First record of the genus Medaura Stål (Phasmatodea, Phasmatidae, Clitumninae) from China, with description of a new species

Abstract Background The stick insect tribe, Medaurini in subfamily Clitumniae, contains 11 genera and 75 known species, with species diversity of this tribe being rich in southeast Asia and China, as is reflected in the Phasmida Species File Online [PSF]. The genus Medaura includes four named species and they are distributed over Bangladesh, Indonesia and India. The discovery of this new species in Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture marks the first identification of the genus Medaura in China. New information The genus Medaura Stål is reported for the first time from China, based on a new species M.aculeiformis Xie & Qian sp. n. and the identification characteristics of species are described and illustrated in this paper.

Medaura can be separated from closely-allied genera by the following characteristics: male head with spines absent or a very short pair of spines or tubercules between eyes; antennae shorter than fore femora. Thorax elongate, with (few to many) tubercles and/or granulations. Legs with slight dentations on femora and/or tibiae. Abdomen elongate, segments VIII-IX widened. End of anal segment incised in centre. Female head with a pair of spines between eyes; antennae less than half the length of the fore femora. Thorax smooth and robust, slightly granulated or tuberculate. Legs with minor dentation, except for mid-legs, which usually have large thorn-like lobes on the dorsal surface of thefemora and with one or two shorter thorn-like lobes on the mid-tibiae. Abdomen robust, end of anal segment incised in centre, shape variable. Operculum long, almost reaching end of anal segment. Both male and female abdomens of Medaura smooth to slightly granulated. Egg capsule almost oval, with capitulum and operculum with inner ring (Brock and Cliquennois 2001).
In this study, four known species of Medaura are reviewed, a new species collected from Mengla County, Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture, Yunnan Province, southwest of China is described and a list and specimen type photos of all species are provided.

Materials and methods
Three last instar nymphs, caught in the wild, were contained in ventilated boxes with some plants inside and fed until adult. Specimens were pinned after death. All materials studied were deposited in the Insect Collection of the Southwest Forestry University, Yunnan Province, China (SWFU).
Morphological observations were made with a SOPTOP SZ stereomicroscope (Sunny Group Co., Ltd., China). Digital images were obtained using a Liyang Super Resolution System LY-WN-YH (Chengdu Liyang Precision Machinery Co., Ltd., China). Whole view images of the new specimens were taken with a Canon 5ds digital camera and LAOWA 100 mm F2.8 2X macro lens (Anhui Changgeng Optics Technology Co., Ltd., China). Stacking was done using the software Zerene Stacker (Zerene Systems LLC, USA, zerenesystems.com/cms/home). Morphological terminology follows that of Bragg (1997) and Bragg (2001).
Head. Squarish, longer than wide, vertex slightly concave and with two small granules between compound eyes. Compound eyes rounded, occupying 1/4 of the genae. Occiput centre slightly convex, covered with sparse and small granules ( Fig. 1C, D, H and I). Antennae filiform, 14 segments, shorter than half the length of fore femora; scapus rectangular and flattened, longer than pedicellus, almost 3x length of pedicellus; pedicellus flattened oval and longer than the third segment ( Fig. 1H and I).
Thorax. Pronotum nearly rectangular, slightly longer than width, almost 1/2 length of head, with sparse small granules; transverse and longitudinal sulci crossing at middle area and distinctly. Mesonotum longer than width, anterior narrowed and gradually widened posteriorly, about 4.5x length of pronotum; with distinct median longitudinal carina and sparse small granules; a row of small granules on the lateral carina of mesonotum. Metanotum nearly rectangular, almost 2/3 length of mesonotum, median area narrow, median longitudinal carina distinct; 2-3 small granules on the lateral carina of metanotum ( Fig. 1A and B). Abdomen. Cylindrical, with slightly granulated, median longitudinal carina distinct. Median segment rectangular, wider than length, almost 1/4 length of metanotum, obviously segmented. Tergum II-VI robust and each segment gradually becoming longer. Tergite VII gradually narrowed. Tergite VIII narrowed in median area and broadened posteriorly, about 3/4 length of tergite VII. Tergite IX about 1/2 length of tergite VIII. Tergites II-IX with distinct lateral carina on both sides of median longitudinal carina. Anal segment gradually narrowing, about 1.5x length of tergite IX, end of anal segment with a deeply V-shaped incision in centre (Fig. 1A, B, E-G and J). Sternite VII with a distinct needle-like praeopercular organ (Fig. 1B, F and G).
Operculum not surpassing posterior margin of anal segment, scoop-shaped and tapering posteriorly (Fig. 1E-G). Cerci short, slightly lanceolate and hidden beneath anal segment (Fig. 1H). Legs. All long and moderately slender, covered with sparse and short bristles; profemora distinctly curved basally, with minor serrations in dorsal carina; mesofemora with five round-lamellar lobes; metafemora smooth. Pro-and meta-femora shorter than corresponding tibiae; mesofemora about as long as mesotibiae. Protibiae smooth; meso-and meta-tibiae with a few small serrations ( Fig. 1  A and B).

Diagnosis
The new species is similar to M. scabriuscula and M. jobrensis, but can be separated by the fewer antennal segments, ornamentation between the compound eyes, serrations or lobes on legs and the incised shape at end of the anal segment. The new species with two small granules between the compound eyes; antennae 13-14 segments; mesofemora with five round-lamellar lobes and mesotibiae with few tiny serrations; anal segment longer than 9 segment and end with deep and narrowed Vshaped incision in centre (Fig. 1). In M. scabriuscula, two bold spines between the compound eyes; antennae 18-19 segments; mesofemora with three large dentate foliaceous lobes dorsally and three small spines on the central carina, mesotibiae with two smaller foliaceous lobes at the proximal end; anal segment longer than 9 segment and tip boldly triangular incised in centre, giving it the appearance of having two leaf-like lobes. In M. jobrensis, with two bold spines on raised ridge between the compound eyes; antennae 21-22 segments; mesofemora with three large dentate foliaceous lobes dorsally and three small spines on the central carina, mesotibiae with two smaller foliaceous lobes at the proximal end and other minor spines; anal segment same length as 9 segment and tip slightly and unevenly triangularly incised in centre; end of 9 segment with large twin tubercles in centre ( First record of the genus Medaura Stål (Phasmatodea, Phasmatidae, Clitumninae) ...

Etymology
The name (lat. aculeiformis = needle-like) refers to the needle-like praeopercular organ on sternite VII of female.

Notes
Antennal segments of new species have 14 in adult, 13 in the last instar nymph. Three last instar nymphs fed on Rosa chinensis Jacq. (Rosaceae) and Nephrolepis auriculata (L.) Trimen (Nephrolepidaceae) in the lab, but these may not be the real host plants.
One nymph died, two nymphs turned into adults and died soon afterwards without spawning. Adults bite each other, causing the posterior margin of the anal segment to be incomplete. Thus, the egg is unkown.

Diagnosis
As the type specimen of Medaura austeni, deposited in NZSI, has been lost ( Mukherjee and Sirinivasan 2013), we did not provide the photos here. From literature, only the male characters were described including: head and thorax with minute granules; mesonotum, metanotum and abdomen with carina and strong spines; anal segment small, fused at base, rounded; subgenital plate compressed and hoodshaped; middle and posterior femora at base below with single spine (MandaI and Yadav 2010).

Diagnosis
The type specimen of Medaura jobrensis was deposited in NHMW. The original literature provides a detailed description of male, female and egg (Brock and Cliquennois 2001).

Diagnosis
The type specimen of Medaura makassarinus was deposited in OUMNH. As only the male was simply described in literature, we organised photos of the male from PSF, but unfortunately the photo of the abdomen dorsal view is unclear.  There are still some problems in Medaura that have not been well solved. Regarding the taxonomic position of M. austeni and M. makassarinus, we agree with Brock and Cliquennois's view (2001) that these two species may not belong to Medaura. However, we think that more collecting is needed to obtain more adult and egg specimens in order that First record of the genus Medaura Stål (Phasmatodea, Phasmatidae, Clitumninae) ...

Type photos
we can better discuss the taxonomic position. This problem also applies to other genera of Medaurini; if sufficient material is available, molecular methods can be applied to help solve some problems of Chinese Phasmatodean in future studies.