Parabaculum wushanense (Chen & He, 1997)

Qian, Yu-Han, Xie, Chong-Xin, Wen, Jun & Wang, Yu, 2023, Review of stick insects (Insecta: Phasmatodea) from Yintiaoling Nature Reserve of China, with description of two new species, Zootaxa 5257 (1), pp. 17-39 : 23-25

Parabaculum wushanense (Chen & He, 1997) ( Figures 8–11 )

- Chen S.C. & He Y.H., 1997. Insects of the Three Gorge Reservoir area of Yangtze River. 116.

- Hennemann F.H., Conle O.V., Zhang W.W., 2008. Zootaxa. 1735:34.

- Chen S.C. & He Y.H., 2008. Phasmatodea of China. 301.

Material examined. 5 females, 8 males and 10 eggs, China, Chongqing, Wuxi County, Yintiaoling National Nature Reserve, Daqiaowan , 993 m, 15–16 Aug. 2022, Leg. Chong-Xin Xie .

Description. Eggs. Capsule flat and nearly rectangular, grayish brown, with tiny tubercles. Three coarse longitudinal ridges in the dorsal view and among them with a thin longitudinal ridge. Micropylar plate oval-shaped, central area with a thin longitudinal carina. Micropylar cup distinct followed by a much shorter median line. Operculum almost oval, coarsely rugose, centrally without capitulum. Polar apex concave, with cross ridges and lateral of the longitudinal ridge with a thin longitudinal ridge.

Measurements. Female. Body length 87.0–109.0; head length 3.5–4.2; pronotum length 2.9–3.0; mesonotum 17.2–21.6; metanotum 11.8–14.2; median segment 3.0–4.1; profemora 22.3–33.1; mesofemora 16.2–23.4; metafemora 18.9–26.2; protibiae 29.2–42.1; mesotibiae 19.8–24.3; metatibiae 20.5–29.9. Male. Body length 67.0–75.0; head length 2.5–2.8; pronotum length 2.0–2.3; mesonotum 14.4–15.7; metanotum 10.1–11.6; median segment 2.2–2.5; profemora 28.2–31.9; mesofemora 18.1–20.9; metafemora 22.1–25.2; protibiae 32.4–38.6; mesotibiae 20.8–22.3; metatibiae 26.1–30.2. Egg. Length 5.3–5.5, width 1.7–1.9, height 2.7–2.9.

Distribution. China (Chongqing, Sichuan, Henan, Shaanxi).

Remarks. Three species of Parabaculum are known from the world, two of which from China. Here we have provided details on the egg description as well as new images of P. wushanense . Female of this species also has diverse body coloration in the wild ( Fig. 11 ).

Figures

FIGURE 8 Parabaculum wushanense, female, A–H. A. habitus, dorsal view; B. habitus, ventral view; C. habitus, lateral view; D. head, dorsal view; E. head, lateral view; F. terminalia, dorsal view; G. terminalia, lateral view; H. terminalia, ventral view.

FIGURE 9 Parabaculum wushanense, male, A–H. A. habitus, dorsal view; B. habitus, ventral view; C. habitus, lateral view; D. head, dorsal view; E. head, lateral view; F. terminalia, dorsal view; G. terminalia, lateral view; H. terminalia, ventral view.

FIGURE 10 Parabaculum wushanense, egg, A–D. A. dorsal view; B. lateral view; C. top view; D. polar view.

FIGURE 11 Parabaculum wushanense female in the wild.