Phryganistria Stål, 1875

Bresseel, Joachim & Constant, Jérôme, 2014, Giant Sticks from Vietnam and China, with three new taxa including the second longest insect known to date (Phasmatodea, Phasmatidae, Clitumninae, Pharnaciini), European Journal of Taxonomy 104 (104), pp. 1-38 : 8-9

Phryganistria Stål, 1875

Phryganistria Stål, 1875:14 .

Type species

Bacteria sarmentosa Westwood, 1848: 66 , pl. 32, figs 1–2 (= Bacteria virgea Westwood, 1848: 66 ), by subsequent designation by Kirby, 1904: 358.

Subspecies and species included

1. Phryganistria bachmaensis ( Ta & Hoang, 2004) comb. nov. [central Vietnam]

2. Phryganistria fruhstorferi (Brunner von Wattenwyl, 1907) [ Myanmar, S-China]

3. Phryganistria grandis Rehn, 1906 [ Vietnam, Laos and Myanmar]

4. Phryganistria guanxiensis Chen & He, 2008 [S-China (Guangxi)]

5. Phryganistria heusii heusii ( Hennemann & Conle, 1997) [northern Vietnam]

6. Phryganistria heusii yentuensis subsp. nov. [northeast Vietnam]

7. Phryganistria longzhouensis Chen & He, 2008 [S-China (Guangxi)]

8. Phryganistria tamdaoensis sp. nov. [North & central Vietnam]

9. Phryganistria virgea (Westwood, 1848) [NE-India, Bhutan, Sikkim, Darjeeling, Bangladesh & Pulau Penang]

syn. Phryganistria sarmentosa (Westwood, 1848)

Keys to the species and subspecies of Phryganistria Stål, 1875

Note

The two Chinese species described by Chen & He (2008), P. guanxiensis and P. longzhouensis , are not included here because the specimens were not available for investigation.

Females

1. Cerci short, conical and cylindrical or oval in cross-section; not or very slightly projecting over the apex of the abdomen …………………………………………………………………………2

– Cerci laterally compressed, enlarged and lanceolate, strongly projecting over apex of anal segment ……………………………………………………… P. tamdaoensis sp. nov. ( Fig. 5A–F )

2. Subgenital plate short, indistinctly projecting over apex of anal segment, not lanceolate ……3

– Subgenital plate long and lanceolate, distinctly projecting over apex of anal segment ……5

3. Median segment at best 1/3 the length of metanotum; dorsal carina of meso- and metabasitarsus smooth; very large (body length> 207.0 mm) …………………………………………4

– Median segment> 1/3 the length of metanotum; dorsal carina of meso- and metabasitarsus serrate; smaller species (body length 197.0 mm) … P. fruhstorferi (Brunner von Wattenwyl, 1907)

4. Terga II–VII smooth; posterolateral angles of anal segment tapered … P. grandis Rehn, 1906

– Terga II–VII with a posteromedian granule; posterolateral angles of anal segment expanded and rounded ………………………………………………………………………………………………6

5. Terga III–VI laterally expanded and gently rounded; subgenital plate projecting over the anal segment by more than the combined length of terga VIII–X … P. virgea (Westwood, 1848)

– Terga III–VI parallel-sided; subgenital plate projecting over the anal segment by less than the combined length of terga VIII–X ……… P. bachmaensis ( Ta & Hoang, 2004) ( Fig. 3A–F )

6. Praeopercular organ formed by a pair of prominent, triangular, lobe-like spines ………………… ………………………………………………………… P. heusii heusii ( Hennemann & Conle, 1997)

– Praeopercular organ formed by a pair of rounded, lobe-like protuberances, rounded laterally ………………………………………………………… P. heusii yentuensis subsp. nov. ( Fig. 8A–F )

Males

1. Meso- and metafemora robust and considerably broader than corresponding tibiae ………2

– Meso- and metafemora slender, not considerably broader than corresponding tibiae ………3

2. Prominent sub-apical spine on outer ventral carinae of meso- and metafemora, semi-tergites straight ………………………………………………………………………………………………4

– No prominent sub-apical spine on outer ventral carinae of meso- and metafemora, semitergites strongly elongated and incurving … P. bachmaensis ( Ta & Hoang, 2004) ( Fig. 3I–N )

3. Median segment about 1/3 the length of metanotum; body plain brown; no prominent sub-apical spine on outer ventral carinae; posteroventral carina of profemora dentate ……………………… ………………………………………………………………………… P. virgea (Westwood, 1848)

– Median segment 2/5 the length of metanotum; thorax black laterally; no prominent sub-apical spine on outer ventral carinae; posteroventral carina of profemora unarmed (at best with two teeth) ……………………………………………………… P. fruhstorferi (Brunner von Wattenwyl, 1907)

4. Profemora pinkish, ventral carinae of meso- and metafemora blue with black spines, cerci flattened …………………………………………………………………… P. tamdaoensis sp. nov. ( Fig. 5I–N )

– Profemora not pinkish, meso- and metafemora brown with black armature, cerci cylindrical in cross section ………………………………………………………………………………………………5.

5. Profemora black with base pale straw ……………………………………………………………6.

– Profemora plain brown …………………………………………………… P. grandis Rehn, 1906

6. Greater portion of the mesonotum except anterior and posterior margin covered by a washed malachite green or creamish grey marking, meso- and metapleura coloured as body ……………………………………………………… P. heusii heusii ( Hennemann & Conle, 1997)

– Body light brown, anterior portion of meso- and metapleura black …………………………… …………………………………………………………… P. heusii yentuensis subsp. nov. ( Fig. 8I–N )

Figures

Fig. 5. Phryganistria tamdaoensis sp. nov. — A–F. ♀. A. Habitus, dorsal view. B. Habitus, lateral view. C. Mesofemur, lateral view. D. Sternum VII and praeopercular organ. E Apex of abdomen, dorsal view. F. Apex of abdomen, lateral view. — G–H. Egg. G. Dorsal view. H. Lateral view. — I–N. ♂. I. Habitus, dorsal view. J. Habitus, lateral view. K. Mesofemur, lateral view. L. Apex of abdomen, ventral view. M. Apex of abdomen, dorsal view. N. Apex of abdomen, lateral view. C–H, K–N = not to scale.

Fig. 3. Phryganistria bachmaensis (Ta & Hoang, 2004) comb. nov. — A–F. ♀. A. Habitus, dorsal view. B. Habitus, lateral view. C. Mesofemur, lateral view. D. Sternum VII and praeopercular organ. E. Apex of abdomen, dorsal view. F. Apex of abdomen, lateral view. — G–H. Egg. G. Dorsal view. H. Lateral view. — I–N. ♂. I. Habitus, dorsal view. J. Habitus, lateral view. K. Mesofemur, lateral view. L. Apex of abdomen, ventral view. M. Apex of abdomen, dorsal view. N. Apex of abdomen, lateral view. C–H, K–N = not to scale.

Fig. 8. Phryganistria heusii yentuensis subsp. nov. — A–F. ♀. A. Habitus, dorsal view. B. Habitus, lateral view. C. Sternum VII and praeopercular organ. D. Mesofemur, lateral view. E. Apex of abdomen, lateral view. F. Apex of abdomen, dorsal view. — G–H. Egg. G. Lateral view. H. Dorsal view. — I–N. ♂. I. Habitus, dorsal view. J. Habitus, lateral view. K. Apex of abdomen, ventral view. L. Mesofemur, lateral view. M. Apex of abdomen, lateral view. N. Apex of abdomen, dorsal view. C–H, K–N = not to scale.