Ocreatophasma fragile Hennemann & Conle 2024, gen. n., sp. n.
Creators: name: Hennemann, Frank H.
name: Conle, Oskar V.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2024
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Phasmida
Phasmatidae
Ocreatophasma
Ocreatophasma fragile

description: Ocreatophasma fragile gen. n., sp. n.   
urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: 88C2EDC1-AD5B-45FF-91F9-41EE23F5B0BB  
(Figs. 41A–B, 42C–E, 85M)  
 HT, ♀: Ecuador — Oriente, Shushufindi sud, 10 mars 1982, G. Couturier & G. Onore Coll.; Plantacíon V. Lopez; Lisière forestière en milieu secondarisé; Collection ORSTOM, Entomologie agricole [MNHN].   
 Diagnosis. Females of this new species readily differ those of the two other known species by the slenderer shape (Figs. 41A–B), elongate and almost cylindrical head, that is almost 2x longer than wide (Fig. 42C), much more pronounced nodes and tubercles of the head and mesonotum (Fig. 42C), bulgier subgenital platte (Figs. 42D–E) and dorsal lobe of the probasitarsi that is rather lamellate and slightly gradually decreases in height towards the apex.   
 Etymology. The name (fragilis lat. = fragile) is meant to refer to the very slender and delicate shpae f this new species. Neuter.   
 Description. ♀♀ (Figs. 41A–B): Rather small for the genus (body length 128.5 mm) with a distinctly tubercular mesonotum, a tapering anal segment that is notably longer than wide and a short subgenital plate that does not reach the tip of the abdomen. General colour of the unique holotype greyish buff and all over sparsely flecked with dark brown; abdomen somewhat darker due to preservation. All nodes and tubercles of the head and thorax light cream-coloured. Genae with a faintly indicated dark postocular streak, eyes drab and flecked with brown, the antennae orangey brown.   
Head (Fig. 42C): Almost cylindrical and 1.8x longer than wide, somewhat flattened dorsally and with the genae roughly parallel-sided; vertex with a slightly impressed coronal line. And the anterior portion between the eyes faintly indented. Frons between the bases of the antennae impressed and with two node-like swellings. A very few small nodes on vertex and a longitudinal row of five somewhat more pronounced but unevenly sized nodes on genae. Eyes slightly oval in outline and their length contained 2.8x in that of genae. Antennae reaching about half the way along abdominal segment II. Scapus moderately compressed dorsoventrally, roughly rectangular in dorsal aspect and about 2x longer than wide. Pedicellus round in cross-section, slightly constricting towards the apex and about half the length of scapus. Antennomere III slightly shorter and much narrower than pedicellus.  
Thorax: Pronotum about as long but slightly narrower than head, basically rectangular in shape and 2x longer than wide; very slightly narrowed pre-medially and the anterior margin slightly concave. Transverse median sulcus very faint, short and widely V-shaped; the median line distinctly impressed over entire length of segment. Just behind anterior margin with a deeply impressed transverse furrow that terminates in a small pit at each end; surface otherwise supplied with a few small nodes (Fig. 42C). Mesothorax 7.1x longer than prothorax and uniform in diameter. Mesonotum with a distinct medio-longitudinal carina that is particularly acute in the anterior portion; surface all over supplied with variably sized nodes and tubercles, the largest of which are rather peg-like and which gradually decrease in size and number towards the posterior of segment (Fig. 42C). Lateral surfaces with a fine longitudinal carina close and roughly parallel to lateral margins, which is set with unevenly sized nodes or small tubercles. Metanotum basically sculptured like mesonotum but all nodes and tubercles comparatively smaller and less pronounced; slightly less than half the length of mesonotum. Meso- and metapleurae with a fine, longitudinal marginal carina that is set with small node-like to conical tubercles (more pronounced on mesopleurae). Meso- and metasternum with a very prominent and acute medio-longitudinal keel and otherwise smooth (more distinct on mesosternum); the mesosternum with a further much narrower carina close to lateral margins (Fig. 85M).  
Abdomen: Median segment slightly more than one-third the length of metanotum, 2.5x longer than wide and slightly widening towards the posterior; lateral margins notably concave and the median line fairly indistinct. Segments II–VII uniform, in diameter. II 2x longer than median segment and about 5x longer than wide. III and V slightly sub-equal in length, VI somewhat shorter than all preceding and VII only half the length of VI. Terga II–VII minutely granulose and with a fine longitudinal ridge parallel and close to lateral margins; the medio-longitudinal carina terminating in a spiniform posterior projection on VI–IX (Fig. 42D). Sterna very minutely granulose and with a faint medio-longitudinal keel. Praeopercular organ on sternum VII formed by two small and closely spaced peg-like projections near posterior margin. Terga VIII–X narrower than all preceding and distinctly keeled medio-longitudinally. VIII slightly trapezoidal in dorsal aspect with posterior margin somewhat wider than anterior margin and slightly more than half the length of VII; posterolateral angles protruded into a small and obtuse triangular tooth. IX about four-fifths the length of VIII, wider than long, gradually narrowing towards the posterior and with the lateral margins weakly deflexed. Anal segment slightly longer than wide and weakly narrowing towards the posterior, the posterior margin obtusely 4–dentate with the lateral angles slightly protruded and an indention medially and the lateral margins somewhat deflexed (Fig. 42D). Epiproct small, scale-shaped and just weakly projecting beyond posterior margin of anal segment. Cerci small, slightly narrowed towards an obtusely rounded apex and somewhat projecting beyond posterior margin of anal segment. Paraprocts moderately enlarged but concealed under anal segment. Gonapophyses VIII slender, gently upcurved an reaching to tip of subgenital plate. The subgenital plate moderately bulgy longitudinally and narrowly scoop-shaped with the apical portion gradually narrowing towards a fairly acute tip that roughly reaches to the tip of the abdomen (Figs. 42D–E).  
Legs: Profemora somewhat longer than mesothorax, mesofemora longer than metathorax and metafemora reaching half the way along abdominal segment IV. Posterodorsal carina of protibiae blade-like and strongly deflexed as typical for the genus and almost uniform in height along entire length of protibia. Dorsal carina of probasitarsus strongly raised, deflexed and forming a lobe that has the upper margin almost straight but weakly declining towards the apex of tarsus; about as long as remaining tarsomeres taken together. Tarsomere II–IV also with dorsal carina forming an obtusely triangular tooth. Meso- and metabasitarsi slightly longer than following three tarsomeres combined.  
 Comments. Males and eggs unknown. Measurements in table 24.
description: Published as part of Hennemann, Frank H. & Conle, Oskar V., 2024, Studies on Neotropical Phasmatodea XXVI: Taxonomic review of Cladomorformia tax. n., a lineage of Diapheromerinae stick insects, with the descriptions of seven new genera and 41 new species (Phasmatodea: Occidophasmata: Diapheromerinae), pp. 1-454 in Zootaxa 5444 (1) on pages 123-124, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5444.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/11071464