Contributions to the knowledge of Ceroys (Miroceroys) Piza, 1936 (Phasmatodea Heteronemiidae): two new mossy stick insects from the Atlantic Forest of Brazil
Author
Crispino, Edgar B.
Author
Ghirotto, Victor M.
Author
Engelking, Phillip W.
text
Zootaxa
2022
2022-05-09
5134
1
34
60
journal article
55604
10.11646/zootaxa.5134.1.2
3bf2d383-e9f3-49b7-8195-15ff8a93f3c6
1175-5326
6531220
105EB598-651C-40D9-A8DA-977CB2CF2047
Ceroys (Miroceroys) indicattii
sp. nov.
(
Figs 10–17
)
Holotype
,
1♀
:
MZUSP
V0641
,
Brasil
,
Rio de Janeiro
,
Petrópolis
,
Cascatinha district
.
Atlantic Forest
, near
Pico do Couto
,
22°27'56.8"S
,
43°17'23.5"W
,
1650m
of altitude,
30.XI.2021
.,
V
.
M. Ghirotto
,
M. Gomes
&
R
.
P. Indicatti
coll. [
MZUSP
].
Paratype
,
1♂
:
MZUSP 0529
,
Brasil
,
Rio de Janeiro
,
Parque Nacional
da
Serra dos Órgãos, Núcleo Teresópolis
,
22°27'14"S
,
42°59'32"W
,
1200–1300m
of altitude,
5-6.XII.2015
,
P. I. Chiquetto-Machado
&
A. Z. Ramin
col.
Etymology.
The specific name is a patronym in honour of Dr. Rafael Prezzi Indicatti, an expert Brazilian arachnologist and exemplary researcher. He acted as a mentor for VMG in some of VMG's first taxonomic practises while an undergraduate in biology at UNESP, working with mygalomorph spiders. Furthermore, he always supports Projeto Phasma - a freestanding phasmid research group of which all the authors are part of. Besides insightful institutional and research advice, he is frequently skilfully collecting specimens of stick insects when possible and organizing and aiding in fieldtrips with Projeto Phasma members, as the one which resulted in the collection of the new species. This comes in form of our sincerely gratefulness for kindly helping us and supporting research on
Phasmatodea
in
Brazil
.
FIGURE 8
. A–B. Live habitus of the female holotype V0034 of
Ceroys (Miroceroys) cancelloae
sp. nov.
, from Extrema, Minas Gerais, Brazil. A. Whole body. B. Detail of the head. Images not to scale.
Diagnosis.
Ceroys (Miroceroys) indicattii
sp. nov.
resembles
Ceroys (Miroceroys) saevissimus
and differs from all remaining species of the genus by the conspicuous dorsolateral medial widening of the mesonotum (
Fig. 10B
,
13B
) and overall pattern of ornamentation, such as lateral and dorsal expansions in abdominal segments and several strong spines in the thorax (
Fig. 10B
), less prominent in males (
Fig. 13
). It differs from females of
Ceroys (Miroceroys) saevissimus
by the shorter and less deflexed posterior margin of tergite X (anal segment) and shorter sternite VIII (subgenital plate), with both not forming a duck-bill shape (
Fig. 12B
) as in
C. saevissimus
, the larger dorsal expansions on tergites IV, V and IX (
Figs 10B
,
12B
) and by the tergite VIII slightly wider than IX and X, not constricted (
Fig. 10A
). Males are recognized by the straight mesonotum in lateral view, smaller, less jagged triangular thoracic projections and less spiny body with abdomen segments without lateral spines in both anterior and posterior margins (
Fig. 13
).