Pachyphasma, Wipfler, Benjamin, Pohl, Hans & Predel, Reinhard, 2012

Wipfler, Benjamin, Pohl, Hans & Predel, Reinhard, 2012, Two new genera and two new species of Mantophasmatodea (Insecta, Polyneoptera) from Namibia, ZooKeys 166, pp. 75-98 : 85

publication ID

https://dx.doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.166.1802

persistent identifier

https://treatment.plazi.org/id/843D72E7-A0CC-4937-42CB-EBEF60FE1541

treatment provided by

ZooKeys by Pensoft

scientific name

Pachyphasma
status

gen. n.

Pachyphasma   ZBK gen. n.

Description and diagnosis.

Based on peptide hormone sequences, Pachyphasma gen. n. is placed as sistergroup to Mantophasma / Sclerophasma ( Predel et al. in press). The clade Pachyphasma gen. n. + Mantophasma / Sclerophasma was determined as sistergroup to Tyrannophasma + Praedatophasma . Pachyphasma gen. n. can be distinguished from all other mantophasmatodeans by an abdomen that is shorter than the thorax and a metanotum that is broader than the abdominal tergum I. Pachyphasma was found in the same biotope/habitat as Tyrannophasma gladiator , but on flowering bushes of Compositae while Tyrannophasma mainly inhabits grass tussocks but never these bushes.

The new genus is characterized by several distinct neuropeptide sequences, e.g. periviscerokinin-1 (EAAGLIAFPRTamide) ( Predel et al. in press). The respective mass signal ([M+H]+: 1144.6) can be detected in preparations of abdominal perisympathetic organs of males/females/nymphs.

Type species.

Pachyphasma brandbergense sp. n.

Other included species.

None thus far.

Etymology.

the generic group name Pachyphasma is a composition from the Greek word pachys meaning thick and the ending -phasma which is commonly used to term mantophasmatodeans. The gender is neuter.