Necroscia dianica Ho 2017, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Ho, George Wai-Chun
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2017
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Phasmida
Diapheromeridae
Necroscia
Necroscia dianica

description: Necroscia dianica sp. nov.
(Figs. 12–15, 32–39)
Types. Holotype: ♀, 500–600m, Menglun, Xishuangbanna, Yunnan, China, 6.IX.2015, George Ho Wai-Chun (HKES); Paratype: 1♂, 500–600m, Menglun, Xishuangbanna, Yunnan, China, 6.IX.2015, George Ho Wai-Chun (HKES).
Diagnosis. Necroscia dianica sp. nov. [China (Yunnan)] is closely related to N. hainanensis (Chen & He, 2002) [China (Hainan)], but can be separated by rounded head, non-tuberculate mesopleurae, unarmed hindlegs and uniformly coloured anal region of alae in both sexes.
Description. Female (Figs. 12–13, 32–34, 38). Brownish green with pale white, light green and black markings. Generally similar to male, but body distinctly larger and more robust.
Head: Rounded. Sparsely covered with small granules. Compound eyes protruding and oval. Genae with a black postocular stripe. Occiput gently convex, posterior margin with indistinct swellings. Median and lateral longitudinal furrows distinct. Antennae long and filiform, longer than forelegs; scapus shorter than third segment; pedicellus shorter than scapus.
Thorax: Densely covered with small granules, sparsely covered with short bristles, bristles on mesopleurae, metapleurae, mesosternum and metasternum comparatively longer than bristles on pronotum and mesonotum. Pronotum rectangular, narrower than head, anterior margin curved inwards, posterior margin rounded, longitudinal and transverse sulci crossing before middle area. Mesonotum indistinctly and broadly emarginated medially, with short black stripes along lateral margins, median longitudinal carina distinct. Metanotum longer than median segment.
Abdomen: Cylindrical, tapering posteriorly. Sparsely covered with short bristles. Second to fifth tergites equal in length. Sixth tergum shorter than fifth tergum. Seventh tergum as long as sixth tergum, longer than eighth tergum. Seventh sternum lacking noticeable praeopercular organ. Eighth tergum as long as ninth tergum. Anal segment shorter than ninth tergum, with small notch on posterior margin. Supra-anal plate small, posterior margin rounded, surpassing posterolateral angles of anal segment. Subgenital plate scoop-shaped, elongated and tapering posteriorly, posterior apex notched and surpassing posterior margin of supra-anal plate. Cerci cylindrical, straight, apices pointed and surpassing posterior apices of subgenital plate.
Legs: Very slender. Unarmed. Densely covered with short bristles. Dull green with light green and black markings, apices of all femora and tibiae black.
Wings: Tegmina longer than pronotum, posterior margin subtruncate, with light green spots and black markings. Alae long, posterior apices reaching anterior region of eighth abdominal tergum, costal region brownish green with pale white, light green and black markings, anal region uniformly grayish brown.
Male (Figs. 14–15, 35–37, 39). Similar to female, but body distinctly more slender. Brownish green with yellowish brown and black markings.
Head: Rounded. Sparsely covered with small granules. Compound eyes protruding and oval. Genae with a brownish black postocular band. Occiput gently convex, posterior margin with indistinct swellings. Median and lateral longitudinal furrows distinct. Antennae long and filiform, longer than forelegs; scapus longer than pedicellus; third segment as long as combined length of scapus and pedicellus.
Thorax: Sparsely covered with small granules and short bristles, bristles on mesopleurae, metapleurae, mesosternum and metasternum comparatively longer than bristles on pronotum and mesonotum. Pronotum rectangular, narrower than head, anterior margin curved inwards, posterior margin rounded, longitudinal and transverse sulci crossing before middle area, with a short longitudinal carina posteromedially. Mesonotum indistinctly and broadly emarginated medially, with a black stripe marginally, median longitudinal carina indistinct.
Abdomen: Cylindrical and slender. Sparsely covered with short bristles. Second to seventh tergites parallelsided. Seventh tergum as long as combined length of eighth and ninth tergites. Eighth tergum moderately expanded posteriorly, as long as ninth tergum. Anal segment shorter than ninth tergum, gently constricted posteriorly, posterior margin emarginated. Poculum smooth, apex rounded, reaching posterior margin of ninth tergum. Cerci cylindrical, straight, apices blunt and surpassing posterior margin of anal segment.
Legs: Very slender. Unarmed. Densely covered with short bristles. Brownish green with black markings. Profemora indistinctly incurved basally, as long as metafemora. Mesofemora shorter than profemora, as long as combined length of head, pronotum and mesonotum.
Wings: Tegmina longer than head, posterior margin subtruncate, brownish green with light green and black markings. Alae long, posterior apices reaching sixth abdominal tergum, costal region brownish green with yellowish brown and black markings, anal region uniformly dull rose.
Measurements in Table 3.
Distribution. China (Yunnan).
Notes. This species is found in tropical rainforest between 500 and 600 metres in Xishuangbanna of Yunnan, China.
Etymology. The specific epithet of this new species is derived from the type locality, Yunnan (= Dian), China.
Genus Neohirasea Rehn, 1904
Type-species. Phasma (Acanthoderus) japonicum Haan, 1842: 135, by original designation.
= Paracentema Redtenbacher, 1908: 477. [Synonymised by Zompro, 2002: 68]
Description. Small to medium-sized. Dull colouration, brown to dark brown and rufous brown. Body cylindrical, rough, wrinkled and granulated. Head oblong or oval, dorsoventrally flattened, unarmed. Thorax rough, usually wrinkled and granulated, with tubercles and/or spines. Mesonotum usually granulated and armed with tubercle-like spines or spines. Abdomen wrinkled and granulated. Seventh sternum with indistinct praeopercular organ posteromedially in female, usually formed by carina-, tubercle- or granule-like structure. Female subgenital plate short, scoop-shaped. Male poculum small, cup-shaped. Supra-anal plate indistinct. Cerci short and flattened. Legs thick-built, usually lacking noticeable armature or rarely waved or serrate. Anteroventral and posteroventral carinae of femora with or lacking two small spines near apices. Generally apterous, only with scale-like tegmina on posterolateral angles on mesonotum. Egg capsule oval or nearly rounded. Micropylar plate rounded or oval.
Distribution. China (Guangdong, Guangxi, Guizhou, Hunan, Jiangxi, Yunnan, Zhejiang, Hong Kong and Shenzhen), India, Japan, Malaysia and Vietnam.
Notes. Currently 17 species and six subspecies are recognised from this Oriental genus (Otte & Brock, 2005; Chen & He, 2008; Hennemann & Conle, 2008; Hennemann et al., 2008a; Mandal & Yadav, 2010; Ho, 2012b & 2016b). Ho (2012b) provided a revision of Chinese species. In China, ten species and six subspecies are currently recognised and Neohirasea is firstly recorded in Guizhou and Yunnan Provinces. The males of Neohirasea fenshuilingensis sp. nov., N. japonica (Haan, 1842) and N. stephanus (Redtenbacher, 1908) are unknown and not sufficiently provided in the key. Neohirasea asper (Redtenbacher, 1908) comb. nov. [may occur in southwestern parts of China; in Redtenbacher, 1908: 476; Syntypes: 3♀ & 3♂, 2–3000, Montes Mauson, Tonkin (Vietnam), IV– V, H. Fruhstorfer (NHMW)], is misplaced in Paramenexenus Redtenbacher, 1908 and here transferred to Neohirasea based on its morphological and genital structures.
Species included from China:
1. Neohirasea fenshuilingensis sp. nov.
Distribution. China (Yunnan).
2. Neohirasea guangdongensis Chen & He, 2008: 101, figs. 70a–c.
Distribution. China (Guangdong and Guangxi). Notes. Two subspecies are recognised including Neohirasea guangdongensis acuta Ho, 2016 and N. g.
guangdongensis Chen & He, 2008.
2.1. Neohirasea guangdongensis acuta Ho, 2016b: 3, figs. 1–8. [acutus] Distribution. China (Guangxi).
2.2. Neohirasea guangdongensis guangdongensis Chen & He, 2008: 101, figs. 70a–c. Distribution. China (Guangdong).
3. Neohirasea hongkongensis Brock & Seow-Choen, 2000: 123, figs. 3–4. Distribution. China (Guangdong and Hong Kong).
4. Neohirasea hujiayaoi sp. nov.
Distribution. China (Guangxi).
Notes. Two subspecies are recognised including Neohirasea hujiayaoi hujiayaoi subsp. nov. and N. h.
shengtangshanensis subsp. nov.
4.1. Neohirasea hujiayaoi hujiayaoi subsp. nov.
Distribution. China (Guangxi).
4.2. Neohirasea hujiayaoi shengtangshanensis subsp. nov. Distribution. China (Guangxi).
5. Neohirasea japonica (Haan, 1842: 135, pl. 12: 4). [Phasma (Acanthoderus) japonicum] = Neohirasea lugens (Brunner won Wattenwyl, 1907: 244). [Synonymised by Hausleithner, 1992: 430] Distribution. China (Guangdong, Hunan, Jiangxi and Zhejiang) and Japan.
6. Neohirasea nanlingensis sp. nov.
Distribution. China (Guangdong).
7. Neohirasea pengzhongi sp. nov.
Distribution. China (Guizhou).
8. Neohirasea stephanus (Redtenbacher, 1908: 477). [Paracentema] Distribution. China (Guangxi) and Vietnam.
Notes. The male is unknown.
9. Neohirasea unispina sp. nov.
Distribution. China (Yunnan).
Notes. Two subspecies are recognised including Neohirasea unispina parvula subsp. nov. and N. u. unispina
subsp. nov.
9.1. Neohirasea unispina parvula subsp. nov.
Distribution. China (Yunnan).
9.2. Neohirasea unispina unispina subsp. nov.
Distribution. China (Yunnan).
10. Neohirasea wangpengi sp. nov.
Distribution. China (Yunnan).
description: Published as part of Ho, George Wai-Chun, 2017, Contribution to the knowledge of Chinese Phasmatodea V: New taxa and new nomenclatures of the subfamilies Necrosciinae (Diapheromeridae) and Lonchodinae (Phasmatidae) from the Phasmatodea of China, pp. 1-72 in Zootaxa 4368 (1) on pages 12-15, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4368.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/1125305