Pachyphasma

Pachyphasma is a genus of insects in the family Mantophasmatidae. It is a monotypic genus consisting of the species Pachyphasma brandbergense.

Pachyphasma brandbergense is endemic to the Brandberg Massif of Namibia.

Based on peptide hormone sequences, Pachyphasma gen. n. is placed as sistergroup to Mantophasma/Sclerophasma (Predel et al. in press). The clade Pachyphasma gen. n. + Mantophasma/Sclerophasma was determined as sistergroup to Tyrannophasma + Praedatophasma. Pachyphasma gen. n. can be distinguished from all other mantophasmatodeans by an abdomen that is shorter than the thorax and a metanotum that is broader than the abdominal tergum I. Pachyphasma was found in the same biotope/habitat as Tyrannophasma gladiator, but on flowering bushes of Compositae while Tyrannophasma mainly inhabits grass tussocks but never these bushes. The new genus is characterized by several distinct neuropeptide sequences, e.g. periviscerokinin-1 (EAAGLIAFPRTamide) (Predel et al. in press). The respective mass signal ([M+H]+: 1144.6) can be detected in preparations of abdominal perisympathetic organs of males/females/nymphs.