Skip to main content

Mashpi walkingstick (Trychopeplus mashpiensis) from Chocó, Ecuador, based on males, females and eggs

Dlium Mashpi walkingstick (Trychopeplus mashpiensis) from Chocó, Ecuador, based on males, females and eggs

NEWS - Researchers report Mashpi walkingstick (Trychopeplus mashpiensis Conle, Valero & Hennemann, sp. nov.) from the Chocó ecoregion of northwestern Ecuador is new to science based on its unique body ornamentation and egg structure morphology.

Trychopeplus Shelford 1909 is a genus of Neotropical stick insects (Phasmida Leach 1815) known for its remarkable morphological adaptations that allow it to blend in almost perfectly with epiphytic lichens in its habitat. These adaptations make Trychopeplus one of the most cryptic stick insect genera.

The genus was described to distinguish the Neotropical species from Pericentrus Redtenbacher 1908 based on morphological differences and distinct geographic distribution compared to the type species Pericentrus moewisi Redtenbacher 1908. Pericentrus is known to be restricted to East and South Asia, whereas Trychopeplus is endemic to the Neotropics.

Oskar Conle from the Bavarian State Collection of Zoology in Germany, Pablo Valero from the University of Murcia in Spain and Frank Hennemann from the Zoologische Staatssammlung München in Germany describe new species based on specimens collected from the Chocó forest in Ecuador through comprehensive morphological analysis of males, females and eggs.

The new species measures 3.6–4.2 mm in length including operculum, 2.9–3.4 in length, 2.5–2.8 in height, 2.2–2.4 in width and 1.9–2.1 in micropylar plate length. So far, the new species is only known from the type site, in the northwestern Pichincha Province of Ecuador. The epithet mashpiensis refers to the Mashpi Reserve.

The new species can be distinguished from T. laciniatus and T. thaumasius by the shape of the spiny ornamentation (vs. the irregular leaf lobes of T. laciniatus and T. thaumasius); the eggs have a tightly closed, smooth capsule (vs. a capsule with a long, hair-like yellowish margin). In addition, the distribution of T. laciniatus is restricted to Central America

Females of the new species can be distinguished from T. spinosolobatus by the pointed tips of the body spines (vs. rounded in T. spinosolobatus); the femoral ornamentation consists of two pairs of leaf-like lobes (vs. four pairs and larger); the subgenital plate is 1.2 times the combined length of the last three tergites (vs. 1.7 times the length of the last three tergites); known only from northwestern Ecuador (vs. Venezuela and Colombia).

The inclusion of Trychopeplus mashpiensis in Trychopeplus underscores the importance of taxonomic exploration and morphological revision in understanding the biodiversity of the Neotropics. This study not only increases the number to four species, but also provides new insights into the variability of egg morphology that has significant implications for identification and classification.

The close phylogenetic relationship between Trychopeplus and Phanocles highlights the need for further research to clarify the evolutionary relationships within the subfamily Diapheromerinae and to address the complexity of diversity within the genus.

Original research

Conle OV, Valero P, Hennemann FH (2024). A new Trychopeplus species (Phasmatodea, Diapheromerinae, Cladomorformia) discovered from Ecuador’s enigmatic Chocó ecoregion. ZooKeys 1217: 309-326, DOI:10.3897/zookeys.1217.130397

Dlium theDlium
Labels:

Popular Posts

Humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) manufacture bubble-nets as tools to increase prey intake

NEWS - Humpback whales ( Megaptera novaeangliae ) create bubble net tools while foraging, consisting of internal tangential rings, and actively control the number of rings, their size, depth and horizontal spacing between the surrounding bubbles. These structural elements of the net increase prey intake sevenfold. Researchers have known that humpback whales create “bubble nets” for hunting, but the new report shows that the animals also manipulate them in a variety of ways to maximize catches. The behavior places humpbacks among the rare animals that make and use their own tools. “Many animals use tools to help them find food, but very few actually make or modify these tools themselves,” said Lars Bejder, director of the Marine Mammal Research Program (MMRP), University of Hawaii at Manoa. “Humpback whales in southeast Alaska create elaborate bubble nets to catch krill. They skillfully blow bubbles in patterns that form a web with internal rings. They actively control details such ...
Read more

Alexandrian Laurel (Calophyllum inophyllum)

Alexandrian Laurel ( Calophyllum inophyllum ) is a species of plant in the Calophyllaceae family. It is a low-branching, slow-growing, spreading tree with a wide, irregular crown. It grows up to 30 meters tall, has a cylindrical trunk, and thick, black, and fissured bark. The leaves are thick, oval, with rounded tips, even margins, and a smooth surface. The upper side is dark green and glossy, the underside is bright green, with a central vein in bright green. The leaves are up to 27 cm long, 13 cm wide, and have a 1 cm petiole. Flowers bloom throughout the year, but typically from April to June and October to December. Flowers are 30 mm in diameter and occur in racemose or paniculate inflorescences of four to 15 flowers. The flowers have a sweet aroma and attract numerous pollinating insects. The fruit is round, green, up to 4 cm in diameter, with a large seed in the center. When ripe, the fruit wrinkles and turns yellow to brownish. The fruit is light, with thin, spongy flesh and a...
Read more

Javan mocca or Javan slender caesar (Amanita javanica)

OPINION - Javan mocca or Javan slender caesar ( Amanita javanica ) is a mysterious fungus species and has been enigmatic since it was first reported by Boedijn in 1951 and after that no explanation or reporting of specimens is believed to be the same as expected. Boedijn (1951) described A. javanica which grew on Java island as having the characteristics covered in the Amanita genus. Corner and Bas in 1962 tried to describe Javan mocca and all species in Amanita based on specimens in Singapore. Over time some reports say that they have found A. javanica specimens in other Southeast Asia including also China, Japan, India and Nepal. But there is no definitive knowledge and many doubt whether the specimen is the same as described by Boedijn (1951). I was fortunate to have seen this species one afternoon and soon I took out a camera for some shots. In fact, I've only met this mushroom species once. Javan mocca is an endangered species and I have never seen in my experience in...
Read more