Prisopodinae, Brunner von Wattenwyl, 1893

Conle, Oskar V., Hennemann, Frank H., Bellanger, Yannick, Lelong, Philippe, Jourdan, Toni & Valero, Pablo, 2020, Studies on neotropical Phasmatodea XX: A new genus and 16 new species from French Guiana, Zootaxa 4814 (1), pp. 1-136 : 85

5.4. Prisopodinae

Comments. Due to the transfer of Paraprisopodini to Pseudophasmatinae , the tribe Prisopodini becomes technically unnecessary. The three genera that remain in Prisopodinae have a ventromedian longitudinal ridge on the abdominal sternites, which becomes broader and more distinct towards the apex of the abdomen. This ridge has a rough surface, similar in structure to the sensory areas found on the prothoracic sterna of other Phasmatodea , e.g. members of Cladomorphinae : Hesperophasmatini or Cladomorphinae : Pterinoxylini (see Hennemann, Conle & Perez-Gelabert, 2016: 10). The function of this rough carina is still unknown and deserves investigation, but judging from the structure it might be analogous to the aforementioned prothoracic sensory areas and have similar functions. This very distinctive feature is present in the three Prisopodinae genera Damasippus Stål, 1875 , Dinelytron Gray, 1835 and Prisopus Peletier de Saint Fargeau & Serville, 1828 , but not in Paraprisopus Redtenbacher, 1906 . Due to this feature and several further distinctive morphological characters, the tribe Paraprisopodini with its single genus Paraprisopus , is here transferred to the subfamily Pseudophasmatidae : Pseudophasmatinae (see chapter on Paraprisopodini above).

Prisopodinae in general have large, often rounded heads with small eyes, often compressed and lobed profemora and an elongate abdomen, which in general distinctly projects over the hindlegs. Eggs are glued to bark or branches.

A new and detailed diagnosis of Prisopodinae should be conducted in the future, when more material is at hand. Molecular analysis will probably be necessary in order to clarify the interrelations between the genera.