Contribution to the knowledge of Oriental Phasmatodea II : A taxonomic study of the genus Paragongylopus ( Phasmatodea : Pachymorphinae : Gratidiini )

This study provides a taxonomic review of Paragongylopus Chen & He, 1997 with descriptions of one new subgenus, four new species and one new subspecies. They are namely Paragongylopus (Paragongylopus) chenisp. n., P. (Paragongylopus) sinensispingbianensissubsp. n., P. (Planoparagongylopus) liisubgen. n. and sp. n., P. (Planoparagongylopus) abramovisp. n., and P. (Planoparagongylopus) nabanheensissp. n. The occurrence of P. (Paragongylopus) plaumanni Zompro, 2000 in China is reconfirmed. Paragongylopus is firstly recognized in Vietnam. Keys to the species of both subgenera and checklists of known species are also provided.


Introduction
Paragongylopus Chen & He, 1997 is a genus with small body size and three recognized antennal segments that readily make it morphologically distinguishable from all other genera in the subfamily Pachymorphinae Brunner von Wattenwyl, 1893(Brunner von Wattenwyl 1893, Chen and He 1997, Zompro 2000, Bragg 2001, Cliquennois 2004, Chen and He 2008, Ho 2014).Paragongylopus was considered as a Chinese endemic genus until it was reported by Zompro (2000) in Thailand with the description of a new species.Only two species, Paragongylopus sinensis Chen &He, 1997 andP. plaumanni Zompro, 2000, are described from Guangxi in southern China and Nakhon Ratchasima in central Thailand respectively.The former species is the type species of Paragongylopus, but only the female is known.After that, Ho (2014) provided the first description of its corresponding male and egg and also reported the occurrence of P. plaumanni in China.The author of this study conducted further collecting trips to various localities in China and examined various Vietnamese collections that resulted in the discoveries of new localities and new taxa of Paragongylopus, including one new subgenus, four new species and one new subspecies described in this study.This study aims to provide a revision of Paragongylopus with the descriptions of six new taxa and a taxonomic key, and to enhance the knowledge of Chinese and Southeast Asian Phasmatodea biodiversity.

Material and methods
This study is based on the collection of specimens in various localities in China and examination of specimens in different collections.The specimens of Paragongylopus (Paragongylopus) cheni sp.n., P. (Paragongylopus) sinensis pingbianensis subsp.n., P. (Planoparagongylopus) lii subgen.n. and sp.n. and P. (Paragongylopus) plaumanni Zompro, 2000, were collected directly by hand by the present author at night due to their nocturnal behavior.A hand torch was used to spot them on the plants.The specimens were dried and pinned after collecting.No food plant fed upon by the collected species was observed.
Morphological terms follow Bragg (2001), Zompro (2004) and Bradler (2009).The eggs of P. (Paragongylopus) cheni sp.n. were extracted from the abdomen of the holotypic female.Ootaxonomic terminology refers to Clark (1976aClark ( , b, 1979Clark ( , 1988Clark ( , 1998)), Clark-Sellick (1997) and Zompro (2004).The descriptions of coloration are based on dried specimens.Measurements are given in millimetres (mm) for all the taxa.The sequence of genera and species is in alphabetical order.The types and non-type material mentioned in this paper are deposited in the following localities: Hong Kong Entomological Society, Hong Kong, China (HKES), Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China (IZCAS), Manchester Museum, The University of Manchester, U.K. (MMUE), Insect Collection of Shanghai Normal University, Shanghai, China (SNUC) and private collections of Oliver Zompro, Germany (OZ).
Notes.-A total of two subgenera, six species and two subspecies are recognized from this genus.Keys to the species of both subgenera with checklist of known species are provided.Head oval, longer than wide, gently constricted after compound eyes.Vertex flat, with a pair of spine-like horns (erect in fresh specimen, curved in dried specimen) between compound eyes.Occiput convex, sparsely covered with small granules.Median and lateral longitudinal furrows indistinct.Compound eyes small and oval, its length about two-and-one-half times that of genae.Antennae short, with three distinct segments; scapus oval in dorsal view, more or less triangle-shaped in cross section, as large as compound eyes; pedicellus minute and indistinct, knob-like, smaller than compound eyes; third segment generally cylindrical, apices blunt, tapering basally, about four times longer than scapus, inner margin elevated medially, first half of inner margin with minute spine-like bristles.Thorax rough, sparsely covered Measurements.-(mm)Holotype ♀, Body length: 32, head: 2.5, antennae: 2, pronotum: 2, mesonotum: 6, metanotum: 4.5, median segment: 1, profemora: 9, mesofemora: 6, metafemora: 7, protibiae: 10, mesotibiae: 7, metatibiae: 9.

Key to the subgenera of Paragongylopus
Eggs Habitats.-Thisspecies is found in the low level of evergreen mountainous broadleaf forests between 1300 and 1400 metres. Distribution.-China(Yunnan).
Notes.-The male is unknown.No food plant eaten by the collected specimen was observed.

Paragongylopus sinensis
Notes.-Ho (2014) provided the first description of male and eggs for this species.Occiput flat.Median longitudinal furrow distinct.Compound eyes small and oval, its length about two times that of genae.Antennae short, with three distinct segments; scapus oval in dorsal view, more or less triangle-shaped in cross section, larger than compound eyes, about three times longer than pedicellus; pedicellus minute and indistinct, knob-like, smaller than compound eyes; third segment generally cylindrical, apices blunt, tapering basally, about three times longer than scapus, inner margin elevated medially, first half of inner margin with minute spine-like bristles.

Subgenus
Thorax with inconspicuous granulations.Pronotum trapezoidal, expanded posteriorly, wider than head; anterior margin weakly incurved, posterior margin truncate, lateral margins thickened; transverse sulcus indistinct, longitudinal sulcus distinct.Mesonotum nearly square, slightly expanded posteriorly, anterior margin almost as long as posterior margin, shorter than mesofemora; median longitudinal carina distinct, with minute pits along lateral margins.Metanotum rectangular, wider than pronotum, wider than long, median longitudinal carina distinct, with minute pits along lateral margins.Abdomen flattened, tapering posteriorly.Distinctly carinate mediolongitudinally.Wrinkled, with minute pits along lateral margins, also with sparse granulations.Median segment narrow, wider than long.Second and third tergites wider than mesonotum, as wide as metanotum, fourth tergum to anal segment not wider than second tergum.Seventh sternum lacking noticeable praeopercular organ.Eighth tergum longer than ninth tergum.Anal segment as long as eighth tergum, constricted posteriorly, posterior margin rounded.Supra-anal plate indistinct.Subgenital plate scoop-shaped, short, flattened, posterior margin pointed, reaching anterior margin of anal segment.Cerci cylindrical, straight, apices rounded and surpassing posterior margin of anal segment.Legs slender and long.Densely covered with minute bristles.Femora roughly as long as corresponding tibiae.Profemora incurved basally.Anterodorsal, posterodorsal, anteroventral and posteroventral carinae of femora and tibiae waved with indistinct elevations.
Notes.-The male is unknown.No food plant eaten by the collected specimens was observed.No egg was collected and further material is necessary for understanding the relationship with other species.
Etymology.-Thisnew species is named in honor of Professor Li Li-Zhen (Shanghai, China) for his contributions to Chinese entomology.
Notes.-The male is unknown.This species is the smallest phasmid in China.

Discussion
The genus Paragongylopus Chen & He, 1997 has been placed in Pachymorphinae Brunner von Wattenwyl, 1893 based on the ootaxonomic characters of the oblong egg capsule and smooth ventral surface of the capsule, which show a close relationship with Macellina Uvarov, 1940 (Ho 2014).Paragongylopus is characterized by small body size and uniquely structured, three-segmented antennae that readily make it morphologically distinguishable from all other genera in the Phasmatodea (Zompro 2000, Chen and He Journal of orthoptera research 2017, 26(2) er female specimen, which was collected from Menglun in Xishuangbanna, Yunnan, shows cylindrical body and unarmed legs that perfectly match with P. (Paragongylopus) plaumanni.Therefore, the occurrence of P. (Paragongylopus) plaumanni is reconfirmed in China.In addition, the males of P. (Paragongylopus) sinensis pingbianensis subsp.n. and three newly described taxa of P. (Planoparagongylopus) subgen.n. are unknown.Further material, especially corresponding male and eggs produced by female, are needed to evaluate their taxonomic relationship with other taxa.
Based on the current knowledge, all six species are geographically restricted to southwestern China, northern Vietnam and northern Thailand.The discovery of P. (Planoparagongylopus) abramovi sp.n. represents the first record of Paragongylopus from Vietnam.Further collecting trips to various localities in China, Thailand and Vietnam and even adjacent countries in the Indochinese area such as Cambodia, Myanmar and Laos may discover more taxa for this special phasmid genus in the Oriental region.
Description.-Female18):As in nominate race, body cylindrical, slender and elongate, covered with short dense bristles.General color of body and legs brown.Head as in nominate race, but vertex with a pair of erect spine-like horns between compound eyes.Antennae and compound eyes as in nominate race.Thorax as in nominate race.Abdomen as in nominate race, but median segment to seventh tergites with more distinct paired lamella-like elevations on posterior margin, strongly enlarged as a pair of humps on fifth tergum, varied in size on other tergites.Posteromedial area seventh sternum with a small hump-like praeopercular organ as in nominate race.Legs slender and long.Anterodorsal and posterodorsal carinae of femora and tibiae distinctly armed with four to eight serrations of varied sizes.Anteroventral and posteroventral carinae of protibiae and mesotibiae unarmed.Anteroventral and posteroventral carinae of metatibiae waved.
General color of body and legs grayish brown.Head oval in dorsal view, dorsoventrally flattened, with minute pits.Vertex flat and unarmed.Occiput flat.Median longitudinal furrow indistinct.Compound eyes small and oval, its length about three times that of genae.Antennae short, with three distinct segments; scapus oval in dorsal view, more or less triangle-shaped in cross section, larger than compound eyes, about four times longer than pedicellus; pedicellus minute and indistinct, knob-like, smaller than compound eyes; third segment generally cylindrical, apices blunt, tapering basally, about three times longer than scapus, inner margin elevated medially, first half of inner margin with minute spine-like bristles.Thorax with minute pits.Pronotum trapezoidal, expanded posteriorly, wider than head; anterior margin weakly incurved, posterior margin truncate, anterolateral angles weakly tuberculate; transverse sulcus short, placed after middle area, longitudinal sulcus indistinct.Mesonotum square, as long as mesofemora; median longitudinal carina distinct.Description.-Female(Figs 7-8, 22-23): Small size.Body flattened and stout.General color of body and legs brown.Head rounded in dorsal view, dorsoventrally flattened.Vertex flat and unarmed.