Cnipsomorpha yuxiensis, Xu & Jiang & Yang, 2023

Xu, Fangling, Jiang, Yingjie & Yang, Maofa, 2023, Descriptions of two new stick insect species of Cnipsomorpha Hennemann, Conle, Zhang & Liu (Phasmatodea) from China based on integrative taxonomy, ZooKeys 1176, pp. 37-53 : 37

Cnipsomorpha yuxiensis sp. nov.

Fig. 2

Type material.

Holotype. One female. Ailaoshan Primeval Forest, Gasha, Xinping, Yuxi, Yunnan, China, alt. 2400 m. 8 May 2015. Collectors: Bin Yan, Yunfei Wu. Specimen code: YNYX150508001-1. Allotype. One male. Same data as holotype. Specimen code: YNYX150508001-2. Specimen used for DNA extraction. Paratype. One female. Jinshanyakou, Ailaoshan, Xinping, Yuxi, Yunnan, China. alt. 2377-2413 m, 17 May 2015, leg. Bin Yan. Specimen code: YNYX150507002.

Differential diagnosis.

The female of C. yuxiensis sp. nov. is similar to C. trituberculata Ho, 2021. In C. yuxiensis sp. nov., the anterodorsal and posterodorsal carinae of femora bear inconspicuous serrations, where C. trituberculata exhibits distinct serrations. In C. yuxiensis sp. nov., the seventh abdominal sternum bears an indistinct preopercular organ, where C. trituberculata has a distinct preopercular organ. In C. yuxiensis sp. nov., the female middle area of the mesonotum shows nine spine-like tubercles, where C. trituberculata has twelve. The male of C. yuxiensis sp. nov. is similar to the C. viridis Ho, 2021. In C. yuxiensis sp. nov., the sixth abdominal tergum is unarmed, where C. viridis has paired posterior medial spines. In C. yuxiensis sp. nov., the spines on the metanotum are not paired and are sparse, where C. viridis has0 paired posterior medial and pre-median spines.

Description.

Female (Fig. 2A, B, D, E ). Slender and granulated. Apterous. The color of the specimen in alcohol is generally yellowish to brown, with black markings.

Head nearly spherical, with sparse irregular granules. Compound eyes large, spherical, and protruding. Vertex of head with one pair of spines, apex pointed. Occiput without swelling, with six spine-like tubercles, one pair close to the edge, middle pair larger. Antennae filamentous, distinctly segmented, bristly, shorter than profemora. Scapus oval, longer than the third segment, third segment longer than the pedicellus.

Thorax slender, with distinct granules. Pronotum shorter than head, slightly longer than wide, transverse sulcus in middle area, longitudinal sulcus indistinct, posterior margins raised, with a pair of spine-like tubercles, anterior and posterior regions slightly convex. Mesonotum longer than length of head and pronotum combined, mesonotum raised, anteromedially with eleven tubercles. Midline of mesonotum with seven spine-like tubercles, six of which form three pairs, one tubercle in the area between two pairs of large spine-like tubercles, the first smaller and the remaining four on both sides. Posterior region of mesonotum with one pair of spine-like tubercles. Middle area of metanotum raised, with three pairs of spine-like tubercles, two pairs near the midline, one pair in the middle area near the margins, rear pair largest, and rear margins with one pair of spine-like tubercles. Meso- and metapleurae and meso- and metasternum with granules.

Abdomen slender with distinct granules, and with spine-like tubercles whose apexes lean towards the apex of abdomen. Median segment shorter than metanotum, with two pairs of very small spine-like tubercles, with distinct granules.

Terga II-V with three pairs of spine-like tubercles, gradually increasing in size to tergum IV (largest), middle pair closest to midline, anterior pair next closest to midline, posterior pair closest to posterior margins (Fig. 2B ). Tergum V tubercles smaller than those of tergum II. Posterior margins of tergum VIII with one spine-like tubercle, and posterior area of tergum IX with parallelogram-like bulge (Fig. 2E ). Expanded posterolateral angles of terga I-IX spade-like, 1st indistinct, 2nd-7th gradually increasing in size, 8th-9th gradually decreasing in size. Sternum VII with indistinct preopercular organ. Anal segment longer than tergum IX but shorter than tergum VIII, posterior margins with deep concavity, and posterior area dilated with two long, distinct, spade-like segments. Subgenital plate boat-like, with three carina, each ridge (except middle one) with a peak, apex pointed but does not surpass posterior margins of anal segment. Cerci distinct, slightly surpassing posterior margins of anal segment, apex blunt (Fig. 2D, E ).

Legs lender and with serrations, all antero- and posterodorsal carina of femora apex extend and pointed. All coxa with tubercles, one or two small spine-like tubercles (or none). Profemora incurved basally, antero- and posterodorsal carina with five indistinct peaks, antero- and posteroventral carina with five serrations, base spine very small, with rest basically the same size. Antero- and posterodorsal carina of mesoforma with three peaks, antero- and posteroventral carina with three serrations. Antero- and posterodorsal carina of metaforma with five peaks, antero- and posteroventral carina with three serrations. All tibiae unarmed, with two or three peaks, except for prominent mesotibial bulge, with rest relatively shallow. Each basitarsus shorter than the rest of the tarsus combined.

Male (Fig. 2A, C, F, G ) more slender than female, granulated. Apterous. Color of specimen in alcohol is generally yellowish to brown, with black markings.

Head nearly spherical, with sparse irregular granules. Vertex of head with one pair of spines. Compound eyes spherical and protruding. Occiput without swelling, with four pairs of spine-like tubercles, two close to the middle, one each on anterior and posterior margins, one pair (different sizes) in posterior area. Antennae filamentous, distinctly segmented, bristly, shorter than profemora; scapus shorter than third segment but longer than pedicellus.

Thorax slender with irregular granules. Pronotum shorter than head, anterior margins with distinct transverse sulcus, middle area raised, posterior area slightly sunken, and posterior area raised with one pair spine-like tubercles. Mesonotum longer than head and pronotum combined. Middle and posterior areas with one pair each of spine-like tubercles, one pair largest in the middle. Metanotum shorter than mesonotum, and tubercles same size as mesonotum. Meso- and metapleurae with granules. Meso- and metasternum with granules and sparse, irregular, spine-like tubercles.

Abdomen slender, cylindrical, with granules, and with irregular black ring. Terga II-V with one pair of spine-like tubercles posteromedially, their apexes directed towards the apex of abdomen (Fig. 2C ). Terga I-IX with expanded posterolateral angles with spine-like shape and pointed apex. Posterior margins of tergum IX expand outward and backward. With Y-shaped vomer of abdominal segment IX, and apex exceeding the posterior margins of anal segment (X) (Fig. 2F, G ). Anal segment with deep concavity, and posterior area dilated as two distinct segments, the two side plates bent inwards, their apexes in contact. Poculum with pocket-like shape, middle area with peak, and apex blunt and not exceeding the posterior margins of anal segment (Fig. 2G ).

Legs. slender, with granules. All coxae of legs with one or two small spine-like tubercles (or none). Profemora incurved basally, dorsal carina wavy but indistinct, antero- and posteroventral carina with four small serrations, posteroventral carina serrations larger than anteroventral carina. Dorsal carina of meso- and metafemora wavy and distinct, antero- and posteroventral carina with three serrations, larger serrations in posteroventral carina. Tibiae without distinct serrations, wavy but indistinct. Each basitarsus shorter than the rest of them combined.

Measurements are given in Table 3 .

Eggs unknown.

Distribution.

Yuxi, Yunnan, China.

Etymology.

This species is named after the type locality, Yuxi, Yunnan, China.

Comments.

One of the females lacks the mesofemur due to DNA extraction. It is very rare to be able to collect the specimens in a mating state in the wild but fortunately we were able to do so in this case (Fig. 2A ). The Y- shaped vomer of the male in this new species is quite different from that of all other species of Cnipsomorpha .

Figures

Figure 2. Features of Cnipsomorpha yuxiensis sp. nov. Female (A, B, F, G) and male (A, C-E) A male and female, in copulation, lateral view B body, dorsal view C body, dorsal view D end of abdomen, drawing of dorsal view E end of abdomen, lateral view F end of abdomen, dorsal view G end of abdomen, lateral view. Scale bars: 10 mm.