Pericentrus Redtenbacher, 1908

Ho, George Wai-Chun, 2017, Contribution to the knowledge of Chinese Phasmatodea V: New taxa and new nomenclatures of the subfamilies Necrosciinae (Diapheromeridae) and Lonchodinae (Phasmatidae) from the Phasmatodea of China, Zootaxa 4368 (1), pp. 1-72 : 54

Genus Pericentrus Redtenbacher, 1908

Type-species. Pericentrus moewisi Redtenbacher, 1908: 351 [= Phasma (Acanthodera) bicoronata Westwood, 1848 ], by subsequent designation of Hebard, 1923: 358.

Description. Small to medium-sized. Body robust. Head globose or oval. Vertex with antennal and supraorbital spines. Occiput armed with clusters of spines. Antennae filiform and long. Thorax armed with tubercle-like spines or spines. Mesonotum apparently swollen medially in female, almost parallel-sided or inconspicuously swollen medially in male. Mesopleurae and metapleurae with supra-coxal spines. Abdomen with spines and crestlike structures, second to seventh tergites with posterolateral expansions. Female subgenital plate vessel-shaped, distinctly carinate, apex acute. Male anal segment split into two semi-tergites, elongated and tapering posteriorly, inner surfaces with dentations. Cerci small and flattened. Legs slender and long, with distinct serrations and lobes. Egg capsule oval. Micropylar plate oval.

Distribution. China, Bhutan and India.

Notes. This genus is firstly recorded in China. Three species are currently recognised ( Hennemann et al., 2008b; Mandal & Yadav, 2010) and one species is known from China. Egg description and illustrations are the first time to be given for this genus.

Species included from China:

1. Pericentrus biwenxuani sp. nov. Distribution. China (Xizang).