Vol. 62, 2023
(update: 2023.5.23)
Taxonomic Revision, Morphology and Natural History of the Stick Insect Genus Xerosoma Serville, 1831 (Insecta: Phasmatodea)
Phillip Watzke Engelking1,5,*, Victor Morais Ghirotto2,5, Edgar Blois Crispino2,5, Thies H. Büscher3, Raphael Aquino Heleodoro4, Pedro Alvaro Barbosa Aguiar Neves5, and Pitágoras da Conceição Bispo1
doi:-
1Faculdade
de Ciências e Letras de Assis - Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP),
Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Av. Dom Antônio, 2100, Parque
Universitário, Assis/SP, CEP 19806-900. *Correspondence: E-mail:
engelking.phillip@gmail.com (Engelking).
E-mail: pcbispo@gmail.com (Bispo)
2Museu de
Zoologia da Universidade de São Paulo (MZUSP), Av. Nazaré, 481 -
Ipiranga, São Paulo - SP, 04263-000, Brazil. E-mail:
victorghirotto@hotmail.com (Ghirotto); lanrhartan@gmail.com (Crispino)
3Functional
Morphology and Biomechanics, Kiel University, 10th floor, Am
Botanischen Garten 1-9 D - 24118, Kiel, Germany. E-mail:
tbuescher@zoologie.uni-kiel.de (Büscher)
4Programa de pós-graduação em zoologia da Universidade Federal do
Amazonas, Av. General Rodrigo Octávio, 6200 - Coroado I, Manaus – AM,
69080-900, Brazil. E-mail: raphaelnatal36@gmail.com (Heleodoro)
5Projeto Phasma, Brazil. E-mail: alvaro3dssa@gmail.com (Neves)
(Received 18 May 2022 / Accepted 28 April 2023 / Published -- 2023)
Communicated by Y. Miles Zhang
Stick insects (Phasmatodea) are quite diverse in the Neotropical region. Among them, Xerosoma
Serville belongs to Pseudophasmatidae and comprises winged, roughly
brownish phasmids that resemble bark or dry branches and inhabit the
Atlantic Forest in Brazil. In this study, we present a redescription
and revision of the genus that include three valid species, Xerosoma canaliculatum, Xerosoma michaelis, and Xerosoma nannospinus sp. nov.. Xerosoma senticosum syn. nov. was found to be a junior synonym of X. canaliculatum.
We also provide an identification key and geographic records for these
three species. Additionally, we present a detailed study on the
morphology and natural history of X. canaliculatum
with the description of its nymphal stages, egg, male genitalia,
ontogeny, oviposition method, life habits, defense mechanisms, mating
behavior, and other aspects regarding its biology. The study also
highlights the shortcomings related to the classification ofXerosomatinae
since its tribes find themselves without proper characterization of
their type species and containing heterogeneous genera. We expect to
provide a basis for a proper diagnosis of Xerosomatinae and encourage
future studies on this group, as there is still much to be discovered
about this lineage of Neotropical stick insects.
Key words: Animal behavior, Atlantic Forest, Brazilian fauna, Mating behavior, Taxonomy.
Citation:
Engelking PW, Ghirotto VM, Crispino EB, Büscher TH, Heleodoro RA, Neves
PABA, and Bispo PC. 2023. Taxonomic revision, morphology and natural
history of the stick insect Genus Xerosoma Serville, 1831 (Insecta: Phasmatodea). Zool Stud 62:31.

We follow the code of the International
Commission on Zoological Nomenclature, taxonomic papers with new
species/genus descriptions will not have early view version:.
Supplementary
materials: Fig. S1丨Fig. S2丨Supplementary link丨Video S1丨Video S2
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