Asceles hirsutus Ho 2018, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Ho, Wai-Chun George
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2018
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Phasmida
Diapheromeridae
Asceles
Asceles hirsutus

description: Asceles hirsutus sp. nov. (Figs 1–4, 24–25, 36–37)   
 Diagnosis. This new species is related to A. tanarata Brock, 1999, but can be separated by large size, medial spine on tegmina and hairy legs in both sexes. This new species is also similar to A. diadema Redtenbacher, 1908 and A. margaritatus Redtenbacher, 1908, but can be separated by greenish brown colouration, short alae, medial spine on tegmina and long hairs on legs in both sexes.   
Description. Female. Body cylindrical, more robust and larger than male. General colour of body greenish brown. Legs greenish brown with darker markings. Head oval, roughly as long as pronotum. Vertex flat, densely covered with minute granules and interspersed with small acute granules. Occiput flat with distinct median and indistinct lateral longitudinal furrows, posterior margin with 6 indistinct small swellings. Compound eyes small and rounded, about 3 times as long as genae. Antennae long and filiform; scapus flattened basally, about 2 times as long as pedicellus, roughly as long as third segment. Pronotum, mesonotum, mesopleurae, metanotum and metapleurae densely covered with minute granules and interspersed with small acute granules, mesosternum and metasternum with inconspicuous granulations. Pronotum rectangular, longer than wide, with longitudinal and transverse sulci crossing before middle area, anterior margin curved inwards, posterior margin rounded. Mesonotum parallel-sided, with indistinct median longitudinal carina. Metanotum shorter than median segment. Abdomen cylindrical, tapering posteriorly, dorsal surface with sparse and inconspicuous minute granules and sparse small granules, ventral surface lacking granulations. Median segment trapezoidal, gently expanded posteriorly. Seventh sternum lacking praeopercular organ. Eighth tergum as long as ninth tergum. Anal segment longer than ninth tergum, with a small emargination on posterior margin. Supra-anal plate small, posterior margin rounded and surpassing posterolateral angles of anal segment. Subgenital plate scoop-shaped, flattened, posterior margin notched and not reaching posterior margin of anal segment. Cerci long, cylindrical, tapering posteriorly, apices obtuse. Legs unarmed, slender and long, very hairy. All femora roughly as long as corresponding tibiae. Profemora incurved basally. Tegmina small, scale-like, with a short spine medially. Alae short, almost reaching middle area of median segment.  
Male. Body slender and elongate, distinctly much slender than female. General colour of body and legs greenish brown. Head densely covered with minute granules and interspersed with small acute granules, oval, roughly as long as pronotum. Vertex and occiput flat, with distinct median longitudinal furrow, posterior margin with 4 small indistinct swellings. Compound eyes small and rounded, about 2.5 times as long as genae. Antennae long and filiform; scapus flattened basally, about 2 times as long as pedicellus, roughly as long as third segment. Thorax densely covered with small granules. Pronotum rectangular, longer than wide, anterior margin curved inwards, posterior margins rounded, longitudinal and transverse sulci crossing before middle area. Mesonotum parallel-sided, with faint median longitudinal line, lateral margins with a few short spine-like tubercles. Mesopleurae also with a few of short spine-like tubercles. Metanotum and median segment covered by wings. Abdomen lacking granulations. Eighth tergum as long as ninth tergum. Anal segment slightly shorter than ninth tergum, with a small emargination on posterior margin. Poculum cup-shaped, flattened, posterior margin rounded and not surpassing posterior margin of ninth tergum. Cerci cylindrical, long, apices obtuse. Legs unarmed, slender and long, very hairy. All femora roughly as long as corresponding tibiae. Profemora incurved basally. Tegmina oval and short, tapering anteriorly, posterior margin truncate, with a short spine medially. Alae short, apices reaching middle area of second abdominal tergum.  
Measurements. Length. Body, ♀ 80.0–82.0 mm, ♂ 60.0–67.0 mm; antennae, ♀ 71.0–75.0 mm, ♂ 64.0–77.0 mm; head, ♀ 5.5–6.5 mm, ♂ 4.0– 4.5 mm; pronotum, ♀ 5.5 mm, ♂ 3.5–4.0 mm; mesonotum, ♀ 16.0mm, ♂ 13.0– 14.5mm; metanotum, ♀ 3.0–4.0 mm, ♂ 2.0– 2.5 mm; median segment, ♀ 5.0– 5.5 mm, ♂ 4.0–5.0 mm; profemora, ♀ 22.0– 22.5 mm, ♂ 20.0– 23.0 mm; mesofemora, ♀ 14.0–15.0 mm, ♂ 12.0–15.0 mm; metafemora, ♀ 23.0–24.0 mm, ♂ 19.0–23.0 mm; protibiae, ♀ 22.0–23.0 mm, ♂ 20.0–24.0 mm; mesotibiae, ♀ 14.0– 14.5 mm, ♂ 12.0–14.0 mm; metatibiae, ♀ 24.0–25.0 mm, ♂ 21.0– 25.0 mm; tegmina, ♀ 2.0– 2.5 mm, ♂ 2.0– 2.5 mm; alae, ♀ 2.5–3.0 mm, ♂ 8.0–9.0 mm.  
Egg. Capsule brown, densely granulated, oval, tapering posteriorly, posterior pole acute. Micropylar plate oval. Micropylar cup placed at two-thirds of micropylar plate. Median line about one-half length of micropylar plate. Operculum dark brown, with minute serrations submarginally, also with an elongated and flattened capitulum.  
Measurements. Capsule length 4.0 mm, width 2.4 mm, height 2.8 mm.  
Material examined. Holotype ♀, Vietnam, Thua Thien Hue, Bachma Mountain, 18–19 September 2016, He Li (HKES). Paratypes. 2♀, 6♂, 11 eggs, same data as holotype (HKES & MMUE).  
Distribution. Vietnam.  
Etymology. The specific epithet of this new species is derived from the hairy legs in both sexes.
description: Published as part of Ho, Wai-Chun George, 2018, New taxa of Necrosciinae from Vietnam (Phasmatodea: Diapheromeridae), pp. 178-189 in Zoological Systematics 43 (2) on pages 179-180, DOI: 10.11865/zs.201816, http://zenodo.org/record/5366000