Mnesilochus imitator (Brunner v. Wattenwyl, 1907 )

Hennemann, Frank H., Conle, Oskar V. & Brock, Paul D., 2023, The types of Phasmatodea (= Phasmida) deposited in the Eidgenössisches Technisches Hochschulzentrum, Zürich, Switzerland (ETHZ), Zootaxa 5278 (1), pp. 176-188 : 180

imitator Brunner v. Wattenwyl, 1907: 279 [ Dixippus ].

PLT, ♁: Borneo; Brunner v.W. et Redtenbacher det. 1903 Type; 1. Dixippus imitator Br.

Comment: The LT is in NMW; PLT’s in NMW and MNHU. Although, no type-material was mentioned in ETHZ and MNHU in the monograph, both specimens appear to be part of the type-series. This species was erroneously placed in Hermagoras Stål, 1875 by Seow-Choen (2016: 283) although the species was clearly shown to belong in Mnesilochus Stål, 1877 by Hennemann & Conle (2007), who re-diagnosed both genera and differentiated them from each other in detail. The lack of medio-longitudinal keel on the mesosternum and the characteristic shape of the eggs place imitator in Mnesilochus , why the species is here transferred back to that genus. Basic egg morphology is apparently very consistent within these genera with Hermagoras always having ovoid to more or less spherical eggs capsules, whereas those of Mnesilochus are always compressed laterally, surrounded by a dorso-ventral longitudinal bulge and have a distinctly protruded polar-area as in imitator and the virtually very similar looking type-species M. capreolus Stål, 1877 .

Valid name: Mnesilochus imitator (Brunner v. Wattenwyl, 1907) rev. comb.