Myronides tomohonense Hennemann 2021, n. sp.
Creators: name: Hennemann, Frank H.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2021
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Phasmida
Phasmatidae
Myronides
Myronides tomohonense

description: Myronides tomohonense n. sp.
(Fig. 22)
Myronides pfeifferae, Günther, 1938: 74.
Hennemann, 1998: 119.
HT, ♀: Tomohon, Celebes, X.94, Sar.; Myronides pfeifferae Westw., K. Günther det. [NHMB].
PT, ♀: Tomohon, Celebes, VI.94, Sar.; Myronides pfeifferae Westw., K. Günther det. [NHMB].
PT, ♀: Lokon, Mittelregion, Celebes, V.94, Sar.; Myronides pfeifferae Westw., K. Günther det. [NHMB].
PT, ♂: Tomohon, Celebes, V.94, Sar.; Myronides pfeifferae Westw., K. Günther det. [NHMB].
PT, ♂: Tomohon, Celebes, 2.V.94, Sar.; Myronides pfeifferae Westw., K. Günther det. [NHMB].
PT, ♂: Sarasin, IX.1894, Masarang-Kette, Nord-Celebes; Myronides pfeifferae Westw., K. Günther det. [NHMB].
Etymology: Named after the type-locality, Tomohon in the Minahasa Regency of the Province Sulawesi Utara in northeastern Sulawesi.
Differential diagnosis: This new species is the only known representative of Myronides Stål, 1875 on the island of Sulawesi and the so far only known species in the genus in which ♀♀ have a prominent dorsal lobe on the probasitarsus (Fig. 22A) and in which ♂♂ have a complex colouration with tones of brown, orange, green and yellow (Fig. 22C). Females are similar to those of the type-species M. pfeifferae (Westwood, 1859) but may be separated by the much more prominent, longer and acutely pointed pair of cephalic horns, which extend by more than half the height of head capsule (Fig. 22L), notably smaller sub-apical teeth on the two outer ventral carinae of the femora, larger subgenital plate, which extends considerably beyond the apex of the abdomen (Fig. 22D) and large dorsal lobe of the probasitarsi (Fig. 22A). Males are well characterized within the genus and readily distinguished from those of M. pfeifferae by their complex colouration, having a bold dark green longitudinal streak along the dorsal body surface that is interrupted at the borders of each body segment (♂♂ of pfeifferae are uniformly buff to brown). Moreover, the pair of cephalic horns are much larger in this species (Fig. 22J) and the sub-apical ventral teeth of the femora are less pronounced.
Description: All type specimens have provisionally been conserved in spirits, so the colouration described may not be true for the live insects. One of the ♀ paratypes is very pale straw to yellow and here omitted from the colour descriptions, because this colouration is obviously artificial. The colouration of the ♂♂ is described based on only one specimen that appears to exhibit close to the natural colour patterns when alive.
♀ (Fig. 22A). Medium-sized for the genus (body length 102.0–111.0 mm), form fairly stocky with a short median segment and a prominent, acutely pointed pair of cephalic spines. Body surface sparsely tuberculose and granulose. Colour ochraceous with irregular brown markings and sometimes with a slight greenish wash, the head darker brown in one of the paratypes. Cephalic spines and the intervening dark brown, the genae with a weakly defined longitudinal postocular streak. Larger tubercles of the head and thorax dull yellow. Apex of basitarsi and all following tarsomeres dark brown. Antennae with a slightly dull orange hue, the two basal segments coloured like body, III–VI and the 15 or so apical antennomeres with a greyish brown wash. Eyes dull ochre with a faint longitudinal dark ocular stripe.
Head: Longer than wide, sub-cylindrical, broadest at the eyes and gently narrowing toward the posterior (Fig. 22M). Frons with two small C-shaped impressions between bases of antennae. Between the eyes with a very prominent pair of acutely pointed and strong, slightly anteriad directed spines, which extend by more than half the height of head capsule (Fig. 22L). Vertex flat with a fine, impressed coronal line and with a few scattered nodes, genae with two obtuse nodes. Eyes circular in outline, strongly projecting and their diametre contained about 2.2 in length of genae. Antennae reaching to anterior of abdominal segment II. Scapus compressed dorsoventrally, somewhat deflexed laterally with both lateral margins weakly rounded; almost 2x longer than wide. Pedicellus oval in crosssection and about 1/3 the length of scapus.
Thorax: Pronotum slightly shorter but about equal in length to head, rectangular in outline and 1.5x longer than wide. Transverse median sulcus shallow, gently curved and not reaching lateral margins of segment; anterior and lateral margins with a few low tubercles and some paired tubercles on dorsal surface (Fig. 22M). Mesothorax elongate, slender and about 5.5x longer than prothorax. Mesonotum with a fine longitudinal median carina and unevenly set with tubercles and nodes of variable sizes. Mesopleurae sparsely nodose. Mesosternum obtusely keeled longitudinally with with some small, scattered nodules along the medio-longitudinal keel. Metanotum a little less than half the length of mesonotum, about 3.2x longer than wide; sculpturing like mesonotum. Metapleurae and sternum sparsely nodulose.
Abdomen: Median segment 1.7x longer than wide and a little less than half the length of metanotum; sculpturing alike. Abdomen excluding median segment equal in length to complete thorax; entire dorsal surface with a fine longitudinal median carina and irregularly tuberculose and nodulose. Segment II almost 1.8x longer than median segment, II–V roughly equal in length, VI and VII slightly shortening; All roughly uniform in width, rectangular and on average 2x longer than wide. Tergum VI occasionally somewhat widened medially and with a pair of obtuse, dorso-lateral swellings (e.g. in the HT). VII shorter and narrower than all preceding segments. Sterna sparsely granulose, Preopercular organ on VII formed by a pair of low, wart-like swellings near posterior margin (Fig. 22F). Tergum VIII somewhat less than half the length of VII, IX shorter and slightly wider than long. Anal segment longer than IX, strongly convex longitudinally and with a very large, triangular posteromedian excavation (Fig. 22E); the lateral margins roundly deflexed in the basal portion (Fig. 22D). Epiproct distinct, scale-shaped and slightly projecting over posterolateral angles of anal segment (Fig. 22E). Cerci very small, conical and somewhat compressed laterally. Gonapophysis VIII strongly up-curving and almost reaching apex of anal segment, gonoplacs distinct and digitiform (Fig. 22D). Subgenital plate strongly keeled medio-longitudinally, strongly convex and bulgy in the median portion (Fig. 22D), the posterior margin obtusely rounded and projecting slightly beyond apex of abdomen (Figs. 22E–F).
Legs: All moderately long and slender, the profemora about as long as mesothorax, metafemora almost reaching to posterior margin of abdominal segment IV and metatibiae just not reaching apex of abdomen. Anterodorsal carina of profemora moderately deflexed and weakly undulate and wavy in the basal two thirds. All femora unarmed except for three small sub-apical teeth which decrease in size towards the apex of femur. Medioventral carina moderate. Probasitarsus almost as long as remaining tarsomeres combined and with a prominent, rounded dorsal lobe in median portion. Meso- and metabasitarsus slender and a little longer than following three tarsomeres combined.
♂ (Figs. 22B–C). Fairly small for the genus (body length 73.0– 74.2 mm), apterous, shape slender with a prominent pair of acutely pointed cephalic spines. Body surface very minutely and sparsely granulose. Colourful (Fig. 22C); head dark brown, pronotum, posterior portions of all body segments, the lateral surfaces of the abdomen and all coxae reddish mid brown, the dorsal surface of the body dull green. Lateral portions of meso- and metanotum yellowish green. Femora yellowish green with apical quarter red, the tibiae greyish green and somewhat darker at the apex. Anterior margin of anal segment blackish. Antennae dull reddish brown. Eyes ochre with a dark longitudinal ocular stripe.
Head: Generally as in ♀♀ but posterior portion more strongly narrowed and the nodes less numerous (Fig. 22K); portion between the eyes mor strongly swollen and rounded and the cephalic pair of horns more acutely pointed (Fig. 22J). Eyes large, very prominently projecting and their diametre contained about 1.6x in length of genae. Antennae reaching to posterior margin of abdominal segment V. Scapus less broadened than in ♀♀.
Thorax: Pronotum roughly of same dimensions as head, the transverse median sulcus very prominent, gently curved and almost expanding over entire width of segment, a distinct impressed longitudinal median line present; tubercles just very weakly defined to obsolete (Fig. 22K). Mesothorax very elongate and slender and just slightly widened and swollen posteriorly; about 5.6x longer than prothorax. Mesonotum with a very weak and fine longitudinal median carina and mesosternum very weakly tectinate longitudinally. Metanotum a little more than 1/3 the length of metanotum, surface alike.
Abdomen: Median segment about half the length of metanotum, roughly 3x longer than wide and gently narrowed medially. Segment II 1.3x longer than median segment and very slightly longer than III–V, VI–VII decreasing in length with VII only 3/5 the length of II. II–V on average about 3.5x longer than wide, VII only about 2.5x longer than wide; II–VII uniform in width and all terga with a very fine and indistinct longitudinal median line. Tergum VIII roughly half the length of VII and widened in the posterior portion, IX notably shorter with lateral margins roundly deflexed; medio-longitudinal carina more distinct than on preceding terga. Anal segment strongly tectiform and split to form two movable hemi-terga (Fig. 22H); the apical portion strongly narrowed in lateral aspect to form an obtuse, gently in-curving digitiform process (Fig. 22G). The interior surface of these two processes set with several minute black denticles (Fig. 22H). Cerci small, strongly constricted medially with the apex slightly club-shaped. Poculum strongly convex, cup-shaped, obtusely rectangular in lateral aspect with the posterior half carinate medio-longitudinally and the posterior margin rounded and slightly projecting over posterior margin of tergum IX (Fig. 22G).
Legs: All long, slender and unarmed except for 2–3 small sub-apical denticles on the two outer ventral carinae of the femora. Profemora about equal to combined length of pro- and mesothorax, metafemora reaching about half way along abdominal segment V and metatibiae projecting considerably beyond apex of abdomen. Basitarsi slender, very elongate and at least equal in length to remaining tarsomeres combined.
Comments: Eggs unknown.
Distribution: So far only known from the very northeastern portion of Sulawesi, the Minahasa Regency.
description: Published as part of Hennemann, Frank H., 2021, Stick insects of Sulawesi, Peleng and the Sula Islands, Indonesia- a review including checklists of species and descriptions of new taxa (Insecta: Phasmatodea), pp. 1-189 in Zootaxa 5073 (1) on pages 56-59, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5073.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/5760636