Sungaya dumagat, Hennemann, 2023

Hennemann, Frank H., 2023, A taxonomic review, including new species and new records of Philippine Obrimini stick insects (Insecta: Phasmatodea: Heteropterygidae: Obriminae), Faunitaxys 11 (71), pp. 1-135 : 87-89

Sungaya dumagat n. sp.

( Fig. 50 & 71J)

ZooBank: https://zoobank.org/ 84FE7912-035B-493F-94FA-F8279CFC345E

HT, ♀: Philippines, N-Luzon, Prov. Nueva Vizcaya, Cagayan Valley, Aritao Mun., Balite , ca. 1100 m, leg. I.O. Lumawig VII.1996 [ RBINS, ex coll. FH] .

Differentiation. – The ♀ of this distinctive species (the only sex known), is easily separable from the other three know species in the genus by the densely tuberculose to spinulose body surface ( Fig. 50 B-C), large posteromedian crest of abdominal tergum VII ( Fig. 50H), prominent and spiniform anterior and posterior pair of tubercles of the abdominal sterna ( Fig. 50D) and deep triangular median excavation of the anal segment ( Fig. 50F, a shallow emargination in all other species).

Etymology. – Named after the Dumagat people, who are a subgroup of the Aeta indigenous people, and inhabit the Aritao municipality of Nueva Vizcaya province, the type locality of this distinctive new species. Translated from Tagalog the name means “people from the sea” because in the past these people used to live in coastal areas of the Aurora and Quezon provinces.

Description

The colouration is described from the unique dried holotype. Both antennae are incomplete.

♀ ( Fig. 50)

Form and colouration. – Small (body length 70.1 mm) and of average shape for the genus; all elements of head, body and leg armature well developed if compared to congenerics and body surface densely tuberculose to spinulose. Colour drab to dark ochraceous, the head and prothorax with a slight olive wash; cephalic and thoracic armature wholly olive, that of the abdomen dark orange ochraceous. Abdominal segment VI and VII dark brown in the holotype, which however may be an individual trait. Ventral body surface buff and unevenly flecked with brown. Legs irregularly mottled with drab, ochre and some olive. The antennae olive mid brown basally and gradually turning to orange-mid brown. Eyes dark ochraceous and flecked with darker brown.

Head.– Astypical for thegenus with thevertex notablyinflatedand roundly tumescent ( Fig. 50E), scarcely longer than wide and broadest at the eyes;these large, projecting subhemispherically and diameter of eye corresponding to half the length of gena. Surface sparsely granular and minutely tuberculate;supra-antennals strong and upright spines with a much smaller pair of spiniform tubercles in front, the supra-orbitals spinose butnotably smaller; the medianand lateral coronals large and pointed spines. Supra-orbital series represented by – A. Habitus dorsal view. – B. Habitus dorsolateral view. – C. Habitus lateral view. – D. Habitus ventral view. – E. Head and thorax in dorsolateral view. – F. Terminalia in dorsal view. – G. Terminalia in ventral view. – H. Terminalia in lateral view.

about four rather small, spiniform tubercles; vertex armed with several variably sized occipital medial spines, a medio-lateral one of which is strongly enlarged and representsthe largestof all cephalic spines (in the holotype,the dextral one bi-fid, which may however only be an individual trait). Antennae at least reaching to median segment but broken in the holotype; scapus moderately compressed dorso-ventrally and roundly rectangular in outline; pedicellus slightly shorter and almost round in cross-section; III much longer than pedicellus,the proceeding progressively elongated.

Thorax. – Pronotum of similar dimensions as head, longer than wide and somewhat narrowed in the anterior half; lateral margins with a distinct almost semi-circular pre-median excavation; the transverse median sulcus moderately impressed, gently angled and rather short; surface minutely and unevenly tuberculated. Anterior margin only with small mesals, the antero-lateral pronotals represented by rather small, conical tubercles; anterior portion with a strongand conicalpairof anterior pronotalsandanotablysmallerpairof conical medial pronotals just in front of transverse sulcus; the posterior half with a large pair of spiniform lateral-medials, which represent the largest of al prothoracic spines; the inter-posterior pronotals distinct and spiniform, the posteriors somewhat smaller ( Fig. 50E). Mesothorax slightly ascendant and widened towards the posterior, shape trapezoidal in outline with posterior margin about 2x wider than anterior margin; 2.6x longer than prothorax ( Fig. 50A). Mesonotum just weakly narrowing towards the anterior, surface distinctly tuberculated; antero-lateral small but spiniform, a rather closely spaced pair of anterior mesonotals similar in size and shape; pre-medials displaced towards lateral margins and represented by fairly distinct spines; median mesonotals moderately enlarged and closely spaced; posterior mesonotals composite with numerous unequally sized spiniform tubercles to short spines around the base, the central spine very strong, upright and acutely pointed ( Fig. 50E); inter-posterior mesonotals just weakly pronounced. Mesopleurae weakly deflexed and with about seven enlarged but unequal spiniform tubercles; mesopleural moderately sized, spiniform; surface otherwise unevenly tuberculated. Metanotum almost rectangular in outline and just very weakly narrowed anteriorly;roughlyincentre with a pair of slightlyenlargedconical tubercles;the posterior metanotals similar to those of the mesonotum ( Fig. 50E). Metapleural similar to mesopleural, the pleurae unevenly multi-tuberculated and the margin with about five unequally sized lateral tubercles. Meso- and metasternum ( Fig. 50D) with a shallow medio-longitudinal carina that is marked by some clustered node-like granules; surface otherwise unevenly granular and mesosternum with about six somewhat pronounced, conical mesosternals; metasternum only with two lateral tubercles and some scattered, unequally sized tubercles and nodes medially ( Fig. 71J). Metabasisternum with four spiniform tubercles along posterior margin.

Abdomen. – Median segment 2.2x wider than long with anterior margin widely rounded;surface distinctlyspinulose,theposterior margin with five short posterior spines. Segments II-V almost uniform in length and width and 1.7x wider than long, VI-VII somewhat decreasing in length and width. Terga II-VII multi-spinulose with the posteriors enlarged, but the second paired posteriors in particular, represented by long and slender, acutely pointed spines (these however less pronounced on VI and VII). These terga with a fine but acute medio-longitudinal carina, that becomes increasingly more pronounced and is protruded into a large, almost semi-circular and obtusely crenate posteromedian lobe on VII ( Fig. 50H). Sterna II-IV with a strong anterior pair of spines and a notably smaller pair of posterior spines; the posterior wanting on V-VII. Praeopercular organ formed by a broad, somewhat angular median excavation of sternum VII, whose marginis notably inflated and glossy ( Fig. 50G). Terga VIII andIX with themedio-longitudinalcarinaprotrudedintoanobtuse and low dentiform posterior projection; VIII notably longer than wide and narrowing towards the posterior, IX subquadrate in dorsal aspect. Anal segment narrowing posteriorly, descendant and obtusely tectate medio-longitudinally; the posterior margin with a distinct triangular excavation and the outer angles rather obtuse ( Fig. 50F). Cerci small, narrowing and compressed laterally. Epiproct 1.5x longer than anal segment, broad, distinctly tectate longitudinally and just weakly narrowing towards a broadly angular and weakly indented apex ( Fig. 50F). Subgenital plate moderately long, lanceolate and distinctly keeled in the apical half ( Fig. 50G); the apex narrowed, acutely triangular and very slightly surpassing tip of epiproct ( Fig.50F).

Legs. – Of moderate length and rather slender for the genus with all carinae armed except for the dorsal carinae of the tibia. Ventral carinae of tibiae only with small dentations, although those of the metatibiae are more numerous, notably more pronounced and acutely pointed. Basal flexure and constriction of profemora well developed, the two anterior carinae each with two large, triangular teeth; the two posterior carinae with five teeth that strongly decrease in size towards the base of femur. Exterior ventral carinae of meso- and metafemora with six and anterior carinae with five teeth that increase in size towards the apex of femur; several smaller intercalated teeth present. Medioventral carina of meso- and metafemora distinct and set with a row of small tubercles. Tarsi about half the length corresponding tibia; basitarsi elongate almost as long as proceeding three tarsomeres taken together.

Measurements [mm]. – Body71.0,pronotum5.1,mesonotum 11.0,metanotum 5.8, median segment 2.8, profemora 14.0, mesofemora 10.8, metafemora 16.6, protibiae 15.2, mesotibiae 12.8, metatibiae 18.5, antennae> 30.0.

Remarks. – Male and egg unknown.

Distribution. – N-Luzon, Province Nueva Vizcaya,Aritao municipality.