Cephaloplopus laetus, Frank H. Hennemann, Oskar V. Conle & Daniel E. Perez-Gelabert, 2016

Frank H. Hennemann, Oskar V. Conle & Daniel E. Perez-Gelabert, 2016, Studies on Neotropical Phasmatodea XVI: Revision of Haplopodini Günther, 1953 (rev. stat.), with notes on the subfamily Cladomorphinae Bradley & Galil, 1977 and the descriptions of a new tribe, four new genera and nine new species (Phasmatodea: “ Anareolatae ”: Phasmatidae: Cladomorphinae), Zootaxa 4128 (1), pp. 1-211 : 52-54

Cephaloplopus laetus n. gen., n. sp.

( Figs. 80–84 , 379 )

HT, ♂: Dominican Republic, RD-153, La Poza de Agua Nueva, El Curro, Sierra Martín García, Azua Prov., 18°18.324’N 70°57.176’W, ~ 800 m, 15–16.VII.2003, D. Perez, R. Bastardo, B. Hierro. (day/night) [USNM].

PT, ♂: Dominican Republic, Sierra Martín García, Azua Prov., El Curro, near caseta parques, 18°22.372'N 71°01.724'W, 1,350 m, 22–23/viii/2014, D. Perez, C. Marte, K. Rodríguez, A. Sánchez [IIBZ].

Diagnosis: This new species is very close to C. euchlorus n. sp. but at once distinguished from this and the other known species in the genus by the shortened alae, which are hardly longer than the tegmina ( Fig. 82 ). From C. euchlorus n. sp. ♂♂ (the only sex known) furthermore differ by the more robust and green legs which have only the knees brown, less distinct sub-apical tooth of the dorsal carinae of the meso- and metafemora and shape of the anal segment ( Fig. 84 ).

Etymology: The specific name “ laetus ” (lat. = pleasant) refers to the nice and bright colouration of ♂♂.

Description: ♂ ( Fig. 73 ): The colouration is described from a photo of the live holotype taken at the typelocality by the third author. Of moderate size (body length 60.8–67.0 mm) and rather robust for the genus with conspicuously shortened alae (length 4.8 mm) which are hardly longer than the tegmina; body surface glabrous. General colour pale apple green, the mesonotum, mesopleurae and lateral surfaces of the abdomen with a cream brown wash. Head creamish mid brown with the lower portions of cheeks white and the frons pale apple green ( Fig. 81 ). Antennae ochre and becoming dark brown in the apical portion. Eyes very dark reddish brown. Pronotum brown with the lateral margins broadly green. Lower portion of metapleurae white. Spines of the mesothorax ochre, lateral lobes of abdominal tergum VII dark brown, cerci creamish mid brown. Tegmina with anterior margin bright yellow, then with a longitudinal brown streak, which is narrow in basal half and rather wide but weakly defined in posterior half, the innermost portion pale apple green ( Fig. 82 ). Costal region of alae similar in colouration to tegmina but the longitudinal median stripe less distinct; anal region plain red. Legs green with the apical ¼ of all femora and tibiae mid brown; front legs with a brownish wash. Basitarsi green, the remaining tarsomeres chestnut brown.

Head: Globose, vertex rather convex and armed with a pair of prominent, pointed cephalad horns; the larger dextral one almost projecting by height of head capsule. Apex of the horns strongly narrowed, pointed and slightly directed towards the anterior ( Fig. 81 ). Two pairs of small granules are present in the posterior portion. Eyes almost circular, projecting hemispherically and their length contained less than 2x in that of cheeks. Antennae moderately robust, very long and reaching to posterior of abdominal segment III; consisting of 54 segments.

Thorax: Pronotum about equal in length but narrower than head, very slightly narrowed towards the posterior and with the lateral margins gently rounded; surface smooth except for a pair of blunt tubercles in centre of anterior portion ( Fig. 81 ). Transverse median sulcus moderately distinct. Mesothorax about 3x longer than head and pronotum combined. Mesonotum armed with four rather strong but short spines at anterior margin ( Fig. 81 ), a prominent pre-medial pair of spines and a further pair of much smaller spines some 3/5 the way along dorsal surface. A row of very indistinct granules along lateral margins. Mesopleurae with a longitudinal row of minute granules, metapleurae unarmed. Mesosternum with very fine transverse sculpturing and sparsely set with a few small granules; metasternum smooth. Tegmina oval and just not reaching posterior margin of metanotum, central protuberance rather longitudinal and conspicuously displaced towards the posterior. Alae hardly longer than tegmina reaching about half way along median segment ( Fig. 82 ).

Abdomen: Segments II–V roughly of equal length and about 2.8x longer than wide; very gently constricted medially with surface smooth. VI only about ¾ the length of previous. VII even shorter and with the lateral margins in posterior half expanded into a large, roundly trinagular lobe; this laterally projects by almost half the width of segment. All sternites smooth. VIII and IX just slightly shorter than VII, IX constricted medially. Anal segment shorter than IX, constricted in posterior portion and with a deep but narrow posteromedian incision ( Fig. 84 ); on ventral surface armed with several small, black in-curving denticles. Vomer broadly triangular with the lateral margins strongly swollen; terminal hook rather short and slightly up-curving. Cerci elongate, about as long as anal segment, laterally compressed and gently in-curving. Poculum moderately convex, cymbiform, with an acute basal protuberance and carinate longitudinally ( Fig. 83 ); posterior margin angulate.

Legs: Profemora about equal in length mesothorax, the mesofemora slightly shorter, metafemora projecting a little over posterior margin of abdominal segment IV. Medioventral carina of profemora with two small spines in apical portion, of meso- and metafemora armed with four rather strong spines. Anteroventral carina of meso- and metafemora with two, the posteroventral carina with one sub-apical spine; both dorsal carinae very slightly expanded sub-apically. Basitarsi longer than following three tarsomeres combined.

Comments: ♀♀ and eggs unknown.

Distribution ( Fig. 379 ): So far only known from the type-localites in the Sierra Martín García, Azua Province, SE-Dominican Republic: La Poza de Agua Nueva (800 m) [USNM] and El Curro (1350 m) [IIBZ]

Number of specimens examined: 2

Figures

FIGURES 80 – 84. Cephaloplopus laetus n. gen., n. sp .. 80. ♂ HT, Dominican Republic, Azua Province, La Poza de Agua Nova [USNM]; 81. Head and pronotum of ♂ HT in alteral view [USNM]; 82. Tegmina and alae of ♂ HT [USNM]; 83. ♂ HT, apex of abdomen (dorsal view) [USNM]; 84. ♂ HT, apex of abdomen (lateral view) [USNM].

FIGURES 379 – 380. Maps. 379. Known records of the species of Cephaloplopus n. gen. and Parhaplopus n. gen. on Hispaniola; 380. Known records of the species of Haplopus Gray, 1835 on Hispaniola.

FIGURES 69 – 79. Cephaloplopus euchlorus n. gen., n. sp .. 69. Head of ♀ PT [USNM]; 70. Head and pronotum of ♂ PT [USNM]; 71. Protarsus of ♀ PT [USNM]; 72. Abdominal tergum II of ♀ PT showing crenulate lobes [USNM]; 73 Metathorax and tegmina of ♂ PT (lateral view) [USNM]; 74. Right tegmen and ala of ♂ PT [USNM]; 75. ♀ PT, apex of abdomen (lateral view) [USNM]; 76. ♂ PT, apex of abdomen (lateral view) [USNM]; 77. ♂ PT, apex of abdomen (lateral view) [USNM]; 78. Egg PT (dorsal view) [USNM]; 79. Egg PT (lateral view) [USNM].