Necroscia aruana Westwood, 1859

Hennemann, Frank H., 2021, Stick insects of Sulawesi, Peleng and the Sula Islands, Indonesia- a review including checklists of species and descriptions of new taxa (Insecta: Phasmatodea), Zootaxa 5073 (1), pp. 1-189 : 149-150

Necroscia aruana Westwood, 1859

Necroscia aruana Westwood, 1859: 134 , pl. 39: 4. HT, ♀: Aru; aruana Westw. [OXUM, No. 653]. Hennemann, 1998: 121.

Aruanoidea aruana, Günther, 1934: 85 . Günther, 1935a: 27. Günther, 1938: 59, 91.

Sipyloidea bipunctata Redtenbacher, 1908: 524 . HT, ♂: Coll. Br. v. W. Nord-Buton, H. Kühne; det. Redtenb. Aruanoidea bipunctata ; N-Buton [NHMW, No. 1013]. (Synonymised by Günther, 1934: 85)

Necroscia sp. Hennemann, 1998: 112 , 121.

Further material: SULAWESI: 1 ♀: Tomohon, Celebes, 6.V.94 Sar. ; Aruanoidea aruana Westw. K. Günther det. [ NHMB] ; 1 ♂: Celebes , Ile Ile, G. Heinrich 11.XII.1930 [ MNHU] ; 1 ♀: Celebes, Latimodjong Geb. Oeroe 800 m, G. Heinrich 8.30 [ MNHU] ; 1 ♀: Wawo 50 m; S-O-Celebes, Mengkoka-Geb., 2.1931, G. Heinrich [ MNHU] ; 1 ♂: Indonesien, S-Sulawesi, Tana Toraja Highland , ca. 800 m, leg. Tajuddin X.1995 – III.1996 [coll. FH, No. 0122-3 (was FH 0310-1)]. PELENG : 1 ♂: Indonesia, Peleng Island, Tinangkung Utara District, near Luksagu village ca. 60 m elev., 1°17’S 123°25.4’ E, VII.2012 [coll. FH, No. 0122-2] ; 1 ♂: O-Sulawesi, Prov. Sulawesi Tengah, Bang-gai-Inseln, W-Peleng Island, Buko District, btw. Tatendeng village and Eben village 400–550 m, IX .2011 [coll. FH, No. 0122-3].

Comments: This species appears to be widely distributed within Wallacea and was originally described from a unique ♀ from the Aru Islands in OXUM. The ♀ from Tomohon, Northern Sulawesi in NHMB recorded by Günther (1938: 91) is fairly small for this species (body length including the subgenital plate 74.5 mm) but appears to be conspecific with the HT. While the latter is generally light brown to ochre in colour with the alae and legs irregularly flecked with darker brown, this example is characteristic for the yellowish green general colouration and much more decided dark mottling of the extrimities. Re-examination of the ♂ referred to as “ Necroscia sp. ” by Hennemann (1998: 112, 121) has shown this specimen also to represent Westwood’s aruana. The specimens is apple green with a bold yellow postocular streak, a yellow marginal stripe along the lateral margins of the pro- and mesonotum, a distinct yellow stripe along the radial vein of the tegmina and alae and has the anal fan of the alae light transparent pink. The yellow longitudinal stripe of the tegmina is very broad in the basal portion, there are two distinctive yellow spots in the posterior region and the central marking is well developed but rather orange in colour. The costal region of the alae is irregularly flecked with yellow along the radial vein. Unfortunately, the specimen lacks most of the abdomen.

Two ♂♂ in the author’s collection represent the first records of N. aruana from the island of Peleng. The specimens are fairly large (body length 64.0–66.0 mm) and slender for the species are basically ochraceous mid brown in colour with most of the head and pronotum darker brown and has the anal region of the alae fairly intense pink. The tegmina only have a very faint and washed dark brown streak along the radial vein and a very small cream central spot. The costal region of the lae is plain in colour without any distinctive mottling. Only selected citations are given above and the entity of numerous citations may be looked up online in the Phasmida Species File (http:// Phasmida . SpeciesFile.org).

Distribution: Bismarck Archipelago, Aru Islands [OXUM]; Moluccas, Prov. Maluku Utara (Obi Island) [ANSP]; Moluccas, Prov. Maluku Utara (Buru Island) [NHMW, coll. FH]; Moluccas, Prov. Maluku Utara (Halma-hera Island) [NHMW]; Moluccas, Prov. Maluku Utara (Bacan Island) [NHMW]; Moluccas, Prov. Maluku Utara ( Ambon Island) [NHMW]; Talaud Islands (Karakelang & Liroeng) [RMNH, NHMW]; Sulawesi [MNHU, NHMB, SMTD, coll. FH]; Buton Island [NHMW]; Peleng [coll. FH]; Timor [SMTD]; New Guinea [NHMW].