Short Communication |
Corresponding author: Chong-Xin Xie ( chongxinxie@163.com ) Academic editor: Ming Kai Tan
© 2022 Hao-Ran Gao, Chong-Xin Xie.
This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY 4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
Citation:
Gao H-R, Xie C-X (2022) Pylaemenes gulinqingensis sp. nov., a new species of subfamily Dataminae (Phasmida, Heteropterygidae) from Yunnan Province, China. Journal of Orthoptera Research 31(2): 125-129. https://doi.org/10.3897/jor.31.79783
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Pylaemenes gulinqingensis sp. nov., from Gulinqing Nature Reserve, Maguan County, Yunnan, China, is described for the first time from two females and six eggs. The types of the new species are deposited in Southwest Forestry University (SWFU), China, as well as in the first author’s collection.
Dataminae, Datamini, new taxa, stick insects
The genus Pylaemenes Stål, 1875 belongs to the tribe Datamini in the subfamily Dataminae of the family Heteropterygidae (
Recent phylogenetic studies have shown the genus Pylaemenes to be paraphyletic (
The systematic treatment followed that of
Phasma coronatum de Haan, 1842 (= Pylaemenes coronatus), by subsequent designation; authority:
China (Yunnan); Indonesia; Malaysia; Singapore; Thailand; Vietnam.
Pylaemenes pui Ho, 2013 [China: Pu’er and Xishuangbanna] (Fig.
瘤䗛属
Holotype: CHINA • ♀; Yunnan Province, Wenshan Zhuang and Miao Autonomous Prefecture, Maguan County; Gulinqing Provincial Nature Reserve; 22.843324°N, 103.984206°E; 25 August 2020; Xiang-Jin Liu leg; SWFU. Paratype: CHINA • 1♀; Yunnan Province, Wenshan Zhuang and Miao Autonomous Prefecture, Maguan County; Gulinqing Provincial Nature Reserve; 29 August 2020; Xiang-Jin Liu leg; GHR • 6 eggs (naturally laid by holotype); same information as holotype; SWFU.
The females of the new species are very similar to P. pui. They share the same elevated structure on the back of the head and strongly widening abdominal terga II–IV, but they can be separated by the lack of x-shaped elevations on terga II–IV and different leg armature (Fig.
China, Gulinqing Provincial Nature Reserve. Only known from type locality.
The new species is named after the type locality Gulingqing Provincial Nature Reserve.
Female. Small size. Body robust and rough. General color yellow to brown with green variegation.
Head. Occiput strongly projecting posteriorly, cone-like, deep V-shaped in dorsal view, lateral surface punctulate with a shallow notch apically. Occipital spines are triangular humps, posterior supra-occipitals shorter and smaller than anterior supra-occipital spines. Supra-orbital spines strong, laterally compressed and lamellate, directed towards the central coronal spine. Central coronal spine present at the apex of the vertex. Posterior and lateral coronal spines present as conical tubercles (Fig.
Thorax. Pronotum short, trapezoidal, with conspicuous “+” sulcus, four pair tubercles along the longitudinal sulcus, two pairs before the transverse sulcus, two pairs behind; lateral margins with two short tubercles. One cup-like organ on the propleura near the anterior margin. Mesonotum with indistinct carina, the anterior apex of carina with six tubercles irregularly arranged, another two tubercles on the carina; lateral margins widening towards anterior, with several small tubercles elevated apically with the posterior margin elevated. Metanotum median carina distinct, sparsely covered with small granules, lateral margins elevated apically. Metapleura with two crescent-shaped lobes each, widening laterally and almost covering each metacoxa.
Abdomen. Median segment rugose with three granules near posterior margin medially. Terga II–IV gradually widening towards the posterior; terga V slightly narrower than terga IV but wider than terga VI–IX (Fig.
Legs. Profemora curved basally; antero-dorsal carina with three lobes and not equal in size; postero-dorsal carina with four lobes, the third one biggest. Protibiae armed with one to two lobes. Mesofemora with antero-dorsal carina with three lobes, increasing in size towards the apex; postero-dorsal carina armed with two lobes. Metafemora with the antero-dorsal carina with four lobes, the third being the biggest; postero-dorsal carina armed with three lobes, the last one ear shaped.
Male. Unknown.
Egg.
Measurements [mm]: Length: 3.6; width: 3.3; height: 4.2. Capsule dark brown with dark spots, oval, posterior pole rounded; surface densely punctulate and sparsely covered with pale setae with a distal black structure. Operculum sub-circular, slightly convex. Micropylar plate tri-lobate with one anterior expansion and two posterior expansions like an inverse Y (Fig.
♀. Body 39.2–48.5, head 4.5, antennae 15.0, pronotum 3.3–3.8, mesonotum 7.7–10.3, profemora 8.4–9.7, mesofemora 8.2–8.4, metafemora 10.2–10.5, protibiae 8.0–8.8, mesotibiae 6.3–7.0, metatibiae 8.3–9.5.
How to differentiate the genera Pylaemenes and Orestes accurately and deal with the problem of synonymy is the focus of current research on the subfamily Dataminae (
The new species presented here is particular in that it appears variegated like moss. We suggest that this coloration is due to the fact that the new species is from a high-altitude moss forest; unfortunately, no altitude data was recorded in the field collection. Gulinqing Nature Reserve has forests ranging from about 1000 m to over 2000 m. Our type specimens were collected in the middle area, and the number of specimens is small. If our hypothesis is true, high-altitude and low-altitude species may show different diversity (both morphologically and molecularly). The Chinese fauna of the subfamily Dataminae currently includes 10 specie, with the description of the new species. However, the species diversity of this subfamily in China is probably higher. Most of the species of this subfamily come from relatively low altitude in southern China. Therefore, in the relatively high-altitude mountains of southern China, there may be interesting species waiting to be discovered.
The authors wish to thank Pei-Lin Liao and Chao Wu from Beijing for providing the living photos, Le Liang (Beijing) and Zhi-Yu Xie (Zhangzhou) for providing information. Our deepest gratitude to editor Dr. Ming Kai Tan and reviewer Dr. Francis Seow-Choen for their work. We would also like to thank our teachers: Yu-Han Qian (SWFU), Hong-Rui Zhang (Yunnan Agricultura University), Shu-Qi He (Yunnan Agricultura University), Xue-Yan Li (Kunming), and Zhi-Wei Dong (Kunming) for their support of this research. We also thank Jun Cai (SWFU), Zi-Xu Yin (Qingdao), and Shang-Qian Fu (Nanning) for providing help with this manuscript.