Litosermyle Hebard 1919
Creators: name: Ghirotto, Victor Morais
name: Engelking, Phillip Watzke
name: Crispino, Edgar Blois
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2023
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Phasmida
Diapheromeridae
Litosermyle

description: Genus Litosermyle Hebard, 1919
(Figs 14–19)
Litosermyle Hebard, 1919: 171. Type species Litosermyle ocanae Hebard, 1919 by original designation.
See Brock et al. (2023) for a complete reference list
This genus previously contained only a single species occurring in Colombia and is now further recorded for Ecuador, Venezuela and Peru and contains 5 species. The previously unknown male is illustrated, included in the diagnosis of the genus and together with the female is here redescribed. The egg, also hitherto unknown, is illustrated and described. The type species of the genus, Litosermyle ocanae Hebard, 1919 is considered very closely related to Litosermyle inconspicua (Brunner, 1907) comb. nov. both occurring in the same mountain formation in Venezuela. One of the syntypes of Litosermyle submutica (Brunner, 1907) comb. nov. is recorded from northern Mexico, is not conspecific with the other type and represents an undetermined species of Sermyle so we designate the female from Peru as the lectotype.
The other two transferred species share more characteristics with Litosermyle than other Diapheromerinae genera, however, these species are in need of a detailed analysis. It is very likely that these two species presenting a very robust and short body and occurring in high altitudes represent in fact a new genus. Unfortunately, this investigation would require a thorough examination of several other genera of Diapheromerinae, and a more detailed examination of the two species in question. Although the existing pictures are sufficient to stablish a close relationship to Litosermyle representatives, we did not have access to the material for detailed examination in person that would warrant a safe analysis and description (such as that made for L. inconspicua comb. nov.). We provisionally transfer these two species to the genus containing the most morphologically similar species which is Litosermyle.
Diagnosis. Litosermyle can be differentiated from other Diapheromerinae by the elongated head, strong keeled carinae in terga and sterna including subgenital plate and poculum, single posterior one in male poculum and three in female subgenital plate; subgenital plate short, paraprocts long each with median single straight medial carina, cerci ellipsoid with lanceolate apex in females; cerci somewhat long, cylindrical, slightly thickened and slightly incurved, thorn pads spread from lateral edge almost until medial line, poculum somewhat small, tapering towards posterior to a round edge and triangular in lateral view, tergum X long, posteriorly tectiform bearing a dorsal medial carinae with thick posterior margin in males.
Ocnophila submutica Brunner, 1907:313 = Litosermyle submutica (Brunner, 1907) comb. nov.
>> Lectotype (here designated, in order to fix the status of this species), ♀ (NMW): det. Br.v.W. Ocnophila submutica; Coll. Br.v.W. Vilcanota, Peru, Staudinger; 23.092 [examined]. Paralectotype (pending transfer to another genus), ♀ (NMW): det. Br.v.W. Ocnophila submutica; Collectio Br.v.W.; Museum Paris, Basse-Californie, Diguet 178-95; 178-95; 23.330; [examined] (does not belong to Litosermyle, most likely a Sermyle).
Ocnophila nana Shelford, 1913: 61 = Litosermyle nana (Shelford, 1913) comb. nov.
>> Syntypes, J (MNHN): MUSEUM PARIS, ÉQUATEUR, CHILLACOCHA (3900 M. D’ALT.), P. RIVET 1905; Ocnophila nana, sp. n. ♁ TYPE; FÉVRIER; SYNTYPE; MNHN-EO-PHAS624 [examined through pictures]; ♀ (MNHN): MUSEUM PARIS, ÉQUATEUR, BUERAN (3700 M. D’ALT.), P. RIVET 1905; Ocnophila nana, sp. n. ♀ TYPE; SYNTYPE; TYPE; MNHN-EO-PHAS625 [examined through pictures].
Ocnophila riveti Shelford, 1913: 62 = Litosermyle riveti (Shelford, 1913) comb. nov.
>> Holotype, ♀ (MNHN): MUSEUM PARIS, ÉQUATEUR, EL PELADO (4150 M. D’ALT.), P. RIVET 1903; Ocnophila riveti, sp. n. ♀ TYPE; JANVIER; HOLOTYPE; MNHN-EO-PHAS626 [examined through pictures].
description: Published as part of Ghirotto, Victor Morais, Engelking, Phillip Watzke & Crispino, Edgar Blois, 2023, Revision of the Neotropical stick insect genus Ocnophila (Phasmatodea: Diapheromeridae) with a new species from Colombia, pp. 179-209 in Zootaxa 5296 (2) on pages 197-200, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5296.2.3, http://zenodo.org/record/7973264