Brockphasma spinifemoralis Ho, Liu, Bresseel & Constant

Ho, George Wai-Chun, Liu, Xing-Yue, Bresseel, Joachim & Constant, Jerome, 2014, Brockphasma spinifemoralis gen. et spec. nov.: a new phasmid genus and new species of Neohiraseini (Phasmida: Necrosciinae) from Vietnam, Zootaxa 3826 (1), pp. 282-290 : 283-284

Brockphasma Ho gen. nov.

(Figs. 1–24)

Type-species. Brockphasma spinifemoralis Ho, Liu, Bresseel & Constant spec. nov., by present designation. Monotypy.

Diagnosis. Related to Andropromachus Carl, 1913 by spinose occiput and spinose body, but Brockphasma Ho gen. nov. is separated by comparatively shorter mesonotum, the anterior region of mesonotum with a spinose hump and spinose femora.

Description. Medium-sized and spinose Neohiraseini . Both sexes similar, but female more robust than male and with more developed armature. General colour of body brown to light brown with black markings. Females sometimes with green portions, colouration of males seems to be relatively constant. Head globose in male and oblong in female, covered with small granules. Ocelli absent. Vertex with a pair of supra-antennal spines. Occiput convex, with a pair of long occipital medial spines. Compound eyes small and circular. Antennae filiform, segments indistinct, longer than forelegs. Thorax thick-built, indistinctly granulated and very spinose. Pronotum square in male and rectangular in female, anterior margin concave, posterior margin truncate; transverse and longitudinal sulci crossing at centre of segment; with a pair of anterior pronotal spines and a pair of pre-median pronotal spines; female with another pair of posterior pronotal spines. Mesonotum constricted in anterior and posterior region, distinctly swollen posteromedially; anterior margin elevated with a spinose hump medially; lateral margins with five lateral mesonotal spines; also with a pair of pre-median mesonotal spines, median mesonotal spines and posterior mesonotal spines. Mesopleurae with three to four tubercle-like lateral spines and a short supracoxal spine. Metanotum slightly swollen medially; lateral margins with two lateral metanotal spines medially; also with posteromedial metanotal spines, posterior metanotal spines and posterior mesal spine. Metapleurae with a mediolateral spine and with two supra-coxal spines. Mesosternum and metasternum granulated, lacking spines. Abdomen cylindrical, tapering towards apex; with a mediolongitudinal carina, rugose and sparsely granulate dorsally, unarmed ventrally. Second to seventh terga roughly parallel-sided and only with indistinct posterolateral expansion in male. Second to ninth terga with triangularly expanded posterolateral angles in female. Female seventh sternum with distinct preopercular organ, which is prominently raised, rounded and concave posteromedially. Posterior margin of anal segment with broadly U-shaped emargination on hind margin in male, and with two small U-shaped emarginations in female. Male poculum small and cup-shaped. Female subgenital plate scoop-shaped. Cerci short and flattened in both sexes. Legs slender, distinctly armed with spines. Procoxae with a short spine, mesocoxae and metacoxae unarmed. All femora thick-built; anterodorsal, posterodorsal, anteroventral and posteroventral carinae armed with spines; medioventral carina with minute spines, less distinct on metafemora; mediodorsal carina unarmed. Profemora slightly curved at base. All tibiae unarmed dorsally and medioventrally; anteroventral and posteroventral carinae armed with minute spines, more numerous on protibiae, fewer on metatibiae. Egg capsule oval, surface reticulate and strongly granulose. Operculum conical. Micropylar plate circular.

Distribution. Vietnam.

Etymology. Named in honour of the Phasmatologist Paul D. Brock ( United Kingdom) for his extensive research and valuable contributions to the knowledge of the Phasmida .