ HT, terminalia in ventral view [NHMW].

FIGURE 48. Parotocrania gen. n.: A. P. panamae gen. n., sp. n. ♀ PT, head and prothorax in lateral view [coll. FH]; B. P. acutilobata gen. n., sp. n. ♀ HT, head and prothorax in dorsolateral view [NHMUK]; C. P. panamae gen. n., sp. n. ♂ PT, head and prothorax in lateral view [coll. FH]; D. P. curvata gen. n., sp. n. ♂ HT, head and prothorax in dorsolateral view [ZSMC]; E. P. dilatipes (Conle, Hennemann & Gutiérrez, 2011) ♀, head and prothorax in lateral view [MNHN]; F. P. curvata gen. n., sp. n. ♂ HT, habitus dorsolateral view [ZSMC].