Obriminae Brunner

Hennemann, Frank H., 2025, A taxonomic review of Philippine Obrimini stick insects: The genus Tisamenus Stål, 1875 (Insecta: Phasmatodea: Heteropterygidae: Obriminae), Faunitaxys 13 (24), pp. 1-85 : 4

Obriminae Brunner v. Wattenwyl, 1893

Type -genus. – Obrimus Stål, 1875b: 49 .

Remarks. – A discussion of the subfamily Obriminae based on the latest phylogenetic data was provided by Hennemann (2023b) and shall not be repeated at this point. Solely, the treatment of the genus Tisamenus Stål, 1875 in the course of re-arrangements of the Obriminae shall be briefly summarized. Hennemann et al. (2016) proposed a subdivision of the Obriminae into the Miroceramiini (solely comprising the winged Wallacean genus Miroceramia Günther, 1934 ), the Tisamenini (containing Tisamenus and the synonymous Ilocano Rehn & Rehn, 1939 , Pterobrimus Redtenbacher, 1906 and Hoploclonia Stål, 1875 ) and the Obrimini (containing all remaining genera of Obriminae ). While these proposed relationships, that were solely based on morphological characters, were essentially reflected by the molecular approach by Bank et al. (2021), the resulting topology within Obriminae resulted as different and refuted these and all other previously established tribes with the exception of Obrimini . In contrast to preceding arrangements Bank et al. (2021) only recognized two tribes within Obriminae , the Hoplocloniini (only containing Hoploclonia ) and the Obrimini (comprising all other genera of Obriminae ). The validity of Tisamenini sensu Hennemann et al. (2016) was refuted by molecular data as being polyphyletic because Hoploclonia resulted as sister to all remaining Obriminae and Pterobrimus was recovered as sister to Miroceramia . Moreover, molecular data suggested Theramenes (see Hennemann, 2023a for more details on that genus) as sister to Tisamenus (and the synonymous Ilocano ), but morphological aspects cannot yield support for such an assumption. Both genera are well recognized by unique morphological characters that (i) readily separate them from all other Obriminae and (ii) fundamentally distinguish both genera from another, and no synapomorphies have so far been found to support a sister group relationship between Theramenes and Tisamenus . Therefore, and despite the high UFBoot support value (99) for this topology, this result concerning the relationship between these two genera must still be regarded as doubtful and deserves further evaluation ( Hennemann, 2023b: 5).

A comprehensive study of the Philippine Obriminae was published by Rehn & Rehn (1939), which described five new genera and a new subgenus as well as 24 new species and one new subspecies. The only other comprehensive treatment of the Philippine Obriminae was the taxonomic review presented by Hennemann (2023b), which described a new genus, eighteen new species, revealed nine new synonymies and also provided descriptions of various previously unknown sexes and eggs of described taxa. Further new taxa were described by Zompro (1996b), Hennemann & Conle, (2003, 2006), Lit & Eusebio (2005a, 2005b, 2006), Lit (2010a, 2010b), Lit et al. (2023), Acola et al. (2022) and Hennemann (2023a). Few papers have dealt with contributing to or completing the knowledge of previously described taxa (e. g. Lit & Eusebio, 2008; Seidenschwarz, 2018, Acola et al., 2022, Hennemann, 2023b) but there is a plethora of papers that reported on various aspects of Obriminae stick insects, described previously unknown sexes or eggs and provided notes on captive breeding (e. g. Zompro, 1996a; Lit & Eusebio, 2008; Dräger, 2012, 2013, 2014; Baker, 2015). Seven new species of the genus Tisamenus are added herein and two species were found to be synonyms. This increases the number of known species of Obrimini within the Philippine to 71.

Distribution. – Philippines, Palawan, Borneo, Talaud Islands, Wallacea, Palau Islands and Fiji.