Orthomeria forstenii
Creators: name: Hennemann, Frank H.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2021
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Phasmida
Aschiphasmatidae
Orthomeria
Orthomeria forstenii

description: Orthomeria forstenii (Haan, 1842)
(Fig. 5)
Phasma (Ascephasma) forstenii Haan, 1842: 114. LT, ♂: Forsten, Tondano, Celebes [RMNH]; PLT, ♂: no data [RMNH]. (Not: PLT, ♀: no data [RMNH], this specimen is a different species)
Ascephasma forsteni, Redtenbacher, 1906: 76.
Giglio-Tos, 1910: 5.
Bruner, 1915: 230.
Werner, 1931: 25.
Aschipasma forstenii, Westwood, 1859: 93.
Aschiphasma forsteni, Vanschuytbroeck & Cools, 1981: 23.
Orthomeria forstenii, Kirby, 1904: 420.
Günther, 1938: 57.
Bragg, 1996: 111 (in part—only specimens from Sulawesi) Hennemann, 1998: 125.
Bragg, 2001: 314, fig. 113 (egg).
Otte & Brock, 2005: 240.
Orthomeria pandora, Günther, 1938: 60.
Material examined: 1 ♂: Celebes, Manado; 60 76; NHMUK 012496930 [NHMUK]; 1 ♂, 1 ♀: Indonesia, N-Su-lawesi, 1km S Sawangan Flusstal b. River Park Hotel, p 1°22’51’’N, 124°56’56’’E, 01.–03. II.2004, 250– 300m, leg. A Weigel UWS/Plant [NMEG]; 14 ♀♀: Indonesien, Zentral Sulawesi, Prov. Sulawesi Tengah, Palolo District, Palu, VIII.2012 [coll. FH, No’s 0725-1 to 14]; 1 ♂: Nord-Celebes, Toli Toli, 1895, H. Fruhstorfer; det. Redtenb. Ascephasma forsteni; 20.729 [NHMW, No. 89]; 2 ♂♂: Nord-Celebes, Toli Toli, Nov.-Dez. 1895, H. Fruhstorfer; det. Redtenb. Ascephasma forsteni [NHMW, No. 89]; 1 ♀: Nord-Celebes, Toli Toli, Nov.-Dez. 1895, H. Fruhstorfer; Orthomeria pandora Gtr. Det. [ZMPA]; 1 ♀: Sararin 6.1894, Tomohon, Nord.-Cel.,; Tomohon; Orthomeria pandora Westw., K. Günther det. [NHMB]; 2 ♀♀ (nymphs): Sarasin IX.1894, Masarang-Kette, Nord.- Celebes; Orthomeria pandora Westw., larva K. Günther det. [NHMB], 1 ♂, 1 ♀: Sarasin, 6. II.1895, Lembongpangi (Luwu), elv. 500 m, Cent. Cel.; Orthomeria pandora Westw. K. Günther det. [NHMB]; 3 ♂♂: Indonesien, Zentral Sulawesi, Prov. Sulawesi Tengah, Sigi Regency, Palolo, Mount Nokilalaki, V.2012 [coll. FH, No’s 0725-15 to 17]; 2 ♂♂: Central Sulawesi, Prov. Sulawesi Tengah, Sigi Regency, Palolo, Mount Nokilalaki, V.2012 [coll. SLT].
Comments: This species was originally described from two ♂♂ and a ♀ from Tondano, Minahasa in northern Sulawesi. The specimen which Haan (1842: 114) described as the ♀ of O. forstenii is not the same species, a fact that was first recognized by Redtenbacher (1906: 76) and subsequently confirmed by Bragg (2001: 316). While Redtenbacher attributed the specimen to O. pandora (Westwood, 1859), this was rejected by Bragg (2001: 316) who left the identity as yet unconfirmed. Indeed, the specimen has much longer wings than all other ♀♀ that are here attributed to O. forstenii and have collecting data. Unfortunately however, Haan’s specimen could only be examined from a single photograph which is why the exact identity still remains unclarified. Bragg (2001: 314) designated a lectotype for O. forstenii to guarantee stability of the taxon and provided a description of the ♀♀ based on a speci-men from Lore Lindu National Park, Sulawesi Tengah. In addition, Bragg (2001: 315) provided a description and illustrations of the eggs.
With great certainty O. forstenii is an endemic of Sulawesi, hence the records from the Philippines (islands of Mindanao and Leyte) are here regarded as wrong. Specimens at hand from both these islands in the authors collection clearly represent a distinct species.
Variability: Females occur in two different colour forms, having the costal region of the alae anterior to the radial vein either plain orange (Figs. 5A, C) or pale green (Figs. 5B, D); correspondingly the veins posterior to the radial vein are either orange or green. Green specimens may have the basal portion more or less distinctly orange although (Fig. 5D). The tegmina are mostly orange but green in specimens that also have the entire anterior portion of the alae green. The antennae are always black basally and gradually become dark brown towards the tip. Abdominal tergum VII is pale cream to mid brown and abdominal terga II – VI may have two faint but broad and parallel longitudinal pale stripes. Body lengths ♀♀: 44.0–51.0 mm, ♂♂ [coll. FH] 36.3–37.5 mm.
Distribution: N-Sulawesi, Sulawesi Utara, Minahasa, Tondano [RMNH]; N-Sulawesi, Minahasa, Tomohon [NHMB]; N-Sulawesi, Minahasa, S-Sawangan River valley, 250–300 m [NMEG]; N-Sulawesi, Sulawesi Utara, Minahasa, Gunung Masareng [NHMB]; N-Sulawesi, Sulawesi Utara, Manado [NHMUK]; N-Sulawesi, Sulawesi Tengah, Tolitoli [NHMW, ZMAS]; Central Sulawesi, Sulawesi Tengah, Lore Lindu National Park, Kamarora [coll. PEB]; Central Sulawesi, Sulawesi Tengah, Palu [coll. FH]; Central Sulawesi, Sulawesi Tengah, Mount Nokilalaki [coll. FH]; Central Sulawesi, Sulawesi Tengah, between Palu & Kulavi [IRSN].
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 page 14, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5073.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/5760636