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

description: Neohirasea biserrata sp. nov. (Figs 1–5, 38–45)
Diagnosis. This new species is similar to N. maerens (Brunner von Wattenwyl, 1907), but can be diagnosed by unarmed occiput of head in both sexes, two pairs of spines placed between anterior margin and transverse sulcus on pronotum and unarmed third and fourth abdominal tergites in male and post-medially swollen mesonotum and paired spine-like praeopercular organ on seventh abdominal sternum in female.
Description. Male. Body slender, smaller and much slender than female. Head oval, as long as pronotum. Vertex flat. Posterior margin of occiput with indistinct swellings. Median longitudinal furrow distinct, lateral longitudinal furrows indistinct. Compound eyes rounded and small. Antennae filiform, sparsely covered with long bristles, surpassing apices of protarsi; scapus flattened at base, about 1.5 times as long as pedicellus; third segment longer than combined length of scapus and pedicellus. Thorax rough, with sparse granules. Pronotum rectangular, longer than wide, anterior margin weakly incurved, posterior margin truncate; transverse and longitudinal sulci crossing at middle area, with a pair of spines on anterior margin, also with another paired spines just placed before transverse sulcus. Mesonotum rough, more than 3 times as long as pronotum, gently expanded posteriorly in second half, median longitudinal carina indistinct; armed with paired spines anteriorly and post-medially, posterior area also with another 2 paired spines, posterior pair minute; also with paired minute mediolateral spines, lateral margins with a few short and small spines. Mesopleurae with a spine near posterior area and a short supra-coxal spine. Metanotum longer than median segment, with paired minute spines pre-medially and paired spines post-medially, lateral margins with a minute spine pre-medially. Metapleurae with a spine medially and 2 supra-coxal spines. Median segment square, with paired spines posteriorly. Second tergum with paired spines posteriorly. Eighth tergum almost as long as ninth tergum. Anal segment as long as ninth tergum, constricted posteriorly after middle area, with a small emargination on posterior margin. Poculum cup-shaped, posterior margin rounded and surpassing anterior margin of anal segment. Cerci flattened, weakly incurved, apices rounded and not surpassing posterior margin of anal segment. Vomer with elongate apical part; apical part distinctly emarginated medially, posterior margin truncated with apically obtuse serrations. Legs slender and long, sparsely covered with short bristles, unarmed. All femora thicker than corresponding tibiae, posteroventral and anteroventral carinae with 2 small serrations near apices. Profemora curved basally.
Female. Similar to male, but distinctly larger and more robust. Head oval. Occiput and vertex flat. Posterior margin of head with 6 small swellings. Median longitudinal furrow distinct. Compound eyes rounded. Antennae filiform and long, sparsely covered with short bristles; scapus flattened basally, shorter than third segment; pedicellus shorter than scapus; third segment as long as combined length of scapus and pedicellus. Thorax rough, with wrinkles, granules and tubercles. Pronotum slightly shorter than head, anterior margin with a pair of short spines, apices pointing forwards, transverse and longitudinal sulci crossing at middle area. Mesonotum constricted anteriorly and posteriorly, distinctly swollen post-medially, median longitudinal carina distinct; armed with paired spines anteriorly, medially and posteriorly, also with paired minute posterolateral spines; lateral margins with small and short tubercle-like spines. Mesopleurae with a short tubercle-like spine on posterior area and a short tubercle-like supra-coxal spine. Metanotum longer than median segment, median longitudinal carina distinct, with paired spines post-medially. Metapleurae with a short tubercle-like spine on posterior area and 2 short tubercle-like supra-coxal spines. Abdomen wrinkled, distinctly tapering posteriorly. Seventh sternum with paired spine-like praeopercular organ posteromedially. Ninth tergum shorter than eighth tergum, with a small crest posteromedially. Anal segment longer than ninth tergum, as long as eighth tergum, with 2 small emarginations on posterior margin. Subgenital plate mediolongitudinally carinate, scoop-shaped, apex pointed and reaching posterior margin of anal segment. Cerci small, flattened, apices pointed and not surpassing posterior margin of anal segment. Legs covered with short bristles. All femora thick-built, thicker than corresponding tibiae. Profemora curved basally. Anterodorsal, posterodorsal, anteroventral and posteroventral carinae of all femora with 2 small serrations near apices. All tibiae unarmed.
Measurements. Length. Body, ♂ 40.0–49.0 mm, ♀ 45.0–50.0 mm; antennae, ♂ 38.0–42.0 mm, ♀ 28.0–32.0 mm; head, ♂ 3.0 mm, ♀ 4.0 mm; pronotum, ♂ 3.0 mm, ♀ 3.5 mm; mesonotum, ♂ 10.5–12.5 mm, ♀ 10.5–11.5mm; metanotum, ♂ 3.0– 4.0 mm, ♀ 4.5–5.0 mm; median segment, ♂ 2.5–3.0 mm, ♀ 1.0 mm; profemora, ♂ 12.0–15.0 mm, ♀ 12.5–13.0 mm; mesofemora, ♂ 11.0–13.0 mm, ♀ 10.0–11.0 mm; metafemora, ♂ 14.0– 17.5 mm, ♀ 13.0–15.0 mm; protibiae, ♂ 15.0– 18.0 mm, ♀ 14.5–15.0 mm; mesotibiae, ♂ 12.0–15.0 mm, ♀ 10.5–12.0 mm; metatibiae, ♂ 18.0–22.0 mm, ♀ 16.0–18.0 mm.
Egg. Capsule grayish brown with olive-green markings, oval, densely granulated, posterior pole rounded. Micropylar plate yellowish brown, nearly rounded. Micropylar cup placed near posterior margin of micropylar plate. Median line indistinct. Operculum olive-green, with a dorsoventrally flattened capitulum, surface rugose.
Measurements. Capsule length 2.2 mm, width 1.6 mm, height 2.0 mm.
Material examined. Holotype ♂, Vietnam, Thua Thien Hue, Bachma Mountain, 18–19 September 2016, He Li (HKES). Paratypes. 5♂, 8♀, 10 eggs, same data as holotype (HKES & MMUE); 6♂, 5♀, Vietnam, Thua Thien Hue, Phu Loc, Bach Ma, 27–28 September 2011, Xingyue Liu (CAU & IEBR).
Distribution. Vietnam.
Etymology. The specific epithet of this new species is derived from the two small serrations on the posteroventral and anteroventral carinae of femora in both sexes.
description: Published as part of Ho, Wai-Chun George, 2018, The genus Neohirasea Rehn (Phasmatodea: Diapheromeridae: Necrosciinae) from Vietnam, pp. 37-51 in Zoological Systematics 43 (1) on pages 39-40, DOI: 10.11865/zs.201804, http://zenodo.org/record/4617666