Kuboesphasma compactum, Wipfler, Benjamin, Theska, Tobias & Predel, Reinhard, 2018

Wipfler, Benjamin, Theska, Tobias & Predel, Reinhard, 2018, Mantophasmatodea from the Richtersveld in South Africa with description of two new genera and species, ZooKeys 746, pp. 137-160 : 139-142

Kuboesphasma compactum sp. n. Figs 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9

Holotype.

Male. SOUTH AFRICA: Kuboes, S28°26'25", E16°59'44", 18.viii.2012, 250 m, R. Predel, specimen in ethanol. Table 1 provides an overview of the type material including the collections where it is deposited.

Paratypes.

SOUTH AFRICA: Richtersveld S28°26'25", E16°59'44", 18.viii.2012: four males and two females, specimens in ethanol. Table 1 provides an overview of the type material including the collections where it is deposited.

Description male.

Measurements (male holotype followed by paratypes in parentheses, in mm): total length: 12.1 (12.5, 12.9, 12.1, 12.4); length of pronotum: 2.5 (2.6, 2.8, 2.6, 2.8); width of pronotum: 2.5 (2.4, 2.6, 2.3, 2.4); length of mesonotum: 2.0 (2.2, 2.1, 2.1, 2.3); width of mesonotum: 2.4 (2.3, 2.4, 2.2, 2.3); length of metanotum: 1.5 (1.9, 1.7, 1.7, 1.7); width of metanotum: 2.2 (2.2, 2.2, 2.1, 2.1); heights of head: 2.3 (2.3, 2.2, 2.2, 2.3); total heights of head: 2.9 (3.0, 2.9, 2.9, 3.0); width of the head: 2.8 (2.9, 3.0, 2.7, 2.9); head width over eyes: 3.0 (3.0, 3.2, 3.0, 3.0); width between eyes: 1.7 (1.7, 1.8, 1.7, 1.6); length of eye: 1.3 (1.2, 1.4, 1.4, 1.4); width of eye: 0.8 (0.8, 0.9, 0.8, 0.8).

Head (Fig. 4): globular, orthognathous, posteriorly covered by pronotum, green without darker stripe; compound eyes whitish with black or brown spots; head slightly wider than prothorax, about twice as wide as long; head capsule covered with setae, setation increasing dorsally. Compound eyes prominent, tapered ventro-mesally, about 1.5 times as long as high; interoccular distance ca. the length of one eye, ocelli absent. Coronal and frontal suture indistinct, pleurostomal ridge well developed. Ventral parts of occipital ridge very prominent; antennal sockets in between eyes, distinct; interantennal distance ca. diameter of one antennal socket; antennifer present; dark spot on lateral corner of scapus absent; dark median butterfly-shaped spot directly below the antennal bases washed-out and indistinct; anterior tentorial pits dorso-mesally of anterior mandibular articulation; frons with three bulges, one in between antennal sockets, two ventro-mesal of antennal sockets; frontoclypeal ridge recognizable as an indistinct line. Gena strongly protruding, head capsule on the level of the genae nearly as wide as on the one of the compound eyes; genae have equal heights than the compound eyes. Clypeus trapezoid, with well-developed clypeolabral ridge, no setae present; oval sclerite in between clypeus and labrum present. Labrum flat, anteriorly rounded, with few short setae. Maxilla well developed, green; maxillary palp five segmented, sparsely covered with setae, palpomere one and two as long as wide, palpomere three 2.5 times as long as wide, palpomeres four and five ca. twice as long as wide. Labium green, palp three segmented. Scape and pedicel bright green; scape as long as wide; pedicle half as wide as scape, twice as long as wide, dilating towards the tip. Flagellum slightly shorter than the entire animal.

Thorax (Fig. 5): bright green, dorso-medially with weak and indistinct longitudinal brown stripe that contains small green areas. Notae covered with setae, much denser than head. Pronotum oval with bulge positioned anterior-laterally; pronotum reaches overhead and mesonotum, ventral border of pronotum arched. Two cervicalia present, second postero-dorsally to first. Pleura subdivided into epimeron and episternum. Coxae large, covered with setae.

Legs: green, spikes in the tibial region black; covered with setae. Prothoracic leg more massive than meso- and metathoracic ones; femur ca. three times as long as wide, with two ventro-median rows of spikes, spikes larger on pro- and mesothoracic leg, smaller on metathoracic one. Tibia green, in pro- and mesothorax ca. 10 times as long as wide, in metathoracic leg between 13 and 15 times as long, with two ventro-median rows of black spikes on pro- and mesothoracic legs, protibia with 9-12 spikes per row, on metathoracic leg only two distal spikes. Tarsus with five tarsomeres, proximal four tarsomeres with euplantulae; arolium very large.

Wings: completely absent.

Abdomen: as long as thorax and head combined; green, meso-dorsal brown longitudinal stripe weak and indistinct. Abdomen covered with setae, tergites stronger than sternits. Abdominal tergum I same width or very slightly thinner as metathorax; terga slightly broadening towards tergum VIII, terga IX and X narrowing again.

Male terminalia (Fig. 6): tergum IX green; shorter than tergum VIII. Tergum X green, mesal brown stripe, roof-shaped in lateral view. Subgenital plate (sternite IX) green with brownish areas, posterio-dorsal margin not protruding; process of subgenital plate broad, dorsal slightly arch-shaped when seen from posterior, broadly emarginated dorsally. Cerci one-segmented, densely covered with setae; diameter mesally round, uniformly curved, slightly narrowed towards the apex, with distal dorsal projection; cerci extending towards the middle of the subgenital plate. Paraprocts and epiproct also covered with setae.

Description female.

For the female only differences to the male are described. Measurements: total length: 13.5, 15.4; length of pronotum: 3.2, 3.4; width of pronotum: 3.2, 3.7; length of mesonotum: 2.0, 2.5; width of mesonotum: 3.0, 3.5; length of metanotum: 1.5, 2.0; width of metanotum: 2.8, 3.4; heights of head: 2.5, 2.8; total heights of the head: 3.2, 3.9; width of the head: 3.2, 3.8; head width over eyes: 3.4, 3.8; width between eyes: 2.1, 2.3; length of eye: 1.5, 1.7; width of eye: 0.8, 0.9.

Head (Fig. 7): compound eyes slightly smaller than in the male.

Thorax (Fig. 8): dorsal stripe absent. Ventral border of pronotum straight.

Legs: protibia with 9-10 spikes per row.

Abdomen: abdomen slightly longer than head and thorax combined. No dorsal brown stripe. Widest point of abdomen at segments 5 or 6.

Female terminalia (Fig. 9): tergum IX green, approximately as long as tergum VIII, posterior margin with distinct median convexity. Tergum X green, as long as tergum IX; apex rounded posteriorly; all terga setose; epiproct green, very short (ca. 1/5 of the length of tergum X), slightly setose. Paraprocts rounded and densely covered with setae. Cerci slightly shorter than paraprocts, cone shaped and densely covered with setae. Sternite VIII green, posterior margin straight. Gonapophysis VIII long and slender, distally blunt with ventrocaudal process. Gonocoxite IX almost completely concealed in lateral view; gonoplac triangular, heavily sclerotized.

Etymology.

The species name compactum refers to the compact appearance of that species which distinguishes it easily from the second greenish species in the Richtersveld, Minutophasma richtersveldense .

Comments.

Specimens were common in a heavily overgrazed area near the settlement of Kuboes; mainly in dense shrubs with small green and succulent leaves ( Suaeda fruticosa , Lycium sp.).