Phryganistria grandis Rehn, 1906

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 : 21-22

Phryganistria grandis Rehn, 1906

Phryganistria grandis Rehn, 1906: 279 , figs 1–2 (♂). Holotype, ♂: Tonkin, Indo-China ( ANSP).

Material examined

VIETNAM: 9 ♂♂, 6 ♀♀, 1 ♀ nymph, 1 ♂ nymph, Phia Den, 3 Aug. 2010, leg. J. Constant & P. Limbourg, I.G. 31.668 ( RBINS).

Comments

Hennemann & Conle (2008: 205) differentiate the male of P. grandis from the closely related species P. heusii heusii by the brown colour of their profemora, the absence of spines on the postero-ventral carinae of the profemora and the elongated and slender cerci ± reaching the apex of the anal segment. Colouration of the profemora is constant in all the material examined in this study. The absence of spines on the postero-ventral carinae of the profemora has been oberved in the majority of the specimens; however, several specimens from Phia Den have a few small saw-like spines on the outer ventral carinae. The differentiation by the cerci could not be confirmed and therefore both characters are here excluded from the key.

In the material examined by Hennemann & Conle (2008: 205) there are some questions regarding the identity of certain specimens:

The records by Hennemann & Conle (2008: 205) of Phryganistria grandis Rehn, 1906 from Vietnam, Cochin China based on material from Mount Bavi and Tuyen Quang is erroneous: both localities are in North Vietnam: the coordinates of Mount Bavi are 21°01’– 21°07’ N, 105°18’– 105°25’ E and of Tuyen Quang 21º49’ N, 105º12’ E ” ( Schileyko 2011), limiting the distribution of P. grandis .

The distribution of P. grandis seems to be more northern, close to the southern border of China when compared to P. heusii heusii . Hennemann & Conle (2008: 205) examined 20 ♀♀, 21 ♂♂, and 1 egg originating from Vietnam. The records from Chiem Hoa (9 ♀♀, 7 ♂♂), Lao Cai (1 ♂), Ma Giang (2 ♀♀) and the material collected by the second author all originate from this region. 6 ♀♀ and 8 ♂♂ are labelled only “ Tonkin ”.

The identity of P. grandis needs some clarification as the records from Tam Dao pertain to P. heusii heusii and one of the paratypes of P. fruhstorferi identified as P. grandis by Hennemann & Conle (2008) is here attributed to P. heusii yentuensis subsp. nov. Unfortunately, the primary type of P. grandis does not bear an exact locality but only “North Tonkin ”