Neohirasea maerens subsp. pseudomaerens Ho 2018, subsp. nov.
Creators: name: Ho, Wai-Chun George
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2018
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Phasmida
Diapheromeridae
Neohirasea
Neohirasea maerens
Neohirasea maerens pseudomaerens

description: Neohirasea maerens pseudomaerens subsp. nov. (Figs 33–37, 65–68)
Diagnosis. This new subspecies is similar to the nominate N. maerens maerens (Brunner von Wattenwyl, 1907) (s. str.), but can be diagnosed by one pair of spines on pronotum and one supra-coxal spine on metapleurae in both sexes.
Description. Male. Body slender, distinctly much slender than female. Head oval, as long as pronotum. Occiput with paired spines near middle area, with another paired minute spines near posterior margin in paratype, posterior margin with 6 indistinct swellings. Median longitudinal furrow distinct, lateral longitudinal furrows indistinct. Compound eyes rounded and small. Antennae long and filiform, sparsely covered with long bristles, surpassing apices of protarsi; scapus flattened at base, about 2 times as long as pedicellus; third segment longer than combined length of scapus and pedicellus. Thorax with very few small granules. Pronotum rectangular, longer than wide, anterior and posterior margins nearly truncate; transverse and longitudinal sulci crossing at middle area, with paired spines on anterior margin, apices slightly pointing forwards. Mesonotum elongate, more than 3 times as long as pronotum, gently expanded posteriorly; median longitudinal carina indistinct, with paired spines anteriorly, post-medially and posteriorly, also with paired mediolateral spines, lateral margins with a few short and small spines. Metanotum longer than median segment, with paired spines post-medially. Mesopleurae and metapleurae with a medial spine and a supra-coxal spine. Median segment rectangular, longer than wide, with paired spines post-medially. Second to fourth tergites with paired spines posteriorly. Eighth tergum with a small hump-like crest posteromedially, slightly longer than ninth tergum. Anal segment longer than ninth tergum, with a broad V-shaped emargination on posterior margin. Poculum cup-shaped, posterior margin weakly emarginated and surpassing anterior margin of anal segment. Cerci flattened, curved inwards, apices rounded and not surpassing posterior margin of anal segment. Vomer with posteriorly constricted apical part, apex distinctly pointed and slightly curved. Legs very slender and long, sparsely covered with short bristles. All femora thicker than corresponding tibiae. Profemora curved basally, anteroventral carina lacking serration or with a small serration near apex, posteroventral carina with 1 to 2 small serrations near apex. Posteroventral and anteroventral carinae of mesofemora and metafemora with 2 small serrations near apices. All tibiae maculated and unarmed.
Female. Body robust, distinctly larger and more robust than male. Head oval, longer than wide, as long as pronotum. Occiput gently convex, with 2 pairs of spines, posterior margin of head with 8 small swellings. Median longitudinal furrow distinct, lateral longitudinal furrows indistinct. Compound eyes oval and small. Antennae filiform and long, sparsely covered with short bristles; scapus flattened basally, shorter than third segment; pedicellus shorter than scapus; third segment almost as long as combined length of scapus and pedicellus. Thorax rough, with granules and spines. Pronotum rectangular, longer than wide, anterior margin with a pair of short spines, apices pointing forwards, transverse and longitudinal sulci crossing just before middle area. Mesonotum expanded posteriorly, parallel-sided after middle area, median longitudinal carina distinct, centrally elevated with an obscure hump, armed with paired spines, also surrounded with a few small spines; also with paired spines anteriorly, pre-medially and posteriorly, also with paired mediolateral spines, lateral margins with long spine. Metanotum longer than median segment, median longitudinal carina indistinct, with paired spines post-medially, lateral margins with a short spine pre-medially. Mesopleurae and metapleurae with a few spines and a supra-coxal spine. Abdomen wrinkled, mediolongitudinal carina weakly elevated. Median segment wider than long, with paired spines postmedially. Second to seventh tergites with indistinct posterolateral angles. Second to fourth tergites with paired spines posteriorly. Fifth and sixth tergites with paired tubercles posteriorly. Seventh sternum with paired carina-like praeopercular organ. Ninth tergum shorter than eighth tergum, with a crest posteromedially. Anal segment longer than ninth tergum, almost as long as eighth tergum, with 2 small emarginations on posterior margin. Subgenital plate mediolongitudinally carinate, scoop-shaped, apex pointed and not reaching posterior margin of anal segment. Cerci small, flattened, apices pointed and not surpassing posterior margin of anal segment. Legs covered with short bristles, maculated. All femora thick-built, thicker than corresponding tibiae, anterodorsal, posterodorsal, anteroventral and posteroventral carinae weakly waved. Profemora curved basally, anteroventral carina with a small serration near apex, posteroventral carina with 2 small serrations near apex. Anteroventral and posteroventral carinae of mesofemora and metafemora with 2 small serrations near apices. All tibiae unarmed.
Measurements. Length. Body, ♂ 42.0–51.0 mm, ♀ 64.0 mm; antennae, ♂ 36.0–48.0 mm, ♀ 42.0 mm; head, ♂ 3.0 mm, ♀ 4.5 mm; pronotum, ♂ 3.0 mm, ♀ 4.5 mm; mesonotum, ♂ 10.0–13.0 mm, ♀ 16.0 mm; metanotum, ♂ 3.0– 4.5 mm, ♀ 5.0 mm; median segment, ♂ 2.5 mm, ♀ 3.0 mm; profemora, ♂ 15.0–17.0 mm, ♀ 17.0 mm; mesofemora, ♂ 13.0 mm, ♀ 14.0 mm; metafemora, ♂ 16.0–18.0 mm, ♀ 20.0mm; protibiae, ♂ 17.0–18.0 mm, ♀ 20.0 mm; mesotibiae, ♂ 12.0–13.0 mm, ♀ 15.0 mm; metatibiae, ♂ 18.0–20.0 mm, ♀ 24.0 mm.
Material examined. Holotype ♂, North Vietnam, NaHang Nature Reserve, In 2° forest not on plant (22°16'– 22°31'N, 105°22'– 105°29'E), 16 July 1996, M.J. Hill, F3309.16, VN9603 P.15 (MMUE). Paratypes. 1♂, North Vietnam, NaHang Nature Reserve, On Euphorbiaceae (22°16'– 22°31'N, 105°22'– 105°29'E), 24 July 1996, M.J. Hill, F3309.15, VN9603 P.35 (HKES); 1♀, North Vietnam, NaHang Nature Reserve, 2° forest beyond NaChang on Dillenia (22°16'– 22°31'N, 105°22'– 105°29'E), 31 July 1996, M.J. Hill, F3309.38, VN9603 P.39 (MMUE).
Distribution. Vietnam.
Etymology. The specific epithet of this new species is derived from the Latin words “ pseudo ” for spurious and “ maerens ” referring to the close relationship with N. maerens maerens (Brunner von Wattenwyl, 1907) (s. str.) in the genus.
Acknowledgements I wish to deeply thank Dr. Xingyue Liu (China Agricultural University, Beijing, China) for providing valuable collecting information on the phasmids collected from Vietnam; Dr. Dmitri Logunov (Manchester Museum, The University of Manchester, U.K.) for taking specimens’ photos and arranging loan of specimens; Dr. Thies Büscher (Kiel University, Germany) for providing photos of live specimens and required literatures; Dr. Peter Schwendinger (Museum of Natural History, Geneva, Switzerland) for providing type specimens’ photos; the Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China and Manchester Museum, The University of Manchester, U.K. for giving access to the corresponding collections and loan of specimens; and the anonymous reviewers for providing comments to improve the manuscript.
description: Published as part of Ho, Wai-Chun George, 2018, The genus Neohirasea Rehn (Phasmatodea: Diapheromeridae: Necrosciinae) from Vietnam, pp. 37-51 in Zoological Systematics 43 (1) on pages 48-50, DOI: 10.11865/zs.201804, http://zenodo.org/record/4617666