Trachythorax unicolor Redtenbacher, 1908

Bresseel, Joachim & Constant, Jérôme, 1893, Review of the Oriental stick insect genus Trachythorax Redtenbacher, 1908 with two new species from Vietnam and comments on egg parasitism and morphological counteradaptations (Phasmida, Lonchodidae, Necrosciinae), Belgian Journal of Entomology 120, pp. 1-56 : 48

Trachythorax unicolor Redtenbacher, 1908

Trachythorax unicolor REDTENBACHER, 1908: 507 [described].

Trachythorax unicolor – OTTE & BROCK, 2005: 337 [catalogued].

MATERIAL EXAMINED. TYPE MATERIAL (examined from photographs on PSF – BROCK et al., 2021) . INDONESIA: ST ♂, ♀: Tjibodas , Java, 1400 m, Schröter., 29 ( ETHZ) .

COMMENTS. This species is only known from the type specimens and was collected by Schröter during his voyage around the world (1898–99). He stayed in West-Java from end December 1898 to January 1899 where he collected in mangrove forest and at Buitenzorg, Tjibodas on December 29, 1898 ( VAN STEENIS & VAN STEENIS, 1950). Most probably the label with only the number 29, refers to the collecting date .

The Tjibodas Forest Reserve, with the twin volcanoes Mt Gede and Mt Pangerango, was founded during the Dutch colonial period. The former Tjibodas reserve ranged in altitude from 1400–2900m and the area is currently included in the Mount Gede Pangrango National Park. The Tjibodas “Bergtuin” was located at the foot at an altitude of 1400 m and is currently named the Cibodas Botanical Garden (CBG) ( MEIJER, 1959; HIDAYAT & WINARNI, 2017).

The type-specimens are in poor condition. They were probably preserved in alcohol prior to mounting, and this may have altered their colouration. The species needs a re-description, preferably based on recent material. More material including eggs and pictures of living individuals are needed for comparison and for an accurate differentiation from other species. The species morphologically resembles T. gohi ant T. albomaculatus sp. nov.