Parotocrania, Hennemann & Conle, 2024

Hennemann, Frank H. & Conle, Oskar V., 2024, Studies on Neotropical Phasmatodea XXVI: Taxonomic review of Cladomorformia tax. n., a lineage of Diapheromerinae stick insects, with the descriptions of seven new genera and 41 new species (Phasmatodea: Occidophasmata: Diapheromerinae), Zootaxa 5444 (1), pp. 1-454 : 131-133

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.11646/zootaxa.5444.1.1
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:5DE4A9DD-99F7-4E23-AD50-58DC491BB75E
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03FD87D9-FF22-D8E1-FF55-F68C284FE6DB
treatment provided by	Plazi
scientific name	Parotocrania
status

Treatment

1. Otocraniella flagelloantennata Zompro, 2004b: 137 View in CoL , fig. 3 (♂). HT, ♂: Chapeu de Sol —Terra de Cipó —MG 7.XII.1969 Montouchet col. [ MZUSP]. ( Figs. 45 View FIGURE 45 , 83K View FIGURE 83 , 94D View FIGURE 94 , 103 View FIGURE 103 )

Remarks: The holotype has sadly suffered from some damage of the genitalia by dermestid beetles after it’s description in 2004.

Distribution: E-Brazil, Est. Minas Geraïs, Chapéu de Sol, Terra de Cipó [MZUSP]; E-Brazil, Est. Minas Geraïs, Planalto de Diamantina, Caminho dos Escravos, 1370 m [UFVJM]; E-Brazil, Est. Minas Geraïs, Diamantina [MNHN].

5.19. Genus Parotocrania gen. n.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:1BF73D53-257A-4A89-8772-20CA8C047C44

( Figs. 7A View FIGURE 7 , 46–48 View FIGURE 46 View FIGURE 47 View FIGURE 48 , 86D–G View FIGURE 86 , 95 View FIGURE 95 L-M, 100C, 103F, 110A–D)

Type-species: Parotocrania panamae sp. n., by present designation.

Bacteria, Redtenbacher, 1908: 412 View in CoL (in part).

Brock & Büscher, 2022: 511 (in part).

Bostra Stål, 1875: 79 View in CoL (in part).

Redtenbacher, 1908: 406 (in part).

Zompro, 2001a: 200 (in part).

Globocrania View in CoL in litt., Conle, Hennemann & Gutiérrez, 2011: 59, 163 (in part).

Otocrania, Robertson et al., 2018: 11 View in CoL .

Phanocles, Conle, Hennemann & Gutiérrez, 2011: 59 View in CoL , 300 (in part).

Brock & Büscher, 2022: 513 (in part).

Phanocloidea, Conle, Hennemann & Gutiérrez, 2011: 61 View in CoL (in part).

Brock & Büscher, 2022: 514 (in part).

Description. ♀, ♂: Medium to large (body length: ♂♂ 68.0– 130.4 mm, ♀♀ incl. subgenital plate 141.0–183.0 mm), fairly elongate and slender Cladomorphini , occasionally with large cephalic horns (mostly missing although), a just weakly indicated medio-longitudinal carina on meso- and metasternum and a median segment that is shorter than the metanotum (exception alate ♂♂). ♂♂ apterous or alate. Colour various shades of green, ochre, buff and brown. ♂♂ with a granulose, nodulose, tubercular and/or rugose head and thorax; body surface smooth to moderately granulose in ♀♀. Head variable in shape, ovoid to globose, scarcely longer than wide with vertex flattened to conve; vertex unarmed, bi-tubercular or armed with a pair of small huge horns that are variable in shape and in extremes may extend by more than the height of head capsule in ♀♀. Antennae reaching at least to posterior margin of abdominal segment II (♀♀) or to abdominal segment VII (♂♂). Scapus compressed dorsoventrally and roughly rectangular in dorsal aspect, longer than wide and with outer margin ± deflexed apically in ♀♀. Pedicellus almost round in cross-section and roughly half the length of scapus. III much narrower than pedicellus. Pronotum ± as long but considerably narrower than head; roundly rectangular and notably longer than wide. Mesothorax elongate, uniform in diameter and at least 6x (♀♀) or 8x (♂♂) longer than prothorax. Mesosternum simply and ± granulose ( Figs. 86D–G View FIGURE 86 ). Abdominal segment II ± as long as median segment in apterous taxa. II–VII parallel-sided and roughly equal in length, all at least 1.25x (♀♀) or 4x (♂♂) longer than wide. Tergum VII of females with lateral margins parallel-sided. Sternum VII of ♀♀ with a ± distinct praeopercular organ that is mostly formed by a pair of large, transverse lobes at posterior margin. Terminalia of ♀♀ ( Figs. 7A View FIGURE 7 , 46F–N View FIGURE 46 ): Terga VIII–X equal in width or indistinctly wider than preceding segments; IX shorter than VIII. Anal segment weakly tectate longitudinally with lateral margins ± deflexed and rounded to semi-circular. Epiproct very small and almost wholly concealed under anal segment. Cerci small, short and acuminate. Gonapophyses VIII moderately elongated, filiform, slightly upcurved, broadened sub-apically and at best scarcely projecting over posterior margin of anal segment. Subgenital plate weakly keeled, rather flattened and just indistinctly convex longitudinally, the apical half ± downcurved and acuminate; at best projecting over tip of abdomen by scarcely more than length of anal segment. Terminalia of ♂♂ ( Figs. 7A View FIGURE 7 , 47C–L View FIGURE 47 , 95L–M View FIGURE 95 ): Terga VIII and IX somewhat wider than all preceding segments, VIII gradually widening towards the posterior. IX with the lateral margins moderately deflexed ± and rounded or angular. Anal segment with posterior margin ± sinuate and the posterolateral angles with various small teeth ventrally. Epiproct minute. Cerci slender, elongate, ± incurved; considerably shorter than anal segment. Vomer basically triangular in general shape, more rarely slender and digitiform, and with one ( Fig. 95L View FIGURE 95 ) or two ( Fig. 95M View FIGURE 95 ) terminal hooks. Poculum variable in shape, ranging from convex and rounded to strongly bulgy and angular in lateral aspect; occasionally with a small central protuberance and posterior margin entire, without specialisations. Legs long and slender and all distinctly carinate; meso- and metafemora and corresponding tibiae may be strongly arcuate. Medioventral carina of profemora lamellate and conspicuously displaced towards anteroventral carina, on meso- and metafemora roughly centric on ventral surface of femur and unarmed. Meso- and metafemora sub-basally often with one or two ± prominent teeth or tooth-like to foliaceous appendages on two outer ventral carinae (more pronounced in ♀♀). All basitarsi of both sexes with the dorsal carina ± raised and lamellate, sometimes distinctly rounded (more distinct in ♀♀).

Egg ( Fig. 100C View FIGURE 100 ). The following diagnosis is solely based on the egg of P. panamae sp. n., hence can only be exemplary for the genus. Moderately sized (overall length> 5.0 mm). Capsule of very unusual trapezoidal shape in lateral aspect, somewhat compressed laterally, higher than wide and higher than long. Capsule surface wholly coriaceous to weakly rugose. Micropylar plate oval, about half the length of capsule, centrally on dorsal surface. Median line almost reaching to polar end of capsule. Operculum oval, flat and with a very large, hollow membranous structure formed by excrescences of the outer margin; this in lateral aspect about equal in size to capsule. Capsule and micropylar plate uniformly black.

Differentiation. Males of this new genus are readily separated from those of the morphologically most similar and supposedly closely related Phanocloidea Zompro, 2001 by the granulose to nodulose head and thorax (sometimes also single granules and nodes present on abdomen). Females are characterised by the rather flattened, scoop-shaped, just very weakly keeled subgenital plate, which has the apex ± downcurved ( Figs. 46F–N View FIGURE 46 ). The very distinctive eggs ( Fig. 100C View FIGURE 100 ) are characteristic for the egg capsule being conspicuously trapezoidal in lateral aspect with the entire capsule surface uniformly coriaceous and destitute of any distinctive sculpturing, and the micropylar plate being only about half as long as the capsule and not different from the capsule in colour or sculpturing.

Distribution ( Fig. 103F View FIGURE 103 ). Southern Central America ( Panama & Costa Rica) and northwest South America ( Colombia, Ecuador & NW-Peru).

Species included: