Pseudomicrophyllium faulkneri Cumming & Leong & Lohman 2017, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Cumming, Royce T.
name: Leong, Jing V.
name: Lohman, David J.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2017
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Phasmida
Phylliidae
Pseudomicrophyllium
Pseudomicrophyllium faulkneri

description: Pseudomicrophyllium faulkneri Cumming sp. nov.
(Figs. 8A&B, 9B, 10B&C, 11C)
HOLOTYPE: ♂: Philippines, North Luzon, Ifugao, Banaue (IX-2014) [Coll. RC 16-129]. (Deposited in the National Museum of the Philippines type collection. PNM)
Description. Description of the coloration based upon the dried specimen. Body length similar in size to known Microphyllium males but with antennae just over double the length of the characteristic short bead-like antennae of Microphyllium.
Coloration. Pale throughout most of the HT likely due to the drying process. The compound eyes are of a reddish brown coloration. Venation of the tegmina is of a yellow to orange color but this, too, is assumed to have been a vivid green in life.
Morphology. Head capsule broad with convex cheeks and vertex smooth with ~16 evenly spaced granules (Fig. 10B). Compound eyes large and bulbous, no ocelli. Antennae with 23 segments, long and slender with setae length that at times can be over twice the width of the segment it is protruding from (Fig. 10C). Apical antennomere cylindrical with rounded apex, about 2x longer than wide. Pronotum with an anterior margin twice as wide as the posterior margin, and lateral sides rather straight with a slight rim, wider rim on the anterior margin (Fig. 10B). Pronotum face smooth with 6 evenly spaced nodes, a slight groove along the median plane on the anterior half along with a slight perpendicular groove. Prosternum with slight uneven granulation throughout. Mesopraescutum with slightly narrowing lateral margins marked with 3 evenly spaced tubercles and disk face distinctly raised along the median plane marked with three tubercles, the one on the anterior rim is the smallest of the three and the posterior most at least 2X the size of the other two. Just lateral to the tubercles of the median plane are 2 nodes on each side on the mesopraescutum disk face (Fig. 10B). Mesopleurae only slightly diverging with four tubercles evenly spaced (Fig. 10B). Mesosternum with slight uneven granulation throughout. Tegmina (length 8.2 mm, maximum width 1.8 mm) rather small, extending to the middle of abdominal segment II. Alae (length 19.7 mm), well developed oval configuration, only slightly sclerotized on the exposed fold. Abdominal segment II slightly converging, segments III–IV gradually diverging with IV the widest segment, V–X gradually tapering towards the apex. Anal segment as long as wide and with a rounded apex. Poculum projecting well into the anal segment and covering a majority of the vomer (Fig. 11C). Profemora slender with a slight interior lobe on the anterior 1/5th as a small rounded triangle (Fig. 9B). Protibiae lacking both interior and exterior lobes (Fig. 9B). Exterior and interior lobe of meso- and metafemora gently rounded with interior lobes slightly serrate.
Measurements [mm]: Length of body (excludes cerci which are lacking in the HT) 27.8, length/width of head 2.4/2.3, length of pronotum 1.7, length of mesonotum 1.7, length of tegmina 8.3, greatest width of tegmina 1.8, length of alae 19.7, greatest width of abdomen 5.9, length of profemora 5.1, length of mesofemora 4.8, length of metafemora 5.4, length of protibiae 3.9, length of mesotibiae 3.6, length of metatibiae 4.5, length of protarsi 5.1, length of antennae 20.1.
Etymology. This new species is a patronym named in honor of David Faulkner of California, USA. Faulkner has been a mentor to the first author over the years and was the first to introduce him to forensic entomology.
description: Published as part of Cumming, Royce T., Leong, Jing V. & Lohman, David J., 2017, Leaf insects from Luzon, Philippines, with descriptions of four new species, the new genus Pseudomicrophyllium, and redescription of Phyllium (Phyllium) geryon Gray, 1843, (Phasmida: Phylliidae), pp. 101-131 in Zootaxa 4365 (2) on pages 112-113, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4365.2.1, http://zenodo.org/record/1117461