Oliver Zompro

A Review of the Order Mantophasmatodea (Insecta)

The newly discovered insect order Mantophasmatodea, known from two Recent species in tropical Africa and some fossils in Baltic amber, is reviewed, with all the material currently known being listed. A new genus and species is described: Praedatophasma maraisi Zompro & Adis, n. gen., n. sp. Complete information available at present on habitats and the biology is given.

A Key to the Stick-Insect Genera of the 'Anareolatae' of the New World, with Descriptions of Several New Taxa (Insecta: Phasmatodea)

A key to the anareolate stick-insect genera (Insecta: Phasmatodea) of the New World (North, Central and South America) is provided. Otocraniella flagelloantennata gen. n. sp. n. and Echetlus fulgens n. sp. are described as new. A new genus, Aplopocranidium gen. n., is erected for Bacteria waehneri (Günther, 1940). Baculum ramosum (Saussure, 1861) is redescribed. New synonyms have been traced during the works on this study. Hypocyrtus (Redtenbacher, 1908) is a subjective junior synonym of Lamponius (Stål, 1875), Steleoxiphus (Rehn, 1907) of Paraleptynia (Caudell, 1904), and both Abrachia (Kirby, 1889) and Ceratiscus (Caudell, 1904) of Baculum (Saussure, 1861). The anareolate tribe Hesperophasmatini is recognized as a member of the Pseudophasmatidae: Xerosomatinae. A new tribe, Paraleptyniini trib n., is introduced to encompass the anareolatae genera Paraleptynia (Caudell, 1904), Xiphophasma (Rehn, 1913) and Parabacillus (Caudell, 1903). A study of egg material showed these taxa to belong into Heteronemiidae.

Catalogue of the type material of Phasmatodea (Insecta) deposited in Brazilian museums

The type material of Phasmatodea deposited in Brazilian museums and institutions is listed for the first time. New synonyms are proposed: Phibalosoma paulense Toledo Piza, 1938, Phibalosoma rochai Toledo Piza, 1938, Bacteria tuberculata Toledo Piza, 1938 and Bacteria tuberculata var. argentina Toledo Piza, 1938 are junior synonyms of Cladomorphus phyllinus (Gray, 1835). Nineteen new combinations are established.

Redescription and new synonymies of Heteronemia Gray, 1835 (Insecta : Phasmatodea) transferred to the suborder Areolatae

Re-examination of the holotype of the stick insect species Heteronemia mexicana Gray, 1835, the type species of the genus Heteronemia Gray, 1835, has revealed this species to actually represent the suborder Areolatae. This discovery results in a number of dramatic nomenclatural alterations. As the family Heteronemiidae is based on Heteronemia, all of its more than 160 constituent genera but Heteronemia must be reallocated, being indeed members of the suborder Anareolatae. The Diapheromeridae Kirby, 1904, n.stat., being the next oldest available name, is thus allotted full family rank to encompass them. The following new synonymies have been established: generic synonyms of Heteronemia Gray, 1835 are Bacunculus Burmeister, 1838, Bactridium Saussure, 1868, Bacillidium Uvarov, 1939, and Donusa Stål, 1875. Synonyms of Heteronemia mexicana Gray, 1835, are Prisomera phyllopus Gray, 1835, Bacunculus spatulatus Burmeister, 1838, Bactridium coulonianum Saussure, 1868, Donusa prolixa Stål, 1875, Bacteria foliacea Blanchard, 1851, and Donusa glabriuscula Redtenbacher, 1906. Synonyms of Heteronemia chilensis (Westwood, 1859) are Bacteria cornuta Philippi, 1863, Bacteria collaris Philippi, 1863, and possibly Bacunculus blanchardi Camousseight, 1988. Heteronemia is rediagnosed, becoming the only genus in the family Heteronemiidae and comprising but two valid species, mexicana and chilensis, both from Chile. Hence the holotype of mexicana, claimed to derive from Mexico, was apparently mislabelled. A lectotype is designated for Bacunculus spatulatus Burmeister, 1838.

The first Australian record of a species of Echetlus originally described from Brazil (Phasmatodea: Verophasmatodea: “Anareolatae”)

Two species of the Australian genus Echetlus Stål, 1875 have been reported from Brazil, one of them being destructive to Eucalyptus plantations. Both species were supposed to have been introduced from Australia. Now the first specimen from Australia of one of these, E. evoneobertii Zompro & Adis, 2001, has been traced in a German museum.