Stephanacridini Gunther 1953
Creators: name: Hennemann, Frank H.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2020
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Phasmida
Phasmatidae

description: Tribe Stephanacridini Günther, 1953
(Figs. 11, 12 L-M)
Type genus: Stephanacris Redtenbacher, 1908: 441.
Stephanacridini Günther, 1953: 555.
Bradley & Galil, 1977: 194.
Hennemann & Conle, 2004: 48.
Otte & Brock, 2005: 33.
Hennemann & Conle, 2008: 54, figs. 37, 43, 60-61, 80-82.
Pharnaciini Günther, 1953: 555 (in part).
Bradley & Galil, 1977: 193 (in part).
Otte & Brock, 2005: 32 (in part).
Diagnosis (♂, ♀): Variably sized often very large Platycraninae (body length ♂♂ 76.0– 186.5 mm, ♀♀ incl. subgenital plate 135.0-300.0 mm), shape very variable and ranging from very slender and stick-like to stocky and robust. ♂♂ apterous, brachypterous or with fully developed alae, ♀♀ mostly apterous but sometimes brachypterous with alae at best covering median segment and hardly longer than tegmina. If alae present, anal fan in ♂♂ transparent, in ♀♀ colourful. Pronotum longer than wide. Mesothorax elongate and> 3.5x longer than prothorax; always slender in ♂♂. Mesonotum and mesopleurae often armed; in ♀♀ lateral margins of mesonotum at best slightly widened and mesopleurae occasionally strongly deflexed. Abdominal segments II–VI of ♀♀ longer than wide (quadrate only in one species). All extrimities armed, occasionally with single enlarged lobes. Basitarsi slender or lobed.
Eggs (Figs. 12 L–M): Variable in shape, size and capsule sculpturing. Micropylar plate small, less than 2/3 the length of capsule and more or less rhomboidal in shape. Micropylar cup placed roughly in centre of plate.
Comments: Stephanacridini was originally established by Günther (1953: 555) as a tribe of the subfamily Phasminae (= Phasmatinae Bradley & Galil, 1977) and originally only contained the type-genus Stephanacris Redtenbacher, 1908. The fundamental differences concerning to the morphology of the genitalia and eggs, that prove the tribe cannot be a member of Phasmatidae s. str. (= Lanceocercata) were summarized and illustrated by Hennemann & Conle (2008: 55), who transferred several misplaced genera from Pharnaciini Günther, 1953 and provided a list of genera included in Stephanacridini. However, Stephanacridini has since remained without a definite affiliation to a subfamily and is here attributed to Platycraninae sensu nov..
The two New Guinean genera Stephanacris and Macrophasma Hennemann & Conle, 2006 have been revised by Hennemann & Conle (2006) and a revision of Phasmotaenia Návas, 1907 was presented by Hennemann & Conle (2009). A review of Nesiophasma Günther, 1934 is in progress by the author and the remaining four genera are intended to be reviewed in the future as well.
Distribution: Taiwan, Borneo, Philippines, Wallacea, New Guinea, Solomon Islands, NE-Australia, Micronesia and Melanesia (Fiji, Tonga, Samoa, Vanuatu, New Caledonia & Western French Polynesia).
description: Published as part of Hennemann, Frank H., 2020, Megacraniinae-The Palm Stick Insects: A new subfamily of Old World Phasmatodea and a redefinition of Platycraninae Brunner v. Wattenwyl, 1893 (Phasmatodea: " Anareolatae "), pp. 151-179 in Zootaxa 4896 (2) on page 174, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4896.2.1, http://zenodo.org/record/4381376