Interphasma carinata Liu & Yang & Gu & Wang 2024, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Liu, Yi-Fan
name: Yang, Sheng-Chuan
name: Gu, Jun-Jie
name: Wang, Hai-Jian
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2024
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Phasmida
Phasmatidae
Interphasma
Interphasma carinata

description: Interphasma carinata sp. nov.
Types. Holotype: 1♀, Tianxin, Daguan County, Yunnan Province, China, 2020-VIII-8, Shengchuan Yang (SICAU); Paratypes: 1♀ & 3 ♂, Tianxin, Daguan County, Yunnan Province, China, 2020-VIII-8, Shengchuan Yang (SICAU).
Diagnosis. I. carinata sp. nov. is related to I. marginatum Chen & Zhang 2008, I. nigrolineatum and I. huanglianshanense Ho, 2017. These are all species with broad dark longitudinal stripes of metanotum lateral margins and lacking elongate anal semi-tergites in male, with indistinct praeopercular organ in female. I. carinata sp. nov. can be separated I. marginatum by anal semi-tergites of male longer than ninth tergum. I. carinata sp. nov. can be separated I, nigrolineatum by pronotum rectangle, metanotum lateral margins of male with broader dark longitudinal stripes than I. nigrolineatum. I. carinata sp. nov. can be characterized I. huanglianshanense by anal semi-tergites of male equal in length to eighth tergum. In conclusion, I. carinata sp. nov. can be well distinguished from other Interphasma spp. by distinct longitudinal carinae including median carina and lateral carinae of mesoand metanotum in female (Fig. 4: C), mesonotum to ninth abdominal tergites lateral margins with broad dark longitudinal stripes in male, in combination with pronotum lateral margins flat truncate in both sexes (Fig. 7).
Description. Female (Fig. 4). Medium-sized. Apterous. Body cylindrical, generally dark brown, covered with granules of irregular sizes.
Head. Oval, longer than pronotum, sparely covered with granules. Vertex with a distinct elevation between compound eyes. Occiput gently convex, covered with granules of irregular sizes, longitudinal furrows indistinct. Compound eyes small and projecting hemispherically, with a blackish postocular stripe. Antennae short and consist of 16 segments, reaching middle area of profemora; scapus prominently dilated, with carinate mediolongitudinally, longer than third segment; pedicellus flattened, shorter than third segment; third segment cylindrical, shorter than scapus.
Thorax (Fig. 4: C). Smooth. Covered with pointed granules, especially in mesonotum. With distinct longitudinal carinae including median carina and lateral carinae of meso- and metanotum. Mesonotum with a few small granules along lateral carinae. Pronotum rectangle, anterior margin gently incurved and posterior margin truncate, transverse and longitudinal sulci that cross distinctly on the middle area, transverse sulci lightly curved inward and not reaching lateral margins of segment, lateral longitudinal sulci indistinct. Mesonotum sub-trapezoid, the length approximately 3 times as long as width, longer than the sum of metanotum and median segment. Metanotum rectangle, approximately 3 times as long as median segment in length. Meso- and metasternum covered with sparse wrinkles and irregular dark patches.
Abdomen (Fig. 4: D–F). Cylindrical, gradually tapering posteriorly. With median and lateral longitudinal carinae. Median segment wider than long, shorter than second tergum. Median segment to sixth tergites posterior margins each with a transverse row of small granules. Third to sixth tergites almost equal in length. With indistinct praeopercular organ on posteromedian area of seventh sternum. Three terminal tergites approximately equal in length and with a finger-like appendix on posteromedial area of ninth tergum, surpassing the anterior margin of anal segment. Posterior margin of anal segment truncated with small emargination and posterolateral angles blunt. Operculum boat-shaped, apex pointed and reaching posterior area of anal segment. Cercus short and flattened and reach the posterior margin of anal segment, apices rounded.
Legs. Slender. Unarmed, generally brown with blackish brown patches, densely covered with bristles. Profemora curved basally, shorter than corresponding tibiae, longer than pronotum and mesonotum combined. Mesofemora as long as corresponding tibiae, longer than metanotum, including median segment. Metafemora slightly shorter than corresponding tibiae, reaching anterior margin of fifth abdominal tergum.
Male (Fig. 5). Medium-sized. Cylindrical. Body slender and slimmer than female. Body and legs generally brown. Mesonotum to ninth abdominal tergites lateral margins with broad dark longitudinal stripes.
Head. Oval, longer than pronotum. Sparsely covered with small granules. Vertex slightly raised between compound eyes. Genae with a blackish postocular stripe. Occiput flat, with small irregular tubercles, longitudinal furrow indistinct. Antennae distinctly segmented, with 18 segments, reaching anterior half of profemora; scapus dilated, median longitudinal carina distinct; pedicellus cylindrical, shorter than third segment. Third segment equal in length to scapus.
Thorax (Fig. 5: C). Smooth, with indistinct median longitudinal carina. Pronotum rectangle, anterior margin curved inwards, posterior margin truncate, transverse and longitudinal sulci crossing on the middle area, transverse median sulcus gently incurved and just not reaching lateral margins, lateral longitudinal sulci indistinct. Mesonotum sub-trapezoidal, approximately 3 times as long as pronotum in length, with sparse small granules of irregular sizes. Metanotum rectangle, in outline 3 times as long as median segment in length.
Abdomen (Fig. 5: D–F). Cylindrical, smooth and unarmed. Median segment longer than wide, anterior margin gently incurved, posterior margin truncated, shorter than second tergum. Third to sixth tergites equal in length. Seventh to eighth tergites gradually increasing in width. Eighth tergum gently longer than ninth tergum. Anal segment equal in width to ninth tergum, split into two semi-tergites, tapering posteriorly after the middle area, and apices obtuse rounded; inner margins of semi-tergites weakly curved inwards and interior surface with few teeth in dorsal view; anterior half of upper margin truncate and posterior half of upper margin gently down-curving, lower margin nearly truncate in lateral view. Poculum cup-shaped, posterior margin rounded and reaching anterior area of anal segment. Cercus short and flattened, weakly curved inwards, apices obtuse, reaching posterior margin of anal segment.
Legs. Similar to those of the female.
Egg (Fig. 6: A–C). Capsule surface smooth, dark brown, oval and posterior pole rounded. Micropylar plate and surrounding area light brown, placed at inferior centre of dorsal surface. Micropylar cup U-shaped and expended anteriorly, placed at inferior end of the plate, with a distinct tubercle above micropylar cup. Median line short, formed by a small bulge, milky white in color. Operculum oval, outer margin with fence-like elevation, with a capitulum in the middle, area between outer margin and capitulum flattened, brown and smooth. Capitulum base invaginated, apically elevated, with a central rounded depression.
Measurements. See Table 2.
Distribution: Daguan County, Yunnan Province, China.
Etymology: The specific epithet of this new species is derived from the distinct longitudinal carinae of mesoand metanotum in female.
description: Published as part of Liu, Yi-Fan, Yang, Sheng-Chuan, Gu, Jun-Jie & Wang, Hai-Jian, 2024, Two new species of Interphasma Chen & He, 2008 (Phasmatodea: Phasmatidae: Clitumninae) from Yunnan, China, pp. 531-541 in Zootaxa 5446 (4) on pages 536-540, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5446.4.5, http://zenodo.org/record/11102184