Neohirasea hujiayaoi hujiayaoi, Ho, 2017

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 : 18-19

Neohirasea hujiayaoi hujiayaoi sp. nov. & subsp. nov .

(Figs. 42–45, 65, 75–83)

Types. Holotype: ♂, 1000–1200m, Damingshan , Wuming, Guangxi, China, 28.VII.2012, George Ho Wai-Chun ( HKES) ; Paratypes: 16♂, 16♀ (including 1 immature), 1 000– 1200m, Damingshan , Wuming, Guangxi, China, 28.VII.2012, George Ho Wai-Chun ( HKES & SNUC) .

Diagnosis. Neohirasea hujiayaoi hujiayaoi sp. nov. & subsp. nov . [ China (Guangxi)] is similar to N. nanlingensis sp. nov. [ China (Guangdong)], but can be separated by elongate anal abdominal segment in male and paired spine-like tubercles on anterior margin of pronotum in female. N. h. hujiayaoi sp. nov. & subsp. nov . [ China (Guangxi)] is similar to N. h. shengtangshanensis subsp. nov . [ China (Guangxi)], but can be separated by a spine (in male) or spine-like tubercle (in female) on the posterior area of mesopleurae and a spine (in male) or spine-like mediolateral tubercle (in female) on metapleurae in both sexes.

Description. Male (Figs. 42–43, 65, 75–77, 82). Medium-sized. Body slender and slim. General colouration of body and legs rufous brown to dark brown.

Head: Oval, longer than wide, posteriorly constricted after compound eyes, lacking granulation. Vertex and occiput flat. Posterior margin of occiput with six indistinct swellings. Median longitudinal furrow distinct, lateral longitudinal furrows indistinct. Compound eyes small and rounded. Genae with a pale brown postocular stripe. Antennae long and filiform, surpassing apices of protarsi; scapus flattened and constricted basally, longer than pedicellus; third segment longer than combined length of scapus and pedicellus.

Thorax: Pronotum rectangular, longer than wide, as long as head, anterior margin weakly incurved, nearly truncate, posterior margin rounded; transverse and longitudinal sulci crossing near center, with two to three indistinct and small granules along each side of longitudinal sulcus; with a pair of short spines on anterior margin, apices pointing forwards. Mesonotum gently expanded posteriorly, median longitudinal carina indistinct, with a few small pits and small granules marginally; also with inconspicuous minute granules and with paired anterior medial, median medial and posterior medial spines. Metanotum trapezoidal, gently narrowing posteriorly, with a pair of medial spines on posterior margin. Mesopleurae with small pits, a small spine near posterior area and a minute supra-coxal spine. Metapleurae with small pits, a small mediolateral spine and a small supra-coxal spine. Mesosternum and metasternum with inconspicuous granulations.

Abdomen: Covered with a few small granules. Median segment square, shorter than metanotum. Second to seventh tergites parallel-sided. Seventh tergum to anal segment wrinkled. Eighth tergum expanded posteriorly, as long as ninth tergum. Anal segment as long as ninth tergum, longer than wide, with broad V-shaped emargination on posterior margin. Poculum cup-shaped, posterior margin rounded and reaching anterior area of anal segment. Cerci short, small and flattened, apices curved inwards and not surpassing posterior margin of anal segment.

Legs: Slender and long. Covered with very sparse and short bristles. Unarmed. All femora shorter than corresponding tibiae.

Vomer: Apical part almost symmetrical, gently constricted apically, apex distinctly emarginated forming two lateral apically blunt elevations, left elevation distinctly larger than right elevation in anteroventral view.

Female (Figs. 44–45, 78–81, 83). Body distinctly larger and more robust than male. General colouration of body and legs brown to dark brown.

Head: Oval, indistinctly constricted behind compound eyes. Vertex flat. Occiput gently convex, posterior margin with eight small swellings. Compound eyes oval and small. Antennae long, surpassing or not surpassing apices of protarsi; scapus longer than pedicellus, almost shorter than third segment.

Thorax: Pronotum rectangular, longer than wide, roughly as long as head, with sparse small granules; anterior margin curved inwards, with a pair of small spine-like tubercles, apices pointing forwards, posterior margin rounded, transverse and longitudinal sulci crossing at middle point. Mesonotum wrinkled, gently expanded posteriorly, longer than combined length of pronotum, metanotum and median segment; median longitudinal carina indistinct, with paired spine-like tubercles anteriorly, medially, mediolaterally and posteriorly. Metanotum trapezoidal, gently constricted posteriorly, with sparse small granules, with paired spine-like tubercles on posterior margin. Mesopleurae with small granules and a spine-like tubercle near posterior area. Metapleurae with small granules, a short spine-like mediolateral tubercle and a short spine-like supra-coxal tubercle. Mesosternum and metasternum inconspicuously covered with minute granules.

Abdomen: Cylindrical, gently tapering posteriorly, with short wrinkles and sparsely covered with small granules. Median segment trapezoidal, gently expanded posteriorly, shorter than metanotum. Second to seventh tergites with a small tubercle posteromedially. Eighth and ninth tergites with a crest-like structure posteromedially. Seventh sternum with praeopercular organ on posterior area, formed by two short carinae. Anal segment as long as ninth tergum, posterior margin truncate with two minute elevations, posterolateral angles rounded. Subgenital plate scoop-shaped, median longitudinal carina distinct, apex pointed, reaching or just surpassing posterior margin of anal segment. Cerci short, flattened, apices rounded and not surpassing posterior margin of anal segment.

Legs: Slender and long. Unarmed. All femora thicker and shorter than corresponding tibiae. Anterodorsal and posterodorsal carinae of mesofemora and metafemora indistinctly waved. Profemora incurved basally, almost longer than mesonotum. Mesofemora as long as mesonotum.

Measurements in Table 5.

Distribution. China (Guangxi).

Notes. This new species contains the nominate race and Neohirasea hujiayaoi shengtangshanensis subsp. nov . described in this study. The measurements of female are only given to adults.

Etymology. This new species is named in honour of Hu Jia-Yao [specialist of Staphylinidae (Coleoptera) , Shanghai, China] who helped me in many ways during the collecting trips in Guangxi, China.