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

description: Lanceobostra torquata sp. n.   
urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: 428EC0BB-0440-4485-9ECC-D3B3BEFF2771  
(Figs. 38C, 38N–O, 39O–Q)  
 HT, ♂: Mexico, Cuernacava; W. v. Fuchs ded., Eing. 12/1938; PHA 111, Zoologisches Museum Hamburg [ZMUH].   
 Diagnosis. Males of this new species, the only sex known, are similar to those of L. similis (Redtenbacher, 1908) comb. n. but differ from this and from all other known ♂♂ of the genus by the conspicuous shape of the cerci, which by name are paddle shaped, concave interiorly and have the apical half twisted to the interior by about 180° (Figs. 39 O-Q. Moreover, they are well characterised by the two prominent, globose swellings between the eyes.   
 Etymology. The name (torquere lat. = to turn, spin, twist) refers to the characteristically twisted cerci of ♂♂ of this new species. Feminine.   
 Description. ♂♂ (Fig. 38C): Moderately sized (body length 94.0 mm), slender and of typical shape for the genus with two prominent swellings between the eyes and distinctively torquate cerci (Fig. 39O–Q). Body surface slightly glossy, meso- and metanotum and pleurae very weakly, minutely and sparsely granulose. General colour of the unique holotype pale buff, the abdomen with a slight greenish wash. Lower portions of genae and lateral portions of abdominal tergum as well as anterolateral angles of anal segment white; the lateral margins of abdominal tergum IX black ventrally. Frons with a black transverse stripe (Fig. 38N) and a faint pale cream transverse band on vertex just behind the eyes; eyes drab. Meso- and metatibiae with four faint straw-coloured annulae. Antennae orange mid brown.   
Head (Figs. 38N–O): Elongate, sub-cylindrical, 1.6x longer than wide, broadest just behind the eyes and notably narrowed in the posterior half; vertex flattened and with two small, obtuse median swellings at posterior margin. Frons with a deeply impressed, gently curved furrow, which reaches from one eye to the other; in front with four obtuse tubercles, just behind the furrow with a deep C-shaped impression and between eyes with two prominent, globose swellings each of which bears an obtuse central point. Eyes circular in outline, projecting hemispherical and their diameter contained 2.1x in length of genae. Antennae reaching about two-thirds the way along abdominal segment IV. Scapus moderately compressed dorsoventrally, almost 1.4x longer than wide and with the interior margin gently convex. Pedicellus cylindrical and 0.6x length of scapus and III slightly longer but notably narrower than pedicellus.  
Thorax: Pronotum slightly shorter and narrower than posterior portion of head, basically rectangular in dorsal aspect and about 2x longer than wide; lateral margins weakly convex. A deep pit near each anterolateral angle, the transverse median sulcus distinctly impressed, straight but merely represented as a short central impression (Figs. 38N–O). Mesothorax uniform in diameter and 7.7x longer than prothorax. Mesonotum and mesopleurae very weakly, minutely and sparsely granulose. Metanotum roughly one-third the length of mesonotum, sculpturing of notum and pleurae alike. Mesosternum weakly tectate medio-longitudinally, metasternum simple.  
Abdomen: Median segment slightly shorter than metanotum with the lateral margins gently concave. Segment II somewhat shorter than median segment, II–VI roughly uniform in length and on average 4.4x longer than wide, VII shorter and only four-fifth the length of preceding; all uniform in diameter. VIII trapezoidal, widening towards posterior and only half the length of VII. IX widest segment, widened anteriorly, the posterior half narrowed and parallel-sided in dorsal aspect; lateral margins strongly deflexed and convex in outline. Anal segment about as long as IX and almost rectangular in dorsal aspect with the posterior margin truncated and almost straight; dorsal surface with a fine but acute medio-longitudinal carina; about 2x longer than wide (Fig. 39P). Ventral surface of anal segment covered with small, obtuse denticles in the posterior one-quarter. Epiproct very small, triangular and fully concealed by anal segment. Vomer elongate, slender arcuate with a bi-dentate apex and a deep longitudinal median furrow (Fig. 39Q). Cerci large, paddle-shaped, gently incurved, carinate dorsally and ventrally, canaliculate with the interior surface hollow and the apical half twisted by about 180°; projecting beyond tip of abdomen by about half the length of anal segment (Figs. 39O–Q). Poculum moderately convex, cup-shaped and angular in lateral aspect (Fig. 39O) with the posterior portion carinate longitudinally and the posterior margin acuminate medially (Fig. 39Q).  
Legs: All long, slender and entirely unarmed. Profemora a little longer than mesothorax, mesofemora somewhat shorter than mesothorax combined and metafemora slightly projecting over posterior margin of abdominal segment IV and metatibiae projecting greatly over apex of abdomen. Basitarsi elongate, slender and slightly longer than remaining tarsomeres combined.  
 Comments. A second ♂ from the same locality is contained in the collection of UNAM, but was only briefly examined. Females and eggs unknown.   
 Table 22: Measurements of Lanceobostra torquata sp. n.
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 117-118, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5444.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/11071464