Decidia soranus ( Westwood, 1859 )

Conle, Oskar V., Hennemann, Frank H., Ramírez-Mora, Manuel A. & Quiróz, John A., 2009, Studies on neotropical Phasmatodea VIII: Revision of the genus Decidia Stål, 1875 with the description of a new species from Colombia (Phasmatodea: Pseudophasmatidae: Pseudophasmatinae: Anisomorphini), Zootaxa 2089, pp. 33-51 : 45-48

Decidia soranus ( Westwood, 1859)

( Figs. 5 – 6 , 17 )

Phasma soranus Westwood, 1859: 127 , pl. 17: 3 (Ƥ). HT, Ƥ: Colombia regione frigida Quindensi; E. Coll. (1830 – 73), W.W. Saunders, Purchased and pres. ’73 by Mrs. F.W. Hope; Type, Westwood, Phasma soranus ; Type Orth: 509, Phasma soranus Westwood, Hope Dept. Entomol. (OXUM, No. 509).

Decidia soranus, Stål, 1875: 57 , 96.

Kirby, 1904: 403.

Redtenbacher, 1906: 97.

Conle & Hennemann, 2002: 45, pl. 1: 9 & 8: 81 (Ƥ).

Otte & Brock 2005: 119.

Decidia sorana, Zompro 2004: 140 , fig. 78 (Ƥ).

Brachyelena hirsuta Hebard, 1933: 31 , pl. 2: 8. HT, Ƥ: Santa Elena, Colombia; XII. 28. 1930, (L. Agiular S. + C. H. Ballou); Brachyelena hirsuta Hebard , Type 5514 (ANSP). [Synonymised by Zompro, 2004: 140] Otte, 1978: 77.

Zompro 2004: 140. [ As a synonym of D. soranus ( Westwood, 1859) ] Otte & Brock, 2005: 109. [ As a synonym of D. soranus ( Westwood, 1859) ]

[Not: Decidia soranus (Westwood) ?, Rehn, 1904: 91 Misidentification. The immature Ƥ specimen recorded from La Paz, Bolivia is obviously a distinct species and does not belong in Decidia ]

Material examined [4 33; 6 Ƥ; 7 nymphs]. 1 3: Villavicencio, Meta, Colombia, (A. Maria), 1928, ( ANSP); 1 Ƥ: Colombia, Antioquia, San Pedro de los Milagros, vereda Cerezales, finca “La Polilla“, 2800 m, En bosque, 23 Oct., 2005, Grupo de Entolomogía ( CEUA 16817); 1 Ƥ: Colombia, Antioquia, Medellín, Santa Elena, En tronco, Jun., 1953, F. L. Gallego leg. ( MEFLG 12072); 1 Ƥ: Colombia, Antioquia, San Pedro de los Milagros, N6º27´51´´ W 75º33´38´´, 2471 m, Dic., 1981, Castro leg. ( MEFLG 12073); 1 Ƥ: Colombia, Antioquia, La Unión, N5º58´39´´ W 75º21´54´´, 2472 m, En residencia, Mar., 1980, V. Ramírez leg. ( MEFLG 12074); 1 Ƥ: Colombia, Antioquia, En maleza, Oct., 1991, Jiménez leg. ( MEFLG 12075); 1 Ƥ: Colombia, Antioquia, En Pinus patula, 1991 , G. Abril leg. ( MEFLG 12076); 2 33: Colombia, Antioquia, En Pinus patula, 1991 , G. Abril leg. ( MEFLG 14322, MEFLG 14323); 1 3: Colombia, Antioquia, Medellín, Santa Elena, En plantación, Oct. 1991, C. González leg. ( MEFLG 13424); 1 Ƥ nymph: Colombia, Antioquia, Yarumal, N7º4´7´´ W75º25´8´´, 2269 m, Jul. 1981, M. Arroyave leg. ( MEFLG 14317);.

2 Ƥ nymphs: Colombia, Antioquia, Medellín, Santa Elena, Mar., 1953, F. L. Gallego leg. ( MEFLG 14318, MEFLG 14319); 2 Ƥ nymphs: Colombia, Antioquia, Frontino, Páramo de Frontino, En Usnea sp. sobre Polylepis sp., Ene., 1985, R. Londoño y B. García legs. ( MEFLG 14320, MEFLG 14321); 2 33 nypmhs: Colombia, Antioquia, Frontino, Páramo de Frontino, En Usnea sp. sobre Polylepis sp., Ene. 1985, R. Londoño y B. García legs. ( MEFLG 14325, MEFLG 14326).

Distribution: Central Colombia (Western and Central Cordilleras: Antioquia and Meta, 2269 – 2588 m).

Diagnosis: Close to D. magnifica n. sp. with which it shares the presence of tegmina and alae, but at once distinguished by the brown general colouration and brown antennae. It furthermore differs by: the longer alae, which distinctly project over abdominal tergite VI; more distinct, pale venation of the tegmina and costal region of the alae, and more distinct ocelli of both sexes. 33 also differ by: the not hemispherically expanded lateral surfaces, presence of a median tooth on the lateral margin and much longer, finger-like posteromedian extension of the anal segment, as well as the apically more truncate cerci ( Fig. 17 ). Ƥ may additionally be distinguished from D. magnifica n. sp. by: the lack of lateral lobes on abdominal tergites VII – IX and longer subgenital plate which ± reaches the apex of the anal segment.

Description: The colouration is described from dried specimens, so care must be taken as it might have faded during the preservation process. The HT in OXUM is creamish mid brown and thus considerably paler than all other examined specimens. It was therefore omitted for the description of the colouration provided below.

Ƥ ( Fig. 5 ): Medium sized (body length 53.0 – 59.0 mm) and very robust for the genus with scale-like tegmina (5.3 – 7.9 mm) and well developed alae (24.6 – 26.6 mm).

Colouration: General colour of body dark brown to almost black. Abdominal tergites II – VI chestnutbrown with a bold black marking laterally, VII – IX with a faint washed mahogany coloured lateral patch. Posterior margins of pronotum and tergites II – IX with a black transverse stripe. Cerci dark brown. Eyes yellowish brown to reddish mid brown (believed to be yellow or orange in live). Antennae black basally and gradually becoming mid brown towards the apex. Tegmina and costal region of alae dark brown to black and of slightly velvet-like appearance, all veinlets straw to pale-brown and forming a conspicuous net-like structure. Anal region of alae translucent pale brown with mid brown veins. All femora dark red or reddish brown with the apical portion dark brown to black. Tibiae dark brown to black. Tarsi dark reddish brown to dark brown and ventrally covered with numerous yellowish to pale reddish bristles.

Head: Frons with a concave impression below the median ocellus. Ocelli well developed and arranged in a triangle.

Thorax: Mesonotum only about 1.2x longer than pronotum and with a very faint longitudinal median carina; roughly 1.3x longer than wide. Tegmina scale-shaped, broadly oval and with the posterior margin roundly truncate; slightly projecting over posterior margin of metanotum. Alae ± reaching to posterior margin of abdominal segment VII.

Abdomen: Median segment very slightly shorter than metanotum. Segments III – IV gradually widened, V – VI narrowed, IV widest. VII – X roughly of equal width. Anal segment with a very small posteromedian emargination. Cerci slightly projecting beyond posterior margin of anal segment; apex rounded. Subgenital plate tapered towards an acute apex which slightly projects beyond the anal segment.

Legs: Profemora considerably longer and mesofemora almost as long as combined length of head, pro- and mesonotum. Metafemora reaching to abdominal segment VII or VIII. Tarsi roughly 2/3 the length of corresponding tibiae.

33 ( Fig. 6 ): Medium sized (body length 44.1 – 46.5 mm) with scale-like tegmina (4.5 – 5.1 mm) and well developed alae (22.5 – 23.1 mm); slightly shorter and much more slender than Ƥ. Colouration as in Ƥ but slightly darker and abdominal tergites II – VI plain and coloured like rest of body.

Head: As in Ƥ.

Thorax: Mesonotum almost 2x longer than wide and about 1.6x longer than pronotum; structured as in Ƥ. Tegmina and alae as in Ƥ, alae reaching to posterior margin of abdominal segment VI.

Abdomen: Tergite IX with a distinct longitudinal lateral bulge. Anal segment with lateral surfaces gently convex, the posterior margin with a median indention and a rather elongate, finger-like projection at each outer corner. Cerci slightly constricted medially and with the apical portion broadened and laterally compressed. Poculum very bulgy, angular in lateral aspect and roughly reaching to apex of anal segment ( Fig. 17 ).

Legs: Relatively longer and more slender than in Ƥ. Profemora and mesofemora both longer than head, pro- and mesonotum combined. Metafemora reaching to abdominal segment VIII. Tarsi as in Ƥ.

Comments: Westwood (1859: 127) originally described Phasma soranus based on a single Ƥ HT in the collection of OXUM and provided an excellent illustration of the specimen ( Westwood, 1859: pl. 17: 3). The identity of the immature Ƥ recorded from La Paz, Bolivia by Rehn (1904: 91) was already doubted by Rehn himself, and indeed the insect does obviously not belong in Decidia . Despite the very precise illustration provided by Westwood (1859), Hebard (1933: 31) described the conspecific Colombian Brachyelena hirsuta , which was synonymised with D. soranus by Zompro (2004: 140). The single male specimen in ANSP from Villavicencio in Meta was possibly collected in the surrounding mountains, as the elevation of Villavicencio is Distribution and habitats. Central Cordilleras of Central and Southern Colombia and Ecuador between 2200 – 3000 m. According to Morrone (2006: 479, fig 2) the distribution of Decidia is restricted to the biogeographical province Cauca of the Northwestern South American Dominion. However, the data from male specimen of D. soranus from ANSP is doubtful, because it belongs to another biogeographical region completely different from the province Cauca, Villavicencio is a region that belongs to the eastern part of the Cordillera Oriental of Colombia, and is an area of lowlands (500 m) with high temperatures, perhaps this data is misleading, while the other data D. soranus and D. magnifica belong to ecosystems of high mountain weather conditions, heavy rainfall, high humidity and dominate the low temperatures (15 º C). They are ecosystems that are moist forests and lower parts of moorland. Dominant trees of these regions are: Cedrela sp. Tibuchina spp. Cecropia sp. Pouruma sp. Quercus humboldti , and Pinus patula . Collecting records note they have been found on lichen ( Usnea sp.) which are associated with Polylepis sp. ( Rosaceae ) and found in inland wetlands.

Figures

FIGURES 5 – 6. Decidia soranus (Westwood, 1859) 5. Ƥ (ANSP) [HT of Brachyelena hirsuta]. 6. 3 (MEFLG). FIGURES 7 – 8. Decidia magnifica n. sp. 7. Ƥ PT (MEFLG). 8. HT (MEFLG).

FIGURES 11 – 19: Genitalia of Decidia spp. [scale = 1 mm]. 11. D. blapoides (Redtenbacher, 1906), 3 (MNHN), apex of abdomen (lateral view). 12. D. blapoides (Redtenbacher, 1906), Ƥ HT (MNCN), apex of abdomen (lateral view). 13. D. doylei (Caudell, 1906), 3 (MNCN), apex of abdomen (lateral view). 14. D. doylei (Caudell, 1906), Ƥ (MNCN), apex of abdomen (lateral view). 15. D. magnifica n. sp., 3 HT (MEFLG), apex of abdomen (lateral view). 16. D. magnifica n. sp., Ƥ PT (MEFLG), apex of abdomen (lateral view). 17. D. soranus (Westwood, 1859), 3 (ANSP), apex of abdomen (lateral view). 18. D. magnifica n. sp., 3 HT (MEFLG), left cercus (caudal view). 19. D. doylei (Caudell, 1906), 3 (MNCN), anal segment and cerci (caudal view).