The new genus Andeocalynda n. gen. is described and the supposed relationships are discussed. The genus is restricted to the mountainous Andean regions of Ecuador and Colombia. Nine new species are described and illustrated: A. aspericollis n. sp., A. banosense n. sp., A. brevicercata n. sp. and A. lojaense n. sp. from Ecuador based on the males only, A. decorata n. sp., A. mutica n. sp., A. densegranuloa n.
The Palm Stick Insects (or "Coconut Stick Insects") have been transferred to a new subfamily on their own, the Megacraniinae subfam. nov.. The new subfamily is subordinate to Phasmatidae sensu stricto (= Lanceocercata). It is characteristic for the remarkably large head and strongly enlarged genae (“cheeks”), which are necessary to accomodate the massive mandibular muscles needed for feeding on the hard leaves of various palms (Arecaceae) e.g. coconut (Cocos nucifera) or screw palms (Pandanus spp., Pandanaceae).
He Was a Stick; She Was a Leaf; Together They Made History. A surprise clutch of eggs has solved a century-old leaf insect mystery.
01.12.2020 - A nice article about the recent Nanophyllium discovery in the journal ZooKeys has been published in The New York Times.
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/01/science/leaf-stick-insects-phyllium-asekiense.html
The genus Microrestes gen. nov. is erected to accommodate the new species Microrestes robustus sp. nov. from North Vietnam. Pylaemenes trapezius Ho, 2016 from southern China is transferred to Microrestes and the new combination M. trapezius (Ho, 2016) comb. nov. is proposed. A third species of Microrestes is recorded from northern Thailand based on photographs.
The distinctive New Guinean genus Thaumatobactron (Lonchodinae: Eurycanthini) has been revised and four new species have been described.
Reference:
The previously unknown females of the genus Nanophyllium have been identified. A review of the genus including the descriptions of two new species from New Guinea has been published in the journal ZooKeys.
Reference:
Royce T. Cumming, Stéphane Le Tirant, Sierra M. Teemsma, Frank H. Hennemann, Luc Willemse and Thies H. Büscher (2020): Lost lovers linked at long last: elusive female Nanophyllium mystery solved after a century of being placed in a different genus (Phasmatodea, Phylliidae). ZooKeys, 969: 43-84.
The enigmatic, monotypic genus Laciphorus Redtenbacher, 1908 (type species: Laciphorus lobulatus Redtenbacher, 1908) is redescribed and its taxonomic position is explained. It belongs to a subgroup of ‘anareolate’ Phasmatodea currently referred to as Diapheromerinae: Diapheromerini: ‘Bacteriagroup’ and now members of a clade termed Occidophasmata (Simon et al., 2019). Globocalynda Zompro, 2001 is shown to be the morphologically most similar and presumably most closely related genus. Two new synonymies are revealed.
The new Hesperophasmatini–genus Sigaruphasma gen. nov. from Hispaniola is described and illustrated. It is remarkable for violating several of the previously stated diagnostic features of the tribe Hesperophasmatini Bradley and Galil, 1977. It is well characterized by the cylindrical, cigar–like body of females, proportionally very short legs, strongly broadened profemora of females, lacking sensory–areas on the probasisternum and profurcasternum as well as the smooth egg–capsule. Two new species are described from the Dominican Republic, both from the males, females and eggs. S.
With this publication, the knowledge about the diversity of plasmids in French Guyana is enormously increased from 28 previously known species up to 73!, including 16 new species and one new genus.
Furthermore, it also contains important taxonomic changes that affect a large number of neotropical Phasmatodea. We propose 56 new combinations and 26 new synonymous, which help to solve many taxonomic problems and to correct mistakes. Hopefully, this will be of great help for new researchers interested in working on this wonderful group of insects.
Two new species of Taraxippus Moxey, 1971 are described and illustrated: T. samarae sp. nov. from Costa Rica and Panama and T. perezgelaberti sp. nov. from the Dominican Republic. Both sexes and the previously unknown eggs are described. The genus is recorded from Central America for the first time. A distribution map and a discussion of the distributional pattern of Taraxippus are provided.