Paraphasma spinicauda Chiquetto-Machado & Morales & Cancello 2022, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Chiquetto-Machado, Pedro I.
name: Morales, Adriana C.
name: Cancello, Eliana M.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2022
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Phasmida
Pseudophasmatidae
Paraphasma
Paraphasma spinicauda

description: Paraphasma spinicauda Chiquetto-Machado sp. nov.
Figs 35–39, Table 8.
http://zoobank.org/ urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: B1F6133F-896F-4981-AA43-6C35BDE2FE0F
Paraphasma sp. 3, Chiquetto-Machado & Cancello, 2021: 4, 26, figs 9, 19B, 21A, 23A, 25, 26. Holotype: ♂, Ecuador, Napo Province, Coca, ii.1982, G. Onore, B.M. 1985–61, Jungle vegetation (NHM 012502938) (Fig. 35). Paratypes: 4♀, same data as holotype (NHM 012502931, 012502932, 012502933, 012502935) (Fig. 38); 3♀, Ecuador, Napo Province, Coca, iv.1982, G. Onore, B.M. 1985–61, Jungle vegetation (NHM 012502934, 012502936, 012502937); 1♂, Brazil, Amazonas, Benjamin Constant, Nova Aliança, 04º15’20”S, 69º20’42”W, iv.2004, Coleta manual, Xavier Fº, F. F. (INPA *).
Etymology. Noun in apposition formed by the Latin words spina (= spine) and cauda (= tail), referring to a diagnostic feature of this species, the pair of posterolateral spiniform projections on the tergite X of males.
Diagnosis. The male can be easily identified by the unique terminalia morphology (Fig. 36A–D), with a pair of spiniform projections on the posterolateral regions of tergite X (Fig. 36B–D: arrows), cerci strongly incurved and with acuminate apex (Fig. 36A–D), and posterior margin of subgenital plate acuminate (Fig. 36B,C). Diagnostic features of the female include the straight posterior margin of sternite VII, lacking a rounded indentation, and the praeopercular organ more pronounced than in other species of the genus, developed into a distinct bulge with blunt apex, sometimes surpassing the posterior margin of sternite VII (Fig. 38G,H). Although not exclusive of P. spinicauda sp. nov., additional features that may be useful for the identification of this species are the rounded tegmina (Fig. 35E) and the body maintaining relatively bright colors in dried specimens, predominantly shiny black with light yellow regions (Figs 35, 36, 38).
Description of male. Color (Figs 35, 36): Body mostly shiny black or dark brown, with a pair of light yellow lateral stripes extending along head, prothorax, mesothorax and costal region of tegmina and hindwing. Head, proand mesothorax with conspicuous light yellow dorsomedian line; pro- and mesothorax diffusely stained in the same color. Legs shiny black or dark brown, with light yellow stains; profemur more densely stained. Femora-tibiae and tibiae-tarsi joints also light yellow, as well as apex of tarsi and tarsal claws. Body ventrally brown; subgenital plate black-stained. Head (Fig. 35A–D): Smooth; about as long as wide; sub-rectangular in dorsal view; vertex weakly convex. Compound eye very prominent, large, covering half of head length, almost round in lateral view. Ocelli well-developed; median one distinctly separated from lateral pair.Antennae filiform, very long, distinctly surpassing end of abdomen; scape compressed dorsoventrally; pedicel cylindrical, slightly shorter than scape; first flagellomere about 3x longer than pedicel. Thorax (Fig. 35A–D): Prothorax smooth; slightly longer and distinctly narrower than head; weakly convex dorsally and ventrally, laterally flat. Pronotum sub-rectangular, with slight constriction on anterior third; anterolateral corners with rounded indentations, outlining openings of paired defensive glands; posterior margin convex; pair of gentle dorsolateral carinae originating posterior to defensive glands and extending until nearly posterior margin. Mesothorax slightly rugose, approximately 1.5x longer than prothorax; about as wide as prothorax on anterior half and gradually widening on posterior half. Mesonotum with weak longitudinal carina extending along each lateral margin; mesepisternum with more pronounced carina extending along ventral margin. Metathorax and median segment smooth; parallel-sided, as wide as posterior region of mesothorax; dorsally convex, laterally flat, weakly convex ventrally; metathorax about 3x longer than median segment; both combined almost 2x longer than mesothorax. Metepisternum with longitudinal carina extending along ventral margin. Legs (Fig. 35A–D): Fairly long and slender. Profemur about 1.3x longer than combined length of mesothorax, metathorax and median segment; curved and compressed basally; approximately trapezoidal in cross-section, with carinate edges and distinct ventromedian carina; anterodorsal carina weakly raised. Mesofemur slightly longer than pro- and mesothorax combined; 0.6x length of profemur. Metafemur slightly shorter than profemur. Meso- and metafemur sub-rectangular in cross-section, with dorsal and ventral faces slightly convex; edges weakly carinate; ventromedian carina absent. Tibiae slightly shorter than corresponding femur, 1.5–2x longer than corresponding tarsus; rectangular or trapezoidal in cross-section; ventromedian carina absent; with conspicuous area apicalis. Pro- and metabasitarsus slightly longer than following three tarsomeres combined; mesobasitarsus about as long as following three tarsomeres combined. Wings (Fig. 35A–E): Tegmina short, not reaching median region of metanotum; in dorsal view 2–2.5x longer than wide; rounded, but apical margin slightly truncate; shoulder pad very prominent, varying from dull protuberance to relatively blunt spine; anal region with conspicuous reticulate venation. Hindwing well-developed, reaching abdominal tergite VII. Abdomen (Figs 35A–C, 36): Almost 2x longer than the combined length of head, thorax and median segment; dorsally and ventrally smooth. Segments gradually shortening from II to VIII. Tergites VIII–X (Fig. 36A–D) very short and distinctly wider than II–VII. Tergites IX and X strongly convex; IX about 1.5x longer than X. Tergite X (Fig. 36A–D) distinctly longer than wide; posterior margin truncate in dorsal view; posterolateral regions rounded and swollen, developed into a pair of stout, somewhat blunt spiniform projections, pointing ventrally and inwards (Fig. 36B–D: arrows). Posterior margin of tergite X bearing approximately 30 uniformly distributed minute teeth, not grouped into well-delimited thorn pads. Cerci (Fig. 36A–D) slightly longer than tergite X; strongly incurved, round in cross-section, tapering apically; apex acuminate. Epiproct small, rounded, hardly visible under tergite X. Vomer (Fig. 36E) subtriangular, symmetric; about as long as wide; basal region broad, gradually constricting towards apex. Subgenital plate (Fig. 36B–D) approximately boat-shaped, about 3x longer than sternite VIII; distinctly divided into anterior and posterior region; posterior margin distinctly acuminate. Phallic organ (Fig. 37): Dorsal sclerite wider than long (Fig. 37, in red), roughly X-shaped in dorsal view; distal process elongate and narrow, directed posteriorly and to the left (Fig. 37: dp); distal right region of dorsal sclerite also developed into a process, similar in size and shape to distal process, directed posteriorly and to the right. Dorsal and ventral lobes partially fused on left side. Dorsal lobe (Fig. 37: dl) subdivided into main body on the left and a ventral smaller pouch on the right (Fig. 37: asterisks). Sclerite of the ventral lobe of “small-double type ” (Fig. 37, in green), composed of two separate small regions, both restricted to inner face of ventral lobe; smaller region positioned more basally and to the left, larger region more distally and to the right; each region forming a dull protuberance. Two base apodemes (Fig. 37, in blue) projecting into dorsal lobe as spatulate expansions.
Scale bars = 10 mm, unless otherwise indicated.
Description of female. Color (Fig. 38): As in male. Head (Fig. 38A–D): As in male, but slightly longer than wide. Thorax (Fig. 38A–D): As in male except for the following proportions: prothorax as long as head; metathorax 3–3.5x longer than median segment; metathorax and median segment combined 2–2.5x longer than mesothorax. Wings (Fig. 38A–D): As in male, but hindwing reaching abdominal tergite VIII. Abdomen (Fig. 38A–C,F–H): Approximately 1.8x longer than the combined length of head, thorax and median segment; dorsally and ventrally smooth, but tergite X gently carinate longitudinally. Segments II and III the longest; then gradually shortening from III to VII. Tergites VIII–X (Fig. 38F,G) distinctly shorter and slightly narrower than II–VII; tergite IX slightly shorter than VIII and about 1.3x longer than X. Tergite X slightly longer than wide; tectiform; posterior margin slightly emarginate. Cerci (Fig. 38F–H) short, about as long as tergite X; straight and cylindrical; apex blunt. Epiproct rounded; hardly visible under tergite X. Sternite VII with straight posterior margin and bearing conspicuous praeopercular organ (Fig. 38G,H), developed into a strongly pronounced, shiny bulge, sometimes surpassing posterior margin of sternite VII. Subgenital plate (Fig. 38G,H) lanceolate, extending until posterior margin of tergite X; apex somewhat sharp; inner face longitudinally carinate. Cerci, tergite X and subgenital plate densely pilose.
Description of egg (Fig. 39). Capsule elongate, sightly higher than wide; higher and wider on median region, narrowing towards operculum and polar area; almost flat on polar area. Capsule with a pair of parallel stripes of thick bristles extending from opercular collar to polar area, touching sides of micropylar plate; a similar pair of stripes extending along ventral face of capsule, but merging into a single stripe before reaching polar area; areas around operculum and polar area bearing bristles of the same type; other regions of capsule with few, sparse bristles. Operculum oval, slightly higher than wide, with two concentric circles of bristles; outer circle formed by long, thick bristles; inner one formed by approximately 10 minute bristles. Micropylar plate elongate, smooth, positioned medially on capsule. Median line hardly visible. Internal micropylar plate not examined. Egg mostly dark brown; dorsal and ventral stripes of bristles light brown. Measurements (mm, n = 1): capsule length, 3.4; capsule width, 1.5; capsule height, 1.6; operculum width, 1.0; operculum height, 1.2; micropylar plate length, 0.9; micropylar plate width, 0.4.
Distribution (Fig. 1: purple circles). Paraphasma spinicauda sp. nov. is known only from two localities: the type locality, which probably refers to the Coca River, in the Ecuadorian Amazon, and a locality in western Amazonas state, Brazil, near the city of Benjamin Constant.
Additional material examined. ECUADOR. Napo: 1 egg, same data as paratype NHM 012502931 (extracted from the female terminalia).
description: Published as part of Chiquetto-Machado, Pedro I., Morales, Adriana C. & Cancello, Eliana M., 2022, Taxonomic revision of Paraphasma Redtenbacher, 1906 (Phasmatodea, Pseudophasmatidae) based on phallic and external morphology, pp. 1-80 in Zootaxa 5122 (1) on pages 50-53, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5122.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/6399540