Revision of the Iberian stick insect genus Leptynia Pantel and description of the new genus Pijnackeria

Abstract

The Iberian phasmid species Leptynia attenuata and L. hispanica (Pantel, 1890) are actually species-complexes, each embodying a few specific taxa. Morphological, karyological and molecular investigations concordantly revealed that considerable differences exist between the two complexes, each representing a monophyletic group. Significant differentiating body traits are: the presence in the "attenuata" males of a well-developed subanal vomer, which is lacking in those of the hispanica-complex; the sharply pointed abdomen tip in the "hispanica" females, quite different from the rounded abdomen ending of the attenuata-complex females. Also the egg structure and SEM chorionic pattern differ neatly. Karyotypes of the "attenuata" taxa mainly differ by chromosome repatternings entraining number reductions, while those of the hispanica-complex maintain the same chromosome number in sexual taxa and add similar haploid sets in polyploid parthenogens. Also molecular investigations neatly separate the complexes and support specific differentiations of taxa within each complex; therefore, a splitting of the genus Leptynia is felt necessary. Caudell wrongly reported the designation by Pantel of L. hispanica as the type species of the genus, while Kirby validly indicated Leptynia attenuata as the type species; therefore, the subsequent Leptyniella proposition for the Leptynia attenuata complex by Bolivar, is not valid either. Thus in the genus splitting, the Leptynia designation must be maintained to the "attenuata" complex, while the new name Pijnackeria is here given to the former "hispanica" taxa. This splitting is in full accordance with the seminal description by Pantel for the occurrence of the subanal vomer in the L. attenuata males and the presence of the pointed female abdomen in "hispanica" taxa, plainly settling a rather confusing nomenclatural situation. It also significantly updates the Iberian phasmid systematics. The formal description of taxa belonging to the reshaped Leptynia and to the new genus Pijnackeria will be dealt with in papers to follow. © 2009 Unione Zoologica Italiana.