Renphasma, Nel & Delfosse, 2011

Nel, André & Genus, Emmanuel Delfosse, 2011, A New Chinese Mesozoic Stick Insect, Acta Palaeontologica Polonica 56 (2), pp. 429-432 : 429-430

Genus Renphasma nov.

Type species: Renphasma sinica sp. nov., by monotypy; see below. Etymology: Named after Dr.Ren Dong and Phasma . Gender feminine.

Diagnosis.—Tegmina RP in a rather distal position, near mid part of wing, with short branches; fork of MA opposite base of RP, with rather long branches, separation of MP from CuA rather far from MP + CuA base; MP forked but with rather short branches.

Renphasma sinica sp. nov.

Figs. 1 , 2 .

Etymology: From Latin sinica, China.

Holotype: MNHN A31857 (print and counterprint of a male imago).

Type locality: Beipiao City, Liaoning Province, China.

Type horizon: Lower Cretaceous, Yixian Formation.

Remark.—The forewing of this fossil was figured in Nel et al. (2010) but erroneously labelled as coming from the “Lower Cretaceous of Santana Formation, Brazil ”.

Diagnosis.—As for the genus, plus hind femora of male distinctly broadened.

Description.—Body 24.0 mm long; head apparently prognathous, 2.0 mm long, 3.0 mm wide; compound eyes broad, 1.0 mm apart, 1.0 mm diameter; two ocelli visible; pronotum 3.0 mm long, 4.8 mm wide, with anterior margin rounded; thorax 10.0 mm long, 6.0 mm wide; abdomen 12.0 mm long, 3.0 mm wide; cerci curved but without inner tooth, very long but rather narrow, 3.0 mm long; paraprocts 1.0 mm long, a long sclerotised hooked structure seems to correspond to the vomer (see discussion below; Fig. 1 ).

Forewing nearly complete; with a pattern of brown zones and transverse rows of hyaline spots ( Fig. 2 ); 19.3 mm long, 5.4 mm wide; no “precostal” area; concave ScP long and straight, extending 7.1 mm to wing apex; convex RA parallel at length to ScP, with few cross−veins between them; base of RP 7.8 mm of wing base; RP forked, ending 0.5 mm from wing apex; RP and MA well separated, with few cross−veins preserved between them; concavity of RP and convexity of MA weakly pronounced; M and CuA basally fused to R in a common stem; MP + CuA emerges from this stem 1.5 mm from wing base, MA separated from MP + CuA at the same point; fork of MA nearly opposite separation between RA and RP; branches of MA rather long; MP and CuA separated 2.2 mm from their origin; MP weakly concave and forked; CuA clearly convex, simple and straight; concave CuP simple and straight, reaching posterior wing margin, a weak but poorly preserved anterior branch of CuP reaching MP + CuA very near to its base; two simple and straight anal veins, anal area 1.3 mm wide.

Hindwing as long as forewing, with a pattern of colouration similar to that of forewing, but poorly preserved, with only the veins of anterior margin nearly complete ( ScP, RA, and RP); ScP and RA simple; RP forked; anal fan only partly preserved.

Legs long, fore femora 5.0 mm long, 0.8 mm wide; tibia 3.5 mm long, 0.5 mm wide; tarsi 2.5 mm long; middle femora 6.0 mm long, 0.5 mm wide; tibia 5.0 mm long, 0.5 mm wide; tarsi 3.5 mm long; hind femora 6.0 mm long, 1.5 mm wide; tibia 6.0 mm long, 0.5 mm wide; tarsi 3.5 mm long; hind femora distinctly broadened; mid and hind tarsi very long; all tarsi fivesegmented, with strong claws and an arolia ( Fig. 1 ); mid and hind tibiae folded against femora.

Figures

Fig. 1. Susumaniid stick insect Renphasma sinica gen. et sp. nov., holotype A31857, Beipiao City, China, Lower Cretaceous, Yixian Formation. Photographs of print (A) and counterprint (B).

Fig. 2. Susumaniid stick insect Renphasma sinica gen. et sp. nov., holotype A31857, Beipiao City, China, Lower Cretaceous, Yixian Formation. Photograph (A) and drawing (B) of tegmina.Abbreviations: CuA, cubitus anterior, CuP, cubitus posterior; MA, media anterior, MP, median posterior; RA, radius anterior; RP, radius posterior; ScP, subcosta posterior.