Lanceobostra tuckerae, 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 : 118-121

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/A757C344-7042-4E15-B486-4BE564A0BE79

taxon LSID

lsid:zoobank.org:act:A757C344-7042-4E15-B486-4BE564A0BE79

treatment provided by

Plazi

scientific name

Lanceobostra tuckerae
status

sp. nov.

Lanceobostra tuckerae sp. n.

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( Figs. 37G View FIGURE 37 , 38M View FIGURE 38 , 39U–V View FIGURE 39 )

HT, ♂: Mexico: Jalisco, 5.2mi. W. San Andres, 5400’, 17.Apr.1953, 97, I.J. Cantrall; Bostra similis Redt. Det. T.H. Hubbell 1954 ; UMMZI–191636 [ UMMZ] .

Diagnosis. Males of this new species, the only sex known, are similar to those of L. aetolus ( Westwood, 1859) comb. n. with which they share the rounded posterior margin of the anal segment. They can however be separated by the smaller size, plain ochreous colour, relatively longer median segment, roundly deflexed lateral margins of abdominal tergum IX ( Fig. 39U View FIGURE 39 ), not indented posterior margin of the anal segment ( Fig. 39V View FIGURE 39 ) and somewhat longer cerci. Moreover, this new species has much more southward distribution with L. aetolus restricted to the north-western states of Sinaloa and Sonora.

Etymology. Named after Dr. Erika Tucker, insect collection manager at UMMZ (Ann Arbor), for her tremendous help in taking pictures and providing further precious information on specimens in this collection.

Description. ♂♂ ( Fig. 37G View FIGURE 37 ): Moderately sized (body length 106.0 mm), slender and of typical shape for the genus with an entirely flat vertex and distinct spiniform projection of the poculum and cerci that are as long as the anal segment. Body surface slightly glossy and almost wholly smooth with only a very few minute scattered granules in very anterior portion of mesonotum and mesopleurae. General colour of the unique holotype plain ochreous, lateral margins of pronotum and lateral surfaces of mesonotum slightly darker. Lower portions of genae and lateral portions of abdominal tergum as well as anterolateral angles of anal segment whitish. Head with a faint washed brown postocular streak. Eyes chestnut brown with darker speckles. Antennae reddish mid brown but gradually becoming darker towards the apex.

Head ( Fig. 38M View FIGURE 38 ): Elongate, sub-cylindrical, 1.8x longer than wide, broadest just behind the eyes and gradually narrowing towards the posterior; vertex flattened and entirely smooth. Area between the eyes slightly swollen and frons with a pair of closely spaced pits and on each side with a small wart-like swelling towards the bases of the antennae. Eyes slightly oval in outline with the upper posterior portion obtusely truncated and projecting hemispherical; their length contained about 2.1x in length of genae.Antennae rather stocky and reaching to posterior margin of abdominal segment V. Scapus noticeably compressed dorsoventrally, gently narrowing towards the base and almost 1.4x longer than wide. Pedicellus round in cross-section, somewhat inflated and scarcely more than half the length of scapus. III almost 2x longer but notably narrower than pedicellus.

Thorax: Pronotum shorter and narrower than head, basically rectangular in dorsal aspect and about 2.2x longer than wide; lateral margins weakly concave in the median portion and with a slight widening pre-medially. Anterior margin with a median pair of shallow swellings (fig. 38M). Transverse median sulcus moderately impressed, gently arched and not reaching to lateral margins of segment. Mesothorax uniform in diameter and 7.1x longer than prothorax with a slight widening anteriorly. Mesonotum with the medio-longitudinal line weakly indicated in the anterior portion, which also bears a few small, scattered reddish brown granules; otherwise smooth. Mesopleurae with a few minute granules in anterior portion. Metanotum slightly less than one-third the length of mesonotum, wholly smooth. Mesosternum weakly tectate medio-longitudinally, metasternum simple.

Table 23: Measurements of Lanceobostra tuckerae sp. n.

Abdomen: Median segment slightly shorter than metanotum with the lateral margins gently concave and 5.7x longer than wide. Segment II somewhat shorter than median segment and about 4.3x longer than wide. III–V roughly uniform in length, scarcely longer than II and on average 4.4x longer than wide; VI and VII slightly decreasing in length with VII three-quarters the length of II. All equal in diameter and gently constricted medially. VIII trapezoidal, gradually widening towards posterior and about half the length of VII. IX widest segment, widened anteriorly, the posterior half narrowed and parallel-sided in dorsal aspect; lateral margins noticeably deflexed and convex in outline. Anal segment about as long as IX and with an acute medio-longitudinal keel dorsally, roughly 2x longer than wide, slightly widened pre-basally and very gently gradually narrowing towards a rounded and entire posterior margin ( Fig. 39V View FIGURE 39 ); ventral surface minutely denticulate in the posterior one-quarter. Epiproct very small, triangular and fully concealed under anal segment. Vomer elongate, slender arcuate and with a deep longitudinal median furrow. Cerci large, as long as anal segment, paddle-shaped, straight, carinate dorsally and ventrally, and distinctly canaliculate with the interior surface hollow; projecting beyond tip of abdomen by more than half the length of anal segment. Poculum moderately convex, cup-shaped and angular in lateral aspect with a prominent and posteriad directed, conical central projection at the angle ( Fig. 39U View FIGURE 39 ); the posterior portion carinate medio- longitudinally and the posterior margin fairly acuminated medially.

Legs: All long, slender and wholly unarmed. Profemora about as long as pro- and mesothorax combined, mesofemora notably shorter than mesothorax, metafemora slightly projecting over posterior margin of abdominal segment V and metatibiae projecting greatly beyond apex of abdomen. Basitarsi elongate, slender and roughly equal in length to remaining tarsomeres taken together.

5.16. Genus Ocreatophasma gen. n.

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( Figs. 41 View FIGURE 41 , 42 View FIGURE 42 , 85 K–M View FIGURE 85 , 90G View FIGURE 90 , 103C View FIGURE 103 )

Type-species: Ocreatophasma elegans sp. n., by present designation.

Description. ♀ ( Figs. 41–42 View FIGURE 41 View FIGURE 42 ): Medium-sized (body length 132.5–165.0 mm) very slender and stick-like Cladomorphini ( Figs. 41A–E View FIGURE 41 ) with a prominent medio-longitudinal keel on the meso- and metasternum ( Figs. 85 View FIGURE 85 K-M), a strongly deflexed, lamellate and blade-like posterodorsal carina of the protibiae, a large dorsal lobe on the probasitarsus, very slender and laterally compressed mid and hind legs and a scoop-shaped, flattened subgenital plate. Colour various tones of brown, body surface matt and at best sparsely granulose. Body ovoid in cross-section, entire dorsal body surface with a very fine longitudinal median carina and ventral body surface tectate. Head longer than wide and rather flattened; eyes small ( Figs. 42A–C View FIGURE 42 ). Antennae filiform and reaching to median segment; scapus moderately compressed dorsoventrally. Pronotum narrower than head, rectangular. Mesothorax very elongate and uniform in width,> 6.5x longer than pronotum. Mesonotum occasionally with some scattered node-like granules. Meso- and metasternum with a very prominently raised and sharp medio-longitudinal keel ( Figs. 85K–M View FIGURE 85 ). Metanotum> 7x longer than wide. Median segment <one-third the length of metanotum; segment II notably longer than median segment. Abdominal segments II–VI uniform in width but slightly unequal in length and at least 4x longer than wide. VII considerably shorter than all preceding segments. Praeopercular organ formed by a wart-like (sometimes bi-tuberculate) median protuberance near posterior margin of sternum VII ( Fig. 90G View FIGURE 90 ). Tergum VIII trapezoidal and widened towards the posterior ( Figs. 42G, K View FIGURE 42 ). Anal segment flattened and with a slight median indention at posterior margin. Epicproct small and scale-like. Cerci round in cross-section, conical and slightly projecting over posterior margin of anal segment. Paraprocts large and ± reaching apex of anal segment ( Fig. 42H View FIGURE 42 ). Gonapophyses VIII elongated, filiform with apex upcurved; ± reaching to tip of subgenital plate. Subgenital plate small, flattened, scoop-shaped and tapered towards a narrow tip; ± reaching to apex of anal segment ( Figs. 42D–L View FIGURE 42 ). Legs all long and slender; unarmed. Profemora ± as long as mesothorax and hind legs not reaching to apex of abdomen; the medioventral carina of profemora very distinct, lamellate and strongly displaced and close to anteroventral carina. Posterodorsal carina of protibiae prominently raised, deflexed, uniformly lamellate and blade-like; occasionally somewhat rounded apically. Mid and hind legs very slender and the femora in particular compressed laterally; medioventral carina of femora distinct. Basitarsi ± as long as remaining tarsomeres combined; probasitarsus with dorsal carina strongly raised to form a conspicuous rounded lobe; meso- and metabasitarsus slender.

Etymology. The name is a combination of “ ocreatus ” (lat. = with leg greaves / pieces) and the ending “ phasma ” (gr. = ghost). It refers to the distinctive lamella or blade-like dorsal carina of the protibiae of ♀♀ of this new genus. Neuter.

Differentiation. Females (the only sex known) of this remarkable genus are readily distinguished from all other members of Cladomorphini by the flattened and rather scoop-shaped subgenital plate ( Figs. 42D–L View FIGURE 42 ), prominently deflexed and raised, uniformly lamellate and blade-like posterodorsal carina of the protibiae, large dorsal lobe of the probasitarsus, slender, laterally compressed and entirely unarmed mid and hind legs and very distinct, sharp medio-longitudinal keel of the meso- and metasternum. Although a longitudinal median keel on the meso- and metasternum is also seen in other genera of the tribe it is never as strongly raised as in this new genus.

Comments. Females of this strange genus strongly resemble certain members of the Oriental subfamily Lonchodinae , e. g. the genera Carausius Stål, 1875 or Leprocaulinus Uvarov, 1940 . With these they share all abovementioned morphological features that actually characterise Ocreatophasma gen. n. within Cladomorphinae and distinguish the genus from all other known members of that tribe. Although no live specimens have been observed, these striking convergences allow assumptions on the habits of Ocreatophasma- species. As known for representatives of the Oriental Carausius , Leprocaulinus and allied genera and taking the morphology of the thoracic sterna and legs of Ocreatophasma gen. n. into account it can be assumed that the mid legs are tightly laid alongside the mesosternum with also the front and hind legs held in an axis to the body when the insects are in their resting position (catalepsy). This provides a stunning stick mimic and the Oriental pendants are known to often just hang headlong by their posterior tarsi, appearing like a straight hanging down filament or stick.

Distribution ( Fig. 103C View FIGURE 103 ). So far only known from the Departemento Loreto in the tropical Amazonian lowlands (Oriente) of eastern Peru and the Sucumbíos Province in very south-eastern Ecuador.

Species included:

UMMZ

University of Michigan, Museum of Zoology

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Arthropoda

Class

Insecta

Order

Phasmida

Family

Phasmatidae

Genus

Lanceobostra

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