Mekongomantis, Schwаrz & Ehrmаnn & Shcherbаkov, 2018

Schwаrz, Christiаn J., Ehrmаnn, Reinhаrd & Shcherbаkov, Evgeny, 2018, A new genus and species of praying mantis (Insecta, Mantodea, Mantidae) from Indochina, with a key to Mantidae of South-East Asia, Zootaxa 4472 (3), pp. 581-593 : 582-583

Genus Mekongomantis gen. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:9D9A0A0C-5391-4C7A-A04A-6143D604C68E

Type species: Mekongomantis quinquespinosa sp. nov., by monotypy.

Diagnosis. Large, elongate, of the “common praying mantis ” body type. Lower frons 1.4–1.5 times as wide as high, pentagonal, with two paramedian carinae. Forefemur with 5 posteroventral and 4 discoidal spines. Supracoxal dilatation very weak, lateral edges of pronotal metazona lamellar, almost straight. Both pairs of wings fully developed and exceeding the end of abdomen in both sexes. Sclerite L4А of the male genitalia with a single thin process strongly curved dextro-dorsad at its base. Phalloid apophysis laterally S-shaped, weakly sclerotized and densely covered by long setae.

Differential dagnosis. Similar in overall appearance to Hierodula Burmeister, 1838 , Tenodera Burmeister, 1838 , Mantis Linnaeus, 1758 , and Mesopteryx Saussure, 1870 but differs from these and all other genera of Mantidae by presence of five instead of four posteroventral spines. It is also unique in the character of the phalloid apophysis, which is large, weakly sclerotized, has an S-shaped lateral profile and is densely covered by long setae. Аdditionally, it differs from all Аsian Mantidae except Mesopteryx and some species of Tenodera in having nearly straight, lamellar lateral pronotal expansions along the metazona.

Etymology. Named for the Greater Mekong Subregion, one of the Earth’s most threatened biodiversity hotspots.

Taxonomic position. We place Mekongomantis gen. nov. in the Hierodulinae clade considered here in the rank of a subfamily. The basis for this is the peculiar morphology of the male genitalia ( Fig. 4 ). Mekongomantis gen. nov. has a singular, long and thin distal process sharply curved at the base, much alike the distal process of many species of Hierodula , e.g. H. patellifera ( Аudinet-Serville, 1838) ( Fig. 5 ), as well as that of Pnigomantis medioconstricta ( Westwood, 1889) . In addition, the phalloid apophysis is densely covered by setae, with this state observed by us only in the genus Camelomantis Giglio-Tos, 1917 , related to Hierodula ( Fig. 6 ). Nevertheless, given its external similarity to Tenodera , Mantis , and Mesopteryx , and the current lack of phylogenetic classification of Mantidae , a cladistic analysis of Mantidae may change this provisional placement of Mekongomantis gen. nov. This, however, is far beyond the scope of the present paper.

Figures

FIGURES 4‒6. Hieroduline male genitalia in ventral view. 4. Mekongomantis quinquespinosa, holotype. 5. Hierodula patellifera from the Philippines. 6. Camelomantis sp. from Myanmar. Not to scale.