Isagoras aurocaudata Heleodoro & Rafael 2018, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Heleodoro, Raphael Aquino
name: Rafael, José Albertino
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2018
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Phasmatodea
Pseudophasmatidae
Isagoras
Isagoras aurocaudata

description: Isagoras aurocaudata sp. nov.
Figs. 1A–C, 2A–D, 3A–D.
Examined material. Lavras—M.G. [Minas Gerais], Brasil, Penido (Holotype ♀, ESALQ). Paratype ♀: same data as holotype (ESALQ).
Etymology. From Latin aurum = gold and caudatus = tail, appendage and refers to the yellowish coloration of the apex of abdomen of this species.
Diagnosis. Compound eye yellowish, with brown spots (Figs. 2A–B). Tegmina with yellowish spot at basal third, from anal margin towards shoulder of costal margin (Figs. 2C–D). Abdominal segment 8–11 yellowish (Fig. Figs. 1A–C). Subgenital plate, elongated, subparallel and slightly sinuous sided, setose medially, with anterior margin convex, lateral margin slightly sinuous and posterior margin convex (Figs. 3C–D).
Holotype description ♀. Head. Light yellow with dark spots (Figs. 2A–B). Frons with a pair of tubercles. Vertex with a pair of V-shaped rows of five tubercles each; coronal sulcus conspicuous (Fig. 2A). Gena smooth, with horizontal row of three inconspicuous tubercles (Fig. 2B). Compound eye yellowish, with brown spots (Figs. 2A–B). Clypeus ellipsoid, smooth, white. Labrum inverted “U-shaped”, smooth, light brown. Mandibles smooth, dark brown (Fig. 2B). Mandibular and labial palpi dark brown, setose (Fig. 2B). Antenna yellowish, with light brown and black spots, setose; scapus with foggy-like black spots.
Thorax. Light brown, with yellowish spots, rugose, with several scattered tubercles. Pronotum medially with pair of parallel rows of four tubercles each, with conspicuous mid-longitudinal sulcus (Fig. 1A). Mesonotum approximately two times longer than pronotum (Fig. 1A). Mesoscutum semiellipsoid (Fig. 1A). Scutellum triangular. Proepimeron rounded. Mesoepisternum widening from anterior margin towards posterior margin, with approximately same length of mesonotum (Fig. 1B). Probasisternum trapezoidal (Fig. 1C). Mesobasisternum subrectangular. Metasternum fused to abdominal sternum I, with conspicuous longitudinal medial carina, widening towards posterior margin (Fig. 1C). Meso and metathoracic furcae conspicuous (Fig. 1C).
Legs. All legs light brown with dark brown and yellowish spots (Figs. 1A–C). Anterior femur trapezoidal, narrowed near trochanter; dorsally setose, with two conspicuous longitudinal carinae; ventrally smooth; conspicuously sinuous at dorsal and ventral margins (Figs. 1A–B). Anterior tibia similar to femur, but rectangular, without narrowing near trochanter (Figs. 1A–B). Mid and posterior legs setose, with all margins straight, anteriorly smooth, posteriorly with two longitudinal parallel carinae (Figs. 1A–B), with posterior leg approximately 1.5 times longer.
Wings. Tegmina widened at anterior half, gradually narrowing at posterior half, lanceolate with conspicuous elevated shoulder pad, brown with several light brown transverse veins; with yellowish spot at basal third, from anal margin towards shoulder (Figs. 2C–D). Posterior wing dark brown, with several scattered white spots and light brown transverse veins; reaching apex of tergum 7 while rested (Figs. 1A–B).
Abdomen. Rugose, dark brown with scattered weak yellowish spots from abdominal segment 2–7; abdominal segments 8–11 yellowish dorsally, laterally and ventrally (Figs. 1A–B). Terga 2–7 rectangular, gradually decreasing in length, approximately 1.5 longer than wide. Terga 6–10 with conspicuous medial longitudinal sinuous carina. Tergum 8 dorsally and laterally rectangular; dorsally approximately 1.3 times longer than wide and laterally 1.5 times longer than high (Figs. 3A–B). Tergum 9 dorsally subquadrate, laterally almost 1.3 times higher than long (Figs. 3A–B). Tergum 10 dorsally subquadrate, slightly concave emarginated posteriorly, laterally with postero-dorsal margin projected (Figs. 3A–B). Cercus cylindrical, short, robust, setose, light brown, with rounded apex (Figs. 3A–B). Sterna 2–6 rectangular, approximately 1.5 times longer than wide (Fig. 1C). Sternum 7 rectangular, rugose, two times longer than wide, with several conspicuous carinae, anterior margin straight, lateral margin conspicuously sinuous at proximal half, posterior margin conspicuously concave (Figs. 3C–D). Subgenital plate (sternum 8) elongated, subparallel and slightly sinuous sided, setose medially, with anterior margin convex, lateral margin slightly sinuous, and posterior margin convex (Fig. 3C–D). Gonapophysis 8 slender, elongated, setose, subtriangular, with anterior margin straight, lateral margin slightly sinuous at medial third, rounded posteriorly (Fig. 3C–D). Gonapophysis 9 sub-trapezoidal, with few setae at posterior margin; posterior margin with elongated, slender, inward curved apex (Fig. 3C–D). Paraproct flat, smooth, broad, with lateral margin sinuous, posterior margin rhomboid (Fig. 3C–D).
Variations. Paratype dorsally has conspicuous tubercles on head, full yellowish coloration on abdominal sterna and lacks the yellowish spot on tegmina. There are traces of the yellowish spot (small faded spots) on tegmina, indicating that the spot might have been lost across time.
Measurements (mm). Body length 70–70.2; head length 3.2; pronotum 3.5–3.6; mesonotum 10.7–10.8; anterior femur 10; anterior tibia 6–6.2; mid femur 8–8.2; mid tibia 3.3–3.4; posterior femur 9.2; posterior tibia 7.3– 7.4 tegmina length 11.6–11.8; resting hind wing length 32.4–32.8; tergum 8–10 length 5.2.
Holotype condition. Right antenna, anterior left and posterior right tarsi lost; left antenna partially broken.
Geographical records. Brazil Minas Gerais, Lavras.
Remarks. Compared with Isagoras species, the I. aurocaudata sp. nov. differs from I. apolinari Hebard, 1933 and I. chopardi Hebard, 1933 by the yellowish spot on tegmina (lacking in both species); differs from I. jurinei (Saussure, 1868) by the emarginated posterior margin of tergum 10 (rounded in I. jurinei); lastly, it differs from I. schraderi Rehn, 1947 by the conspicuous postero-dorsal projection of tergum 10, lacking on the latter species. Compared with Planudes species the I. aurocaudata sp. nov. differs from P. asperus Bellanger & Conle, 2013 by the conspicuous yellowish spot on basal third of tegmina (black in P. asperus and positioned medially); from P. brunni Redtenbacher 1906, P. cortex Hebard, 1919, P. funestus Redtenbacher, 1906, P. melzeri Piza, 1937, P. molorchus (Westwood, 1859), P. paxillus (Westwood, 1859), P. perillus Stål, 1875, P. pygmaeus (Redtenbacher, 1906) and P. taeniatus by the presence of elongated and developed tegmina and posterior wing (apterous or brachypterous in all species cited here); it differs from P. crenulipes by the lack of projections on anterior and posterior legs (present on the latter species).
Despite the problem with the genus placement, this species is without doubt new to science and easily distinguished by the unique terminalia morphology, with a peculiar coloration pattern and distinct shape of abdominal sclerites. The placement in Isagoras was chosen due to the elongated and developed wings, a character which we hypothesize will be crucial to separate Isagoras and Planudes, with the latter likely to be exclusive of apterous or brachypterous females. Thus, if our hypothesis is correct, P. crenulipes will be moved to Isagoras after the clarification of the difference between the two genera.
description: Published as part of Heleodoro, Raphael Aquino & Rafael, José Albertino, 2018, Description of a new species of Isagoras Stål (Phasmatodea: Pseudophasmatidae: Xerosomatinae: Prexaspini) from the State of Minas Gerais, Brazil, pp. 595-600 in Zootaxa 4378 (4) on pages 596-600, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4378.4.11, http://zenodo.org/record/1171538