Prexaspes guianensis, Conle & Hennemann & Bellanger & Lelong & Jourdan & Valero, 2020

Conle, Oskar V., Hennemann, Frank H., Bellanger, Yannick, Lelong, Philippe, Jourdan, Toni & Valero, Pablo, 2020, Studies on neotropical Phasmatodea XX: A new genus and 16 new species from French Guiana, Zootaxa 4814 (1), pp. 1-136 : 80-85

Prexaspes guianensis n. sp.

( Figs. 39–41 )

HT, ♂: Französisch Guyana, Umgebung von Matoury, 30m, 4°51‘N, 52°21‘W, 21. & 22.09.2001, leg. Conle & Hennemann; ex. coll. OC; OC-298-33 [ ZSMC] .

PT, 6 ♀♀, 8 ♂♂: Französisch Guyana: Umgebung von Matoury, 30m, 4°51‘N, 52°21‘W, leg. Conle & Hennemann 21.– 22.09.2001 [coll. OC, No. 0298-13, 0298-4, 0298-5, 0298-6, 0298-7, 0298-9, 0298-24, 0298-26, 0298-29, 0298-30, 0298-31, 0298-32, 0298-34, 0298-35] .

PT, 2 ♀♀, 1 ♂: Französisch Guyana: Montagnes de Roura, Piste de Kaw, 200m, 4°38‘N, 52°16‘W, leg. Conle & Hennemann 26.09.2001 [Coll. OC, No. 0298-14, 0298-25, 0298-3] .

PT, 6 ♀♀, 5 ♂♂: Französisch Guyana: Montagne Grand Matoury, 10m, 4°53‘N, 52°20‘W, leg. Conle & Hennemann 20.,24.& 30.09.2001 [coll. OC, No. 0298-1, 0298-10, 0298-11, 0298-12, 0298-2, 0298-8, 0298-23, 0298-27, 0298-28, 0298-36, 0298-38] .

PT, 1 ♀: Französisch Guyana: Commune de Matoury, Réserve du Mont Grand Matoury, 4°51‘N– 52°21‘W, 215m, S.E.A.G., leg. Stéphane Brûlé 22.10.2011 [coll. OC, No. 0298-15] .

PT, 1 ♂: Französisch Guyana: Commune de Matoury, Réserve du Mont Grand Matoury, 4°51‘N– 52°21‘W, 215m, S.E.A.G., leg. Stéphane Brûlé 22.10.2011 [coll. OC, No. 0298-16] .

PT, 2 ♀♀: Französisch Guyana: Commune de Kourou , Savane des Pères, Ancienne exploitation, PK 16, 5°06‘33,40‘‘N 52°38‘12,00‘‘W, S.E.A.G., leg. Stéphane Brûlé 30.08.2011 [coll. OC, No. 0298-17, 0298-18] .

PT, 1 ♀: Französisch Guyana: Commune de Matoury, Réserve du Mont Grand Matoury, forest edge, 4°51‘N– 52°21‘W, 215m, S.E.A.G., leg. Stéphane Brûlé 27.07.2014 [coll. OC, No. 0298-19] .

PT, 1 ♀: Französisch Guyana: Commune de Matoury, Réserve du Mont Grand Matoury, 4°51‘N– 52°21‘W, 215m, S.E.A.G., leg. Stéphane Brûlé 14.09.2014 [coll. OC, No. 0298-20] .

PT, 1 ♀: Französisch Guyana: Commune de Roura, Montagne des Chevaux, RN2 PK22 4°44’56”N– 52°26’28”W, 75m, S.E.A.G., leg. Stéphane Brûlé 30.11.2013 [coll. OC, No. 0298-21] .

PT, 1 ♀: Französisch Guyana: Commune de Matoury, Réserve du Mont Grand Matoury, forest edge, 4°51’N– 52°21’W, 215m, S.E.A.G., leg. Stéphane Brûlé 08.09.2014 [coll. OC, No. 0298-22] .

PT, 1 ♂: Französisch Guyana: Centre Spatial Guyanais, RN 1, Korou—Sinnamary 50km, Malmanoury Route, 5°15’N, 52°54’W, leg. Conle & Hennemann 25. & 26.09.2001 [coll. OC, No. 0298-37] .

PT, 1 ♀: Französisch Guyana: Commune de Roura, Montagne des Chevaux, RN2 PK22 4°44’56”N– 52°26’28”W, 75m, S.E.A.G., Lichtfang, leg. Stéphane Brûlé 26.12.2015 [coll. OC, No. 0298-39] .

PT, 1 ♀: Französisch Guyana: Commune de Macouria , Forêt de Maya, Reliquat forestier bordé de savanes, N 4°57’19,00” W 52°27’37,00”, S.E.A.G., Lichtfang, leg. Stéphane Brûlé 12.12.2015 [coll. OC, No. 0298-40] .

PT, 1 ♂: Französisch Guyana: Commune de Roura, Montagne des Chevaux, RN2 PK22 4°44’56”N– 52°26’28”W, 75m, S.E.A.G., Lichtfang, leg. Stéphane Brûlé 08.06.2013 [coll. OC, No. 0298-41] .

PT, 1 ♂: Französisch Guyana: Commune de Roura, Montagne des Chevaux, RN2 PK22 4°44’56”N– 52°26’28”W, 75m, S.E.A.G., leg. Stéphane Brûlé 12.12.2015 [coll. OC, No. 0298-42] .

PT, 1 ♂: Französisch Guyana: Commune de Macouria , Forêt de Maya, Reliquat forestier bordé de savanes, N 4°57’19,00” W 52°27’37,00”, S.E.A.G., Lichtfang, leg. Stéphane Brûlé 19.12.2015 [coll. OC, No. 0298-43] .

PT, 1 ♂: Französisch Guyana: Commune de Roura, Montagne des Chevaux, RN2 PK22 4°44’56”N– 52°26’28”W, 75m, S.E.A.G., Lichtfang, leg. Stéphane Brûlé 04.06.2016 [coll. OC, No. 0298-44] .

PT, 1 ♂: Französisch Guyana: Commune de Roura, Montagne des Chevaux, 4°44’31”N– 52°25’53”W, 90m, S.E.A.G., Automatic light trap blue, leg. Stéphane Brûlé 01.12.2018 [coll. OC, No. 0298-45] .

PT, 1 ♂: Französisch Guyana: Commune de Roura , Savane Nancibo, S.E.A.G., Hand catching, leg. Stéphane Brûlé 01.12.2018 [coll. OC, No. 0298-46] .

PT, 1 ♂: Französisch Guyana: Commune de Roura , Savane Nancibo, S.E.A.G., Hand catching, leg. Stéphane Brûlé 01.12.2018 [coll. OC, No. 0298-47] .

PT, 15 ♂♂, 13 ♀♀, 19 eggs: Französisch Guyana, Montagne Grand Matoury, 10 m, 4°53´N, 52°20´W, leg. Hennemann & Conle, 20., 24. & 30. IX. 2001 [coll. FH, No’s 0479-1 to 28 & E] .

PT, 1 ♂: GUY15-018, Guyane française, RN2 Prospérité, N 5°27.568’W 53°52.736’, 31-VII-2015 rec. T. Jourdan [ ASPER-PL] .

PT, 1 ♀: GUY15-052, Guyane française, Montagne des Chevaux , N 4°42.720’W 52°23.519’, 16-VII-2015 rec. T. Jourdan [ ASPER-PL] .

PT, 1 ♂: GUY15-053, Guyane française, Montagne des Chevaux , N 4°42.720’W 52°23.519’, 16-VII-2015 rec. T. Jourdan [ ASPER-PL] .

PT, 1 ♂: GUY15-087, Guyane française, Montagne des Chevaux , N 4°42.720’W 52°23.519’, 15-VII-2015 rec. T. Jourdan [ ASPER-PL] .

PT, 1 ♀: GUY15-086, Guyane française, Route de Roura , N 4°42.847’W 52°18.227’, 25-VII-2015 rec. T. Jourdan [ ASPER-PL] .

PT, 1 ♂: Guyane, Montsinéry , Risquetout PK 1, 04-I-2015, leg. A. Cahurel [ MNHN] .

PT, 4 eggs: from wild female GUY15-052, Montagne des Chevaux [ ASPER-PL] .

PT, 6 eggs: from wild female GUY15-052, Montagne des Chevaux [ ASPER-YB] .

Further material: 1 ♂: Guyane, Montsinéry , Risquetout PK 1, XII-2013, coll. F. Sonzogny, leg. A. Cahurel [ YB] .

Etymology. Named after its distribution in French Guiana.

Differentiation. This new species is similar to P. pholcus ( Westwood, 1859) and P. quadratum ( Bates, 1865) , but differs from both species by the smaller size, the distinctly stouter body, the shorter mesonotum, the longer legs reaching the posterior margin of tergum IX, the head which is about as long as wide (longer than wide in the other species).

Description. ♀ ( Fig. 39 ). Small and stocky for the genus. Length of body 49.8–58.0 mm. General colour of body dark brown. Head brown to dark brown with numerous rows of tiny creamish white to beige granules and spots and some broken black lines. Eyes pale beige, antennae brown with indistinct yellowish beige annulations. Thorax dark brown, also covered with many tiny beige to yellowish granules; having a broad beige dorsomedian band reaching from anterior margin of pronotum to centre of mesonotum. Mesonotum hardly longer than pronotum. Metapleurae dark brown to dark beige with some black spots. Tegmina brown to dark brown with dark yellow to reddish yellow veins and a few yellowish spots laterally; acute and black apices on the sub-basal elevations. Costal area of alae dark brown to brown with reddish brown veins, sometimes. Anal area of alae uniformly brown translucent with fine brown veins. Abdomen dark brown to brown with some tiny paler spots. Sternum VII with an indistinct praeopercular organ, forming a slight swelling in the centre, framed by two longitudinal ridges. Cerci slightly shorter than anal segment. Subgenital plate flat, slender and broadened towards posterior, posterior margin with pointed apex, at best reaching posterior margin of tergum IX. Legs mottled in brown and beige, knees in darker brown to black, mesofemora about as long as pro- and mesonotum combined. Meso- and metabasitarsi 2x longer than the second tarsomere.

Measurements PT [mm]: Body 49.8–55.0, pronotum 3.0–3.1, mesonotum 4.5–4.6, metanotum 5.0, median segment 5.4, tegmina 8.0–9.0, alae 34.2–39.0, profemora 9.5–10.5, mesofemora 6.5–7.4, metafemora 9.0–9.6, antennae 31.8–32.6.

♂ ( Figs. 40–41 ). Length of body 35.0– 43.5 mm. Similar to ♀, but smaller and more slender. Anal segment dis- tinctly longer than cerci. Poculum small and flat, tapered towards apex with posterior margin flat; reaching posterior margin of tergum IX.

Measurements HT [mm]: Body 39.5, pronotum 2.2, mesonotum 2.9, tegmina 4.7, alae 24.1, profemora 10.1, mesofemora 5.6, metafemora 8.9, antennae 41.2.

Measurements PT [mm]: Body 35.0–43.5, pronotum 1.9–2.3, mesonotum 3.8–3.4, metanotum 2.7–3.2, median segment 3.6, tegmina 4.5–5.5, alae 23.0–26.7, profemora 8.3–10.6, mesofemora 5.3–6.2, metafemora 8.1–8.7, antennae 36.5–47.3.

Egg ( Fig. 39 ). Brown, almost round in cross-section and about twice as long as wide; the ventral surface flattened and with a pale adhesive area where the eggs are fixed to supports like branches and twigs. Micropylar plate small, almost circular in outline, positioned in the centre of capsule. Operculum slightly oval and strongly slanted towards micropylar plate. Dorsal surface of capsule and operculum covered with dense fine setae. Measurements PT [mm]: length 3.2, width 1.7, height 1.8.

Distribution. This small new species is restricted to French Guiana: Commune de Roura, Montagne des Chevaux [coll. OC, coll. ASPER]; Commune de Roura, Savane Nancibo [coll. OC]; Commune de Matoury, Réserve du Mont Grand Matoury [coll. FH, coll. OC]; Commune de Macouria, Forêt de Maya [coll. OC]; Commune de Kourou, Savane des Pères [coll. OC]; Montagne Grand Matoury [ZSMC, coll. OC]; Centre Spatial Guyanais [coll. OC]; Commune de Macouria [coll. OC]; Route de Roura [coll. ASPER]; Montsinery [MNHN, YB].

Figures

FIGURE 39. Female (PT) and egg (PT) of Prexaspes guianensis n. sp. a–c. habitus: a. ventral; b. lateral; c. dorsal; d–f. head, prothorax and mesothorax: d. ventral; e. dorsolateral; f. dorsal; g–i. apex of abdomen: g. ventral; h. lateral; i. dorsal; j–l. egg: j. dorsal; k. lateral; l. frontal.

FIGURE 40. Male (HT) of Prexaspes guianensis n. sp. a–c. habitus: a. ventral; b. lateral; c. dorsal.

FIGURE 41. Male (PT) of Prexaspes guianensis n. sp. a–c. habitus: a. ventral; b. lateral; c. dorsal; d–f. head, prothorax and mesothorax: d. ventral; e. lateral; f. dorsal; g–i. apex of abdomen: g. ventral; h. lateral; i. dorsal.