Ceroys (Miroceroys) cancelloae, Crispino & Ghirotto & Engelking, 2022

Crispino, Edgar B., Ghirotto, Victor M. & Engelking, Phillip W., 2022, Contributions to the knowledge of Ceroys (Miroceroys) Piza, 1936 (Phasmatodea Heteronemiidae): two new mossy stick insects from the Atlantic Forest of Brazil, Zootaxa 5134 (1), pp. 34-60 : 37

Ceroys (Miroceroys) cancelloae sp. nov.

( Figs 1–9 )

Holotype, 1♀: MZUSP V0034 , Brasil, Minas Gerais, Extrema. Atlantic Forest , 22º52’42.4”S, 46º18’53.9”W. 1450m of altitude, 30.III.2018. S. H. Kamakuza, P. W. Engelking, E. B. Crispino & V. M. Ghirotto coll. [ MZUSP].

Paratypes, 1♀ ( MZSP 1184 ), 2♂ ( MZSP 1183 ), eggs, Brasil, Minas Gerais, Extrema. Atlantic Forest , 22º52’42.4”S, 46º18’53.9”W. 1450m of altitude, 30.III.2018. S. H. Kamakuza, P. W. Engelking, E. B. Crispino & V. M. Ghirotto coll. ; 2♀ ( MZSP 1186 , V0035 ) , 4♂ ( MZSP 1185 , 1187 , 1230 , V0033 ) , 1 subadult ♀ ( MZSP V0032 ) , eggs, Brasil, Minas Gerais, Extrema. Atlantic Forest , 22º52’42.4”S, 46º18’53.9”W. 1450m of altitude, 30.III.2018. V. M. Ghirotto & P. W. Engelking coll. ; 1♀ ( MZSP 376 ) : Brasil, Minas Gerais, Camanducaia, Monte Verde district. Atlantic Forest , 22º52’08”S, 46º01’04”W. 20. IV.2015. P. I. Chiquetto-Machado & A. Z. Ramin coll. ; 1♀ ( MZSP 810 ) , 1♂ ( MZSP 809 ) , eggs: Brasil, Minas Gerais, Camanducaia, Monte Verde district . 22º52’08”S, 46º01’04”W. 7.I.2017. P. I. Chiquetto-Machado & A. Z. Ramin coll. [ MZUSP] .

Etymology. The specific name is a patronym in honour of Dr. Eliana Marques Cancello, professor and curator of the entomological collection of the MZUSP and advisor of the masters of EBC and VMG, and soon probably of the upcoming master of PWE as well. Expert in termites and an excellent researcher and entomologist, she gladly advises our projects with phasmids, having already advised our colleague and friend P.I. Chiquetto-Machado on his PhD about phasmids and who also collected the new species. This comes in form of our sincerely gratefulness for supporting our goal to specialize in stick insects and of a recognition of her efforts on promoting research on Phasmatodea in Brazil.

Diagnosis. Females of Ceroys (Miroceroys) cancelloae sp. nov. can be differentiated from the females of all other Ceroys (Miroceroys) species by the absence of crest-like longitudinal lobes on tergite III-VIII ( Figs 1A , 4A–B ) and the more lanceolate, thinner, and shorter meso- and metathoracic dorsolateral lobes ( Figs 1A , 3A ). Males can be differentiated from males of all other Ceroys (Miroceroys) species by the smooth, less robust, thinner meso- and metathoracic dorsolateral spines ( Figs 1B , 3B ), the constricted abdominal segments, the tapering aspect of the cerci and the presence of short and conical dorsal spines, few smaller at the anterior region of mesothorax, and in pairs at the posterior region of each thoracic segment, with absence of further robust spines.

Figures

FIGURE 1. A–B. Preserved female holotype and male paratype of Ceroys (Miroceroys) cancelloae sp. nov., from Extrema, Minas Gerais, Brazil. A. Holotype female V0034 in dorsal, lateral and ventral views. B. Paratype male V0033 in dorsal, lateral and ventral views. Scale bar: 10 mm.

FIGURE 2. A–F. Head morphology of Ceroys (Miroceroys) cancelloae sp. nov. A, C, E. Holotype female V0034: A. Dorsal view; C. Lateral view; E. Ventral view. B, D. Paratype male V0033: B. Dorsal view; D. Lateral view. F. Paratype juvenile female V0032, lateral view.Abbreviations. Ant, antennomere; Bs1-Bs2, pro- and mesothoracic basisterna; Cx, coxa; Cxp, coxopleurite; Eye, compound eye; Fc, frontal convexity; Fem, femur; Frs1, prothoracic furcasternite; Fs, frontal suture; Gl, glossa; Md, mandible; Msn, mesonotum; Pd, pedicellus; Pgl, paraglossa; Plb, labial palpus; Pmx, maxillary palpus; Prn, pronotum; Sc, scapus; Sg, subgena. Scale bars: 1 mm.

FIGURE 3. A–B. Metathoracic morphology of Ceroys (Miroceroys) cancelloae sp. nov., in dorsal view. A. Holotype female V0034. B. Paratype male V0033. Abbreviations. Cx, coxa; Cxp, coxopleurite; Epm, epimeron; Eps, episternum; Mds, median segment; Msn, mesonotum; Mtn, metanotum; Tg, tergite. Scale bars: 1 mm.

FIGURE 4. A–F. Abdomen morphology of female Ceroys (Miroceroys) cancelloae sp. nov., holotype V0034, end of the abdomen:A. Dorsal view; B. Lateral view; C. Posterior view; D. Ventral view; E. Posterodorsal view; F. Terminalia, lateral view, subgenital plate spread by pins.Abbreviations. Ce, cercus; Ep, epiproct; Gap8-Gap9, gonapophysis 8 and 9; Gng, gonangulum; Gpl, gonoplac; Pre, praeopercular organ; Prp, paraproct; Sp, subgenital plate; St, sternite; Tg, tergite. Scale bars: 1 mm.

FIGURE 5. A–E.Abdomen morphology of male Ceroys (Miroceroys) cancelloae sp. nov., paratype V0033, end of the abdomen: A. Dorsal view; B. Posterior view; C. Lateral view; D. Ventral view; E. Posterior view, detail of the terminal hook of the vomer. Abbreviations. Ce, cercus; Po, poculum; Prp, paraproct; St, sternite; St9a, anterior part of sternite 9; Tg, tergite; Tho, terminal hook of vomer; Tp, thorn pad; Vo, vomer. Scale bars: A–D = 1 mm; E = 0.5 mm.

FIGURE 6. A–D. Egg of Ceroys (Miroceroys) cancelloae sp. nov., from the female holotype. A. Lateral view. B. Dorsal view. C. Anterior view. D. Detail of micropylar plate in dorsal view. Abbreviations. Mcup, micropylar cup; Mip, micropylar plate; MLi, micropylar line; Opc, operculum. Scale bars: 0.5 mm.

FIGURE 7. A–D. Live habitus of nymphs of Ceroys (Miroceroys) cancelloae sp. nov., from Extrema, Minas Gerais, Brazil. A. First instar nymph, recently hatched. B. Third instar female nymph resting on fern. C. Fourth or fifth instar female nymph resting on fern. D. Three third instar nymphs, male (left) and two females (right). Arrows show protruding lobes on thorax and abdomen of females, arrowhead points to the absence of such structures in the young male nymph. Images not to scale.

FIGURE 8. A–B. Live habitus of the female holotype V0034 of Ceroys (Miroceroys) cancelloae sp. nov., from Extrema, Minas Gerais, Brazil. A. Whole body. B. Detail of the head. Images not to scale.

FIGURE 9. A–C. Paratype female MZSP810 of Ceroys (Miroceroys) cancelloae sp. nov. from Camanducaia, Minas Gerais, Brazil, displaying variations in ornamentation. A. Whole body of pinned specimen. B. Detail of the thorax in dorsal view. C. Thorax in lateral view. Scale bars: 0.5 mm.