Phamartes coronatus, Bresseel, Joachim & Constant, Jerome, 2013

Bresseel, Joachim & Constant, Jerome, 2013, Phamartes coronatus gen. nov. sp. nov. a new genus and species of stick insect from Bach Ma National Park, central Vietnam (Phasmida, Diapheromeridae, Necrosciinae), Zootaxa 3741 (1), pp. 141-150 : 143-149

Phamartes coronatus n. sp.

Material examined. Holotype ♀: C Vietnam, Bach Ma N. P., 16°12’N 107°52’E, 12–17.vii.2011, leg. J. Constant & J. Bresseel, I.G.: 31.933 (RBINS)

Paratypes [2 ♀, 2 ♂♂, 7 eggs]: 1 ♂, 5 eggs: same data as holotype (RBINS); 1 ♂, 2 eggs: same data as holotype (IEBR); 1 ♀: C Vietnam, Bach Ma N. P., 16°12’N 107°52’E, ex breeding B. Kneubühler 2012, I.G.: 32.387 (RBINS); 1 ♀: C Vietnam, Bach Ma N. P., 16°12’N 107°52’E, ex breeding B. Kneubühler 2012, I.G.: 32.387 (IEBR)

Etymology. The species name coronatus (adj., Latin) means “crowned” and refers to the shape of the head in this species.

Description. T he colouration is described from photographs of live specimens. (figs. 2–6)

Female (fig. 20–21). Measurements: see table 1.

Body colouration mottled brown, grey and black.

Head: Longer than wide. Vertex with a prominent crown shaped elevation. Disc like elevation strongly granulose with a large spine in the middle of the lateral edges, followed by some smaller spines. Posteriorly with spinose tubercles. Dorsal portion of disc flattened, ventral portion strongly rounded. Disc at an angle of about 45 degrees to the head. Between eyes, small semicircular crest with rounded side anteriorly. Behind semicircular crest, longitudinal depression reaching about halfway dorsal part of crown. Eyes relatively large, circular and projecting hemispherically, brown. Carinae laterally behind antennae, converging into lateral edges of crown. (figs. 15, 26) Antennae slightly setose, reaching about halfway the wings. Scapus strongly flattened dorso-ventrally, lateral edges lobe-like. Pedicellus shorter than scapus and round in cross section. Following segments narrower than pedicellus and varying in length towards apex.

Thorax: Sligthly longer than wide. Pronotum with anterior edge incurved and raised. Shallow longitudinal depression over whole length of pronotum and short and shallow transverse depression in the middle. Small spinelike tubercles on sides of longitudinal depression. Tubercles closer to depression in the centre of pronotum, creating X-like pattern. Sides of pronotum with spinose tubercles.

Mesonotum longer than head and pronotum combined, cylindrical and strongly wrinkled. Anteriorly and just before the middle with two medio-lateral spines, the posterior being bigger. Posteriorly some spinose granules and a larger spine-like lobe postero-medially. Posterior margin notched. Metanotum smooth, covered by wings and about ½ the length of the mesonotum. (fig. 19).

Ventral surface of thorax strongly wrinkled (fig. 14). Lateral edges of mesosternum with small granules. Tegmina coloured as body with hump varying from absent to strongly prominent, not reaching tergum I (figs. 16, 18). Alae reaching apex of segment III. Costal area coloured as tegmina, anal area transparent greyish.

Abdomen: Terga and sterna relatively broad and smooth. Median segment and segments II–V about equal in length, following segments gradually shortening. Tergum IX with distinct spine postero-medially. Anal segment dorso-ventrally flattened. Apex irregularly edged with many small notches (figs. 22, 23). Cerci small, not projecting over anal segment. Sternum VII with large spoon shaped praeopercular organ. Praeopercular organ notched apically. Subgenital plate dorso-ventrally flattened, projecting over apex of tergum IX but not reaching apex of anal segment. Apex slightly rounded (fig. 24).

Legs: Femora, tibiae and tarsi coloured as body and strongly carinate. Profemora short, compressed and curved basally. Apical half quadrate in cross section. Posterodorsal carina strongly reduced and lower than anterodorsal carina. Posteroventral carinae with spines apically, medio- and anteroventral carinae raised. Protibiae about as long as profemora, anteroventral carinae strongly raised and lamellate, other carinae raised. Probasitarsi with large lobe dorsally, longer than following three tarsomeres combined. Tarsomeres II and III with crest-like spine posteromedially. Meso- and metafemora with posteroventral carinae obsolete. Medioventral carinae of mesofemora and anteroventral carinae of metafemora elevated and lamellate with some saw-like teeth towards apex (fig. 25). Meso- and metatibiae carinate. Claws prominent.

FIGURE 1. Distribution map.

FIGURES 2–11. Phamartes phami , holotype ♀ and paratype ♂ in situ and eggs. 2, ♀: habitus. 3, ♀: lateral view. 4, ♀ detail of head. 5, ♂: dorsal view. 6, ♂: lateral view. 7, egg: lateral view. 8, egg: ventro-lateral view. 9, egg: polar area. 10, egg: operculum. 11, egg: detail of micropylar plate (photographs 7–11 by Bruno Kneubühler).

Note: The anal segment of females is dorso-ventrally flattened but it was laterally compressed during preservation in the collection specimens.

Male (figs. 28–29). Measurements see table 1.

Body colouration as in female.

General appearance as female but differs on several aspects. Smaller and much more slender. Crown on head much more spinose (fig. 34). Thorax more slender and elongate. Wings reaching halfway abdominal segment V. Elytra strongly humped (fig. 27). Abdomen with terga more slender than in female. Abdominal segments II–IX gradually shortening. Tergum IX without spine posteromedially. Anal segment tectiform and carinate, apically splitting into two semi-tergites, creating “claspers” (fig. 31). Inner portion of semi-tergites strongly armed with small spines (“dornenfeld”). Right semi-tergite conspicuously longer than left one (fig. 30). Left one split apically, right one rounded apically (fig. 33). Cerci very small, not surpassing anal segment. Poculum spoon-shaped, only slightly rounded, with longitudinal carina, reaching just over apex of abdominal tergum IX.(fig. 32). Vomer not visible, might be covered by poculum.

Legs: Femora, tibiae and tarsi coloured as body and strongly carinate. Profemora short, compressed and curved basally. Apical half quadrate in cross section. Protibiae about as long as profemora. Probasitarsi with a large lobe dorsally, longer than following three tarsomeres combined. Tarsomeres II and III with a crest-like spine posteromedially. Mid- and hind legs as in female. Claws small.

Nymph (fig. 17). Freshly hatched nymphs brownish with paler markings on dorsal side of head, anal segment, tarsomeres & claws of mid- and hind legs and apical half of antennae. Crown on head visible, but not as prominent as in the adults. Posterior margin of mesonotum raised.

Egg (figs. 7–11). Large, general colouration light brown; raised ridges of capsule greyish brown. Operculum light brown. Capsule sligthly laterally compressed, 1.4 x longer than wide and oval in cross-section (figs. 7, 8). Polar-area convex and notched in the centre (fig. 9).

FIGURES 12–18. Phamartes phami , paratype ♀ and nymph (captive reared). 12, habitus dorsal view. 13, habitus lateral view. 14, habitus ventral view. 15, head lateral view. 16., elytra: detail on “humps”.17, nymph. 18, elytra: dorsal view. (Photographs by Bruno Kneubühler).

FIGURES 19–26. Phamartes phami , holotype ♀. 19, head and thorax: dorsal view. 20, habitus: dorsal view. 21, habitus: lateral view. 22, apex of abdomen: dorsal view. 23, apex of abdomen: lateral view. 24, apex of abdomen and praeopercular organ: ventral view. 25, mesofemur: lateral view. 26, head and thorax: lateral view.

FIGURES 27–34. Phamartes phami , paratype ♂. 27, head and thorax: dorsal view. 28, habitus: dorsal view. 29, habitus: lateral view. 30, apex of abdomen: right lateral view. 31, apex of abdomen: dorsal view. 32, apex of abdomen: ventral view. 33, apex of abdomen: left lateral view. 34, head and prothorax: lateral view.

Complete surface very minutely granulose, capsule with irregular network of broad raised ridges. Micropylar plate on posterior half of dorsal surface, covering less than half of capsule length. Capsule strongly indented at plate. Portion of capsule surrounding micropylar plate black.

Micropylar plate (fig. 11) longer than wide, oval and sligthly notched posteriorly; broadest at centre. Posterior end with median gap, median line absent. Micropylar cup positioned close the the posterior margin, at about ¼ the length of plate. Coloured as capsule, but with paler brown edge. Operculum (fig.10) oval, raised in middle, resulting in large cone.

Measurements (in mm): Length: 3.4, length (including operculum): 4.3, width: 2.4, maximum height: 3.7 Biological observations. Several eggs of this species hatched and nymphs were reared in captivity using bramble ( Rubus spp., Rosaceae ) as alternative food-plant. Unfortunately they all turned out to be females (figs. 12, 13) and the culture stock died out. This species is easy to maintain in captivity (pers. comm. Bruno Kneubühler Luzern, Switzerland).