Phobaeticus lobulatus ( Carl, 1913 ) Hennemann & Conle, 2008

Hennemann, Frank H. & Conle, Oskar V., 2008, Revision of Oriental Phasmatodea: The tribe Pharnaciini Günther, 1953, including the description of the world's longest insect, and a survey of the family Phasmatidae Gray, 1835 with keys to the subfamilies and tribes (Phasmatodea: " Anareolatae ": Phasmatidae), Zootaxa 1906, pp. 1-316 : 158-159

Phobaeticus lobulatus ( Carl, 1913) comb. nov.

( Figs. 125, 256, 274, 383)

Eucarcharus lobulatus Carl, 1913: 12 . HT, ♀: Eucarcharus lobulatus Carl , Ceylan (MHNG, No. 24).

Zompro & Brock, 2003: 15.

Otte & Brock, 2005: 136.

Lobophasma lobulatus, Günther, 1935b: 138 .

Diagnosis: Closely related and very similar to the second Sri Lankan species Ph. hypharpax ( Westwood, 1859) but distinguished by: the smaller size; shape of the head; granules of the mesopleurae; more broadened and posteriorly rounded lateral lobes of tergite VII; tergite VIII being longer than the combined length of IX and X; much shorter and broader antennae and armature of the legs.

Etymology: “ Lobulatus ” (lat. = lobed, with lobes) refers to the prominent rounded lateral lobes of abdominal tergite VII of ♀♀.

Description: ♀♀ ( Fig. 125): Medium-sized (body length 162.0 mm) and moderately slender for the genus (maximum body width 7.0 mm). General colouration of body more or less uniformly mid to dark brown with slightly lighter areas on the head, pronotum and near posterior margins of the meso- and metanotum. Great portions of sternum VI, almost entire sternum VII, the basal portion of the subgenital plate and bases of basitarsi whitish. Legs with irregular pale greyish transverse bands, all femora with a weakly defined black transverse band sub-basally. Leg armature black, the dorsal serrations of the profemora dull orange. Eyes dark reddish brown. Antennae dull reddish brown.

Head: Suboval, 1.5x longer than wide, vertex very slightly convex, broadest at eyes and slightly narrowed towards the posterior. Between the bases of the antennae with a small transverse depression. Between the eyes with a very slightly impressed area and posterior portion of vertex very gently angled down-ward. Eyes rather small, circular and slightly convex; their length contained about 3x in that of cheeks. Antennae short, at least projecting over posterior margin of pronotum and consisting of 22 rather short and broad joints. Scapus dors- oventrally flattened, oval in dorsal aspect and 2.3x longer than wide. Pedicellus distinctly shorter than scapus, cylindrical.

Thorax: Pronotum about 2/3 the length of head, about 1.5x longer than wide, almost parallel-sided. Median transverse depression indistinct. Anterior half of segment with an impressed median line. Mesothorax 2.2x longer than head and pronotum combined, slightly constricted at anterior margin and broadened posteriorly. Mesonotum with a very faint pale longitudinal median line. Mesopleurae with a longitudinal row of rounded granules. Metanotum less than half the length of mesonotum, parallel-sided, 2.5x longer than wide. Meso- and metasternum smooth.

Abdomen: Median segment a little more than 2/3 the length of metanotum, parallel-sided, slightly more than 2x longer than wide. Segments II–VI parallel-sided and increasing in length, II 1.5x longer than wide and shorter than median segment, VI 2.5x longer than wide. Tergite VII slightly shorter than previous, lateral margins posteriorly dilated into an almost semi-circular lobe which projects by about half of body width (Fig. 274). Praeopercular organ formed by a pair of rounded, sub-cordiformous lobes at posterior margin of sternum VII. Tergite VIII slightly longer but distinctly narrower than VII, almost 4x longer than wide, constricted medially and strongly convex. IX half the length of VIII but of equal width, 1.5x longer than wide, rectangular. Anal segment shorter than IX and with a fine median carina, the posterior margin with a very broad but shallow triangular median excavation, outer angles narrowly rounded; posterior portion of anal segment strongly angled downward (Fig. 256). Supraanal plate very small, rounded and keeled. Cerci small, oval in cross-section, tapered towards apex and finely bristled. Gonapophyses elongate, filiform, slightly up-curving and ± reaching apex of anal segment. Subgenital plate slightly longitudinally keeled, boat-like and just reaching to posterior margin of anal segment, anterior margin down-curving at the apex.

Legs: All long and slender with all carinae, except the protibiae, dentate. Profemora a little longer than pro- and mesonotum combined, mesofemora slightly shorter than mesothorax, metafemora reaching about half way along abdominal segment V and metatibiae roughly reaching apex of abdomen. Anterodorsal carina of profemora with 14–17 prominent, acutely triangular serrations; posteroventral carina with a similar number of small teeth. Five very faint, roundly triangular teeth in equal distance are present on the anterodorsal carina of the protibiae, this carina gently deflexed. Meso- and metafemora with the two outer ventral carinae gently widened sub-basally, teeth relatively larger in this section than on rest of femur. Posterodorsal carina of mesofemora with three indistinctly enlarged teeth near apex (the apical one largest) and a broad triangular tooth about ¼ away from the base. Dorsal carinae of metafemora sparsely dentate. Medioventral carina of meso- and metafemora set with 5–8 minute spines. Posterodorsal carina of meso- and metatibiae with a very broad but flat lobe about 1/3 off the base and forming a rounded, dentate lobe apically. Medioventral carina gently raised and rounded sub-basally and in this section set with 2–3 distinct, triangular teeth. Basitarsi shorter than combined length of remaining tarsomeres, all carinae gently elevated and the ventral carinae of the meso- and metabasitarsi with a few minute teeth.

Comments: Carl (1913: 13) described E. lobulatus from a unique ♀ in MHNG and placed his new species in the genus Eucarcharus Brunner v. Wattenwyl, 1907. The author stated it to be closely related to Eucarcharus inversus Brunner v. Wattenwyl, 1907 which however is generically distinct and belongs in Tirachoidea Brunner v. Wattenwyl, 1893. Eucarcharus Brunner v. Wattenwyl, 1907 (Type species: Lonchodes feruloides Westwood, 1859 ) is here shown to belong in the tribe Stephanacridini and is hence not closely related (→ 4.7.2). The not conically raised head, distinct praeopercular organ and genitalia clearly place E. lobulatus in Phobaeticus Brunner v. Wattenwyl, 1907. Due to the prominent lateral lobes of tergite VII Günther (1935b: 138) transferred E. lobulatus Carl to his Lobophasma Günther, 1935 (Type species: Eucarcharus rex Günther, 1928 ) but this genus is here shown to be a junior synonym of Phobaeticus (syn. nov.).

Only known from the unique ♀ HT. ♂ and egg unknown.

Distribution (Fig. 383): Sri Lanka.

Number of specimens examined: 1