Baculonistria magna (Brunner von Wattenwyl, 1907) Bresseel & Constant, 2014

Bresseel, Joachim & Constant, Jérôme, 2014, Giant Sticks from Vietnam and China, with three new taxa including the second longest insect known to date (Phasmatodea, Phasmatidae, Clitumninae, Pharnaciini), European Journal of Taxonomy 104, pp. 1-38 : 6

Baculonistria magna (Brunner von Wattenwyl, 1907) comb. nov. Fig. 2 A–J

Clitarchus magnus Brunner von Wattenwyl, 1907: 236 .

Phobaeticus yuexiensis Chen & He, 1993: 54 , figs 1–2 syn. nov.

Phobaeticus longicornis Bi & Wang in Shen & Shi, 1998: 9 , figs 5–6 syn. nov.

Clitarchus magnus – Otte & Brock 2005: 97. — Brock & Delfosse 2005: 54. — Hennemann, Conle & Zhang 2008: 43. — Chen & He 2008: 343.

Phobaeticus longicornis – Otte & Brock 2005: 269. — Hennemann, Conle & Zhang 2008: 9. Phobaeticus yuexiensis – Hennemann, Conle & Zhang 2008: 9.

Baculum yuexiense – Chen & He 2008: 290, fig. 256.

Baculum longicornis – Chen & He 2008: 255, fig. 216.

Baculonistria yuexiensis – Hennemann & Conle 2008: 92.

Baculonistria longicornis – Hennemann & Conle 2008: 91.

Type material examined

Holotype, ♀ (examined on photographs): Chang Hai, P. Joannis, 96 ( MNHN).

Additional material examined

1 ♂ (examined on photographs): same data as holotype (MNHN). Identified as Clitumnus chinensis Brunner von Wattenwyl, 1907 , see note supra.

Remarks

Brunner von Wattenwyl (1907) described Clitarchus magnus based on a single female. He attributed this species to the genus Clitarchus Stål, 1875 , a genus endemic to New Zealand, because of the lanceolate and flattened cerci. This character was previously unknown within the Pharnaciini , but is also present in the newly described Phryganistria tamdaoensis sp. nov.

The male specimen, although bearing the same data as the female, was not recognised as the same species by Brunner von Wattenwyl. Instead, the male specimen is in the type series of Baculonistria chinensis comb. nov. and can easily be distinguished from the male specimens of that species deposited in NHMW.

The labels on the male and female clearly state Chang Hai (now Shanghai) in eastern China. They were misread by Brock & Delfosse (2005) as Chiang Mai ( Thailand). The labels also mention Joannis, the collector of the specimens, who published several entomological papers on species from China.

Following the translations of the original descriptions provided by Hennemann (2008), it appears that Phobaeticus longicornis Bi & Wang, 1998 represents the male of Baculonistria magna and that Phobaeticus yuexiensis Chen & He, 1993 is the female of the same species. The type localities of P. longicornis Bi & Wang, 1998 and P. yuexiensis Chen & He, 1993 are also in eastern China (Henan Province and Anhui Province, respectively) and relatively close to Shanghai ( Fig. 12D ). Consequently, both species are here synonymised with Clitarchus magnus Brunner von Wattenwyl, 1907 (syn. nov.).

Figures

Fig. 2. Baculonistria magna comb. nov. (Brunner von Wattenwyl, 1907). — A–E.Holotype ♀ (MNHN, photographs by Emmanuel Delfosse). A. Habitus, dorsal view. B. Habitus, lateral view. C. Apex of abdomen, lateral view. D. Apex of abdomen, dorsal view. E. Labels. — F–J. ♂ (MNHN, photographs by Emmanuel Delfosse). F. Habitus, dorsal view. G. Habitus, lateral view. H. Apex of abdomen, lateral view. I. Apex of abdomen, dorsal view. J. Labels. C–D, H–I = not to scale.

Fig. 12. Distribution maps. A. Phryganistria bachmaensis (Ta & Hoang, 2004) comb. nov. and P. heusii heusii (Hennemann & Conle, 1997). B. P. tamdaoensis sp. nov. and P. grandis Rehn, 1906. C. Phryganistria heusii yentuensis subsp. nov. and Phobaeticus trui sp. nov. D. Baculonistria magna (Brunner von Wattenwyl, 1907) comb. nov.