Phantasca montana ( Redtenbacher, 1908 ) Hennemann & Conle & Bellanger & Lelong & Jourdan, 2018

Hennemann, Frank H., Conle, Oskar V., Bellanger, Yannick, Lelong, Philippe & Jourdan, Toni, 2018, Studies on neotropical Phasmatodea XVII: Revision of Phantasca Redtenbacher, 1906, with the descriptions of six new species (Phasmatodea: Diapheromeridae: Diapheromerinae), European Journal of Taxonomy 435, pp. 1-62 : 26-29

Phantasca montana ( Redtenbacher, 1908) comb. nov.

Figs 47–48

Bacteria montana Redtenbacher, 1908: 415 .

Bacteria montana – Brock 1998: 43. — Otte & Brock 2005: 65

Material examined

Holotype

PERU: ♂, “Coll. Br. v. W., Alto Amazonas, Staudinger; det. Redtenb. Bacteria montana ; 15.431” ( NHMW 800 ).

Diagnosis

Males (the only sex known) are similar to those of P. puppeia ( Westwood, 1859) but differ by the somewhat less elongate body and legs, slightly shorter cerci, smaller and apically labiate poculum, distinctive black markings on the head and pronotum, faint brown longitudinal stripe along the posterior margin of the tegmina and inner margin of the costal region of the alae, and the two dark elongate markings on the anal segment.

Description

Male ( Fig. 47 )

BODY. Size medium (body length 52.5 mm, Table 6); form moderately slender. Body surface entirely smooth.

COLOUR. Green, with a brownish wash, the mesonotum sepia except for the lateral portions and with a faint dark brown longitudinal line. Head, with two dark brown longitudinal stripes over entire dorsal surface, which slightly diverge towards the posterior. Above the eyes, with a small, roughly triangular dark brown spot and a black marking on frons. Antennae black except for scapus and pedicellus. Pronotum, with a black longitudinal median stripe on anterior half, which continues on the posterior half but becomes considerably more slender. Mesosternum brown, metasternum dull drab, with a sepia brown longitudinal line along lateral margins. Abdominal tergites II–VII, with a pair of blackish dots some distance off the posterior margin (indistinct on III–V) and VII, with two minute black spots near anterior margin. Tergites VIII–X each, with a pair of black stripes on anterior half. Tegmina and costal region of alae green, with the interior portions pale brown. Anal region of alae sub-hyaline, with all longitudinal veins and the major transverse veins on the outer portion marked, with brown; the four central longitudinal veins black at the base. Profemora pale brown, with the base pale green. Mid and hind legs pale green, with the apex blackish brown. Tarsi pale reddish brown,, with the apex of each segment dull brown.

HEAD. Sub-rectangular, flattened and the cheeks very slightly convex; indistinctly longer than wide and considerably wider than prothorax. Eyes large, circular in outline and projecting hemispherically, their length contained about 1.8× in that of cheeks. Antennae almost reaching apex of abdomen; scapus rectangular, pedicellus sub-globose and antennomere slender and considerably longer than pedicellus.

THORAX. Pronotum rectangular and about 1.2× as long as wide, the transverse median sulcus fairly distinct, gently curved and just not reaching lateral margins of segment. Mesothorax 2.6× as long as head and prothorax combined. Tegmina small, slender, spatulate, gradually narrowing towards the base, with the posterior margin obtusely angular. Alae reaching halfway along abdominal segment V.

ABDOMEN. Median segment about 2.2× as long as metanotum. Segments II–VI slightly sub-equal in length, on average 4.5× as long as wide. VII shorter than all preceding and constricted medially. VIII almost equal in length to VII and slightly widening towards the posterior, the lateral margins distinctly separated from sternum VIII; the latter, with a slight transverse fissure medially. Tergum IX 1.2× as long as VIII and strongly constricted medially, the lateral margins deflexed ventrally and touching each other ventrally but clearly separated. Anal segment sub-quadrate and somewhat narrowed posteriorly, the posterior margin, with a shallow concave emargination medially. Cerci about ¾ the length of anal segment, straight and with the apex slightly club-like; projecting beyond apex of abdomen by about half the length of anal segment. Vomer very small and roundly triangular. Poculum tub-shaped, slightly carinate longitudinally and reaching about halfway along tergum IX; the posterior margin slightly labiate and with a minute median indention ( Fig. 48 ).

LEGS. All moderately long and slender for the genus; profemora longer than head, pro- and mesothorax combined, mesofemora a little longer than mesothorax and hind legs projecting strongly beyond apex of abdomen. Mesobasitarsus roughly equal, metabasitarsus considerably longer than remaining tarsomeres combined.

Remarks

So far only known from the unique male holotype in NHMW. Female and egg unknown.

Distribution

East Peru: Dept. Loreto, Alto Amazonas (NHMW).

Figures

Figs 47–48. Phantasca montana (Redtenbacher, 1908). Holotype, ♂. 47. Habitus, dorsal view. 48. Apex of abdomen, ventrolateral view.