Pericentrus Redtenbacher, 1908

Hennemann, Frank H., Conle, Oskar V., Zhang, Weiwei & Liu, Ye, 2008, Descriptions of a new genus and three new species of Phasmatodea from Southwest China (Insecta: Phasmatodea), Zootaxa 1701, pp. 40-62 : 51-52

Pericentrus Redtenbacher, 1908

Type-species: Pericentrus moewisi Redtenbacher, 1908: 351 [= Phasma (Acanthodera) bicoronata Westwood, 1848 ], by subsequent designation of Hebard, 1923: 359.

Pericentrus Redtenbacher, 1908: 351 (in part – only Indian species, No’s 1 & 2). Hebard, 1923: 359.

Günther, 1938: 130 ff.

Otte & Brock, 2005: 259 (in part).

Description. ΨΨ, ɗɗ: Small to moderately sized and robust Lonchodinae (body lengths: ɗɗ39.0–47.0 mm, ΨΨ47.0–51.0 mm), with an extremely spinose head and body, conspicuously swollen mesothorax (ΨΨin particular) and prominently dentate or lobate legs. Spines of the head and body often composite, aggregated in clusters, or forming spinose crest-like structures. Colouration green and brown, lichen- or moss-like. Thorax and most of abdomen with a fine longitudinal median carina dorsally (Ψfm in particular). Head indistinctly longer than wide and globose, vertex convex, ± conical and strongly spinose. A pair of supra-orbital spines present. No ocelli. Eyes small, circular and projecting hemispherically. Antennae filiform and> 2/3 the length of body; consisting of> 25 segments. Antennomeres elongate, increasing in length towards apex of antennae and club-like apically. Pronotum slightly shorter and narrower than the head, rectangular and spinose dorsally. Mesothorax of ΨΨconspicuously swollen medially and constricted anteriorly, of ɗɗ almost parallel-sided with median swelling very faint; at least 2.5x longer than prothorax (comparatively longer in ɗɗ). Mesonotum covered with numerous prominent and composite spines; central portion in ΨΨconvex and usually armed with a prominent cluster of spines. Metathorax rectangular and slightly constricted medially. Metanotum about as wide as long (ΨΨ) to slightly longer than wide (ɗɗ) and armed with several prominent spines. Meso- and metapleurae with a longitudinal row of spine-like tubercles and each with a distinct, composite supracoxal spine. Sterna sparsely granulose or tuberculose. Abdomen including median segment longer than combined length of head and complete thorax. Median segment less than half the length of metanotum, quadrate to wider than long and spinose. Abdominal segments II–VII of ɗɗof uniform width and longer than wide; of ΨΨquadrate or wider than long and ± decidedly gradually narrowing towards the posterior with II or III the vwidest segments. Posterior margin of tergites II–IX each with ± prominent paired spines (ɗɗ), composite spines or dentate, crest-like structures (ΨΨ). Posterolateral angles of tergites II–IX with a ± distinct triangular tooth (ΨΨ) or foliaceous, dentate lobes (ΨΨ). Sternites tuberculose and with a ± distinct posterior pair of spines. ΨΨwith a distinct praeopercular organ on sternite VII formed by a prominently raised, ± semi-circular posteromedian lobe. Anal segment of ɗɗslightly tectiform, laterally compressed, split and consisting of two semi-tergites. Apices of semi-tergites ± elongated and dentate interiorly. Cerci small, rather elongate, dorsoventrally flattened and carinate. Vomer of ɗɗstrongly reduced. Poculum of ɗɗsmall and distinctly cup-like, subgenital plate of ΨΨvery prominently keeled and boat-shaped, with the longitudinal median keel conspicuously, roundly elevated medially; apex acute and slightly projecting over posterior margin of anal segment. Legs very long and moderately slender; profemora about as long as pro- and mesonotum combined; mesofemoa a little longer then mesothorax and hind legs projecting considerably beyond apex of abdomen. Profemora very weakly compressed basally, not conspicuously curved. All femora and tibiae trapezoidal in crosssection; femora considerably broader than corresponding tibiae. Medioventral carina of femora distinct and midways on ventral surface of femur, unarmed. Coxae dentate. Basitarsi elongate, about as long as following three tarsomeres combined; all unarmed.

Comments. Sensu Redtenbacher (1908: 351) the genus Pericentrus was highly polyphyletic and included five distinct generic units. Only the two Indian species contained by Redtenbacher, Pericentrus moewisi Redtenbacher, 1908 and P. pinnatus Redtenbacher, 1908 , actually belong in the genus. Shelford (1909: 354) established Trychopeplus , based on a manuscript name of Brunner v. Wattenwyl, for the two Central American species that Redtenbacher (1908: 351) included, P. multilobatus Redtenbacher, 1908 (= Ceroys laciniatus Westwood, 1874 ) and P. spinoso-lobatus Redtenbacher, 1908. Examination of the holotype nymph of P. appendiculatus Redtenbacher, 1908 in MNCN with the doubtful locality “Central Java” has proven this also to belong in the genus Trychopeplus Shelford , and therefore to originate from Central or South America and not from Java as erroneously stated by Redtenbacher (1908: 353). Thus, the valid name is Trychopeplus appendiculatus (Redtenbacher) (n. comb.). The fourth New World species contained by Redtenbacher, P. restrictus Redtenbacher, 1908 from Puerto Rico, was transferred to Antillophilus Carl, 1913 of Cladomorphinae: Hesperophasmatini by Rehn & Hebard (1938: 39). Antillophilus was synonymised with Lamponius Stål, 1875 by Moxey (1971: 69), therefore the valid name being Lamponius restrictus (Redtenbacher) . The Bornean Pericentrus nudipes Redtenbacher, 1908 was shown to be a synonym of Parastheneboea exotica (Brunner von Wattenwyl, 1907), a member of the subfamily Necrosciinae , by Günther (1932: 261). Finally, P. tripinnatus Redtenbacher, 1908 from Sulawesi is remarkable for the bird-beak like ovipositor of ΨΨ, which indicates relation to the Papuan and Melanesian subfamily Eurycanthinae , and in several aspects shows striking similarity to certain members of Neopromachus Giglio-Tos, 1912 .

Hebard (1923: 359) designated P. m o e w i s i Redtenbacher, 1908 from Sikkim (northern India), the only species that Redtenbacher (1908, pl. 16: 10) illustrated, as the type-species of Pericentrus . P. moewisi Redtenbacher is obviously identical to Phasma (Acanthodera) bicoronata Westwood, 1848 and was synonymised by Günther (1938: 130). Pericentrus pinnatus Redtenbacher, 1908 from Bhoutan, is the only species which is certainly congeneric with P. m o e w i s i, and thus also a member of Pericentrus . Günther (1938: 130ff.) provided detailed descriptions of the newly discovered ɗɗof P. bicoronata (Westwood) and P. pinnatus Redtenbacher. Eggs of both species are as yet unknown.

Redtenbacher (1908: 351) placed Pericentrus in his tribe Eurycanthini , but subsequent authors regarded the systematic position of the genus as questionable. Günther (1953: 556) listed it in Eurycanthinae with doubt and correctly recognized the two Indian species to be related to Menexenus Stål, 1875 (subfamily Lonchodinae ). Zompro (2001: 21) excluded Pericentrus from Eurycanthinae , but without reasoning and left it without a sub-familiar affiliation. The long antennae and structures of the genitalia confirm Günther’s presumption and clearly place Pericentrus in Lonchodinae . Indeed, the strongly keeled, ventrally elevated subgenital pate and prominent lobe-like praeopercular organ of ΨΨ, and distinctly split anal segment of ɗɗwhich consists of two separate, ± elongate semi-tergites show Pericentrus to be closely related to Menexenus Stål. The strongly convex head which is armed with prominent crest-like lobes and spines, generally much more prominent armature of the body and legs, distinct posterolateral lobes of the abdominal tergites, elongate laterally compressed cerci and just very weakly basally compressed not curved profemora appear to distinguish Pericentrus from Menexenus . However, any broader discussion on the relation between these two genera requires knowledge of the so far unknown eggs of Pericentrus .

Distribution. Northern India (Sikkim & Assam) and Bhutan.