Egg morphology and oviposition techniques in Pseudosermyle (Phasmatodea: Diapheromeridae)
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.22201/ib.20078706e.2026.97.5733Keywords:
Diapheromerinae, Diapheromerini, Phasmida, SEM, Stick insectsAbstract
Pseudosermyle is the genus of stick insects with the greatest diversity in North America, with a range extending from the southern USA to Central America; unfortunately, it has been poorly studied. In this work, we present the first comprehensive analysis of the egg morphology in Pseudosermyle in relation to ultrastructure, using scanning electron microscopy, along with principal component analysis to evaluate the effectiveness of the standardized measurements used in the egg descriptions, as well as the ornamentation. We identified 4 general patterns in Pseudosermyle eggs corresponding to 3 different oviposition techniques: dropping, attaching to substrate and forming oothecae. These patterns suggest the possibility of recognizing different genera within a putative subtribe. Additionally, the ornamentation is sufficiently distinct to differentiate among species. Thus, we emphasize the importance of these characters in the description of species of Pseudosermyle.
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