Ocnophila serrata, Ghirotto & Engelking & Crispino, 2023

Ghirotto, Victor Morais, Engelking, Phillip Watzke & Crispino, Edgar Blois, 2023, Revision of the Neotropical stick insect genus Ocnophila (Phasmatodea: Diapheromeridae) with a new species from Colombia, Zootaxa 5296 (2), pp. 179-209 : 195-197

Ocnophila serrata sp. nov.

( Figs 12 , 13B )

Pygirhynchus iphiclus Westwood, 1859: 58 (Only the syntype specimen from Colombia).

Caulonia iphiclus , Bolívar 1890: 138; Kirby 1904: 344 (Only the syntype specimen from Colombia).

Parapygirhynchus iphiclus, Brunner 1907: 316 (Only the syntype specimen from Colombia).

Ocnophila iphicla, Zompro 2001: 234 ; Otte & Brock 2005: 229; Conle et al. 2011: 62; Brock et al. 2016: 178; Brock & Büscher 2022: 515 (Only the syntype specimen from Colombia).

>> Holotype, ♀ ( NHMUK): Iphiclus ♀ “west(?)” ; SYNTYPE; Columbia, 47 71; BMNH (E) #844575 ( Figs 12 , 13B ). – Formerly part of the syntype series of Ocnophila iphicla .

Etymology. The name of the species comes from the Latin word serratus meaning serrate and referring to its serrate ornamentations in body and legs.

Diagnosis. Ocnophila serrata sp. nov. females, the only known sex, can be differentiated from those of both species of the genus by its smaller size and more robust body especially the thorax, the femora with several granulations or serrations, strongly scalloped abdomen and taller terga VIII–IX.

Description.

Female ( Figs 12 , 13B ).

Colour ( Fig. 12 ). Entirely brown, with lighter to darker stains.

Head ( Fig. 12A–B, F ). Subrectangular, longer than wide, vertex convex; dorsally with several irregular granules and a central pair of lobed rugose prominences. Frontal convexity developed. Eyes relatively small, less than hemispherical. Antennae filiform, broken, reaching at least posterior region of mesonotum. Scapus dorsoventrally compressed, wide. Pedicel more than half the length of scapus, longer than wide. Antennae with at least 12 articles.

Thorax ( Fig. 12A–B, F ). Fairly rugose surface, with sparse minute setae, carinae and irregular granules of varying size mainly in the pronotum. Pronotum slightly longer than wide, slightly constricted premedially, slightly narrower anteriorly; rugose, with several irregular granules and a paramedial pair of large conical rugose granules near the posterior margin. Mesothorax slightly widening towards posterior. Mesothorax around 2.6x longer than prothorax; mesonotum, metanotum, mesepisternum and metepisternum with irregular round granules of varying size along the length. Mesothorax around 2.1x longer than metathorax. Meso and metanotum with rough carinae, a longitudinal medial one and a paramedial pair. Metanotum ca. 2.8x the length of median segment.

Legs ( Fig. 12A–B ). Anterior and hindlegs slightly longer than midlegs. Hindlegs exceeding end of the abdomen. Profemur longer than mesothorax. Profemur with basal curvature occupying slightly less than one half of the segment. Metafemur with a basal swelling occupying around one fourth of the length of the segment. Femora and tibiae with undulated round serrations larger in mid and hind femora. Carinae of femora and tibiae with sparse setae between them and bearing row of short porrect spiniform setae larger and conical in the tibiae. Basitarsi short, about the same size than the respective following three tarsomeres combined.

Abdomen ( Fig. 12A–E ). Surface rugose, with several paramedial carinae. Median segment well marked by a sulcus, around 0.35x the length of the metanotum, continuing the three carinae of metanotum. Tergum II–X wider than long, X much longer than wide ( Fig. 12C ). Terga II–V constricted except at anterior and posterior margins, forming a series of scallops laterally at dorsal view ( Fig. 12A, C ). Terga II–IX with three to four conspicuous pairs of paramedial longitudinal carinae, X with two pairs and a single medial longitudinal carina. Tergum X anteriorly tectiform and sloping down, posteriorly dorsoventrally compressed and conical to lanceolate, with round posterior margin, similar to a duck’s bill, 1.6–1.7x longer than wide ( Fig. 12C–D ); paramedial carinae short, not extending more than half the length of tergum, the lateralmost shorter ( Fig. 12D ). Sterna bearing thick paramedial carinae. Praeopercular organ swollen and rugose. Subgenital plate convex, with somewhat broad, round apex, reaching only less than one third the length of tergum X ( Fig. 12E ). Cerci short, compressed, with slightly lanceolate apex ( Fig. 12E ).

Measurements (in mm). Body (without cerci) 32.5, head 3.0, antennae at least 9, pronotum 2.4, mesonotum 6.6, metanotum 3.1, median segment 1.3, abdomen (excluding median segment) 16.1, cerci around 0.8, profemur 7.4, protibia 7.0, mesofemur 6.1, mesotibia 5.0, metafemur 7.5, metatibia 7.5.

Distribution. Known only from Colombia.

Figures

FIGURE 12. A–F. Ocnophila serrata sp. nov., female holotype:A. Habitus, dorsal view; B. Habitus, lateral view; C.Terminalia, dorsal view; D. Terminalia, lateral view; E. Terminalia, ventral view; F. Head and thorax, lateral view (mirrored). Photos courtesy of Paul D. Brock/Phasmida Species File, copyright NHMUK. Scale bars: 2 mm.

FIGURE 13. Comparison of Ocnophila iphicla, female paralectotype (A) and Ocnophila serrata sp. nov., female holotype (B) in dorsal view, at the same scale. Scale bar: 2 mm.