Otomantis gracilis Lombardo & Ippolito, 2014

Lombardo, Francesco, Stiewe, Martin B. D., Ippolito, Salvatrice & Marletta, Alessandro, 2014, A taxonomic revision of Otomantis Bolivar, 1890 (Mantodea: Hymenopodidae, Acromantinae) with description of five new species, Zootaxa 3797 (1), pp. 169-193 : 190

Otomantis gracilis Lombardo & Ippolito sp. n.

( Figs 9D ; 10D, H ; 11D ; 12G–H, O ; 13 )

Type material: Holotype 1♂ D. R. CONGO: Mayidi, 1942, Rév. P. Van Eyen, ( MDAB) ; Paratypes: 1♂ Congo , Grand Bois, J.-P. Grillot, 24.05.72, Roy genitalia prep. 1859, ( MNHN) D. R. Congo : 1♂ Lovanium , (Kinshasa), XII.1968, P. M. Elsen, Roy genitalia prep. 3134 ( IICT) .

Diagnosis. This species differs from all other species in the capirica group in its smaller size and the significantly reduced vertical process of vertex ( Fig. 9D ). The female is unknown for the species.

Male description.

General Coloration: Body ochre with scattered small dark spots; head ochre with dark spots on the vertex and near the eyes; legs ochre; abdomen dark brown dorsally.

Measurements (mm): TL 17; HW 3.8; PL 3.5; MPW 2.2; ML 1.9; SDW 2.1; CL 4.1; FL 4.7; MFW 2; WL 17.5 x 4.3.

Head ( Fig. 9D ): Transverse, vertex straight, vertical process of vertex reduced to a small spike; juxta-ocular tubercles conical; eyes oval, apical spine with rounded apex; antennae elongated; frontal shield transverse, pentagonal, 2.54 times wider than high, lateral margins straight, apex with a small rounded spike folded forward.

Thorax: Pronotum ( Fig. 10D, H ) rhomboidal, slender, 1.59 times longer than wide. Prozone elongated, disc with two flattened median tubercles, lateral margins with 4–5 dark small tubercles; metazone with a triangular depression behind supracoxal sulcus; lateral margins of supracoxal dilation form an obtuse angle.

Forelegs: Slender; coxae about 1.17 times longer than pronotum, anterior margin with 8–10 small dark spines; internal apical lobes divergent; anterior femora ( Fig. 11D ) flattened, 2.25 times longer than wide, dorsal margin toothed, curved and its widest part at the 2/3 from the base; spination formula F=4ES/11IS/4DS and T=10ES/9IS; external spines ochre with dark apex.

Meso and metathoracic legs: Femora slender with distal triangular lobes with rounded apex, lobes nearly same size on meso and metafemora, lateral margin broadened.

Wings: Hyaline, exceeding the apex of abdomen. Costal field of mesothoracic wings opaque, discoidal area hyaline with numerous scattered dark spots. Metathoracic wings hyaline.

Abdomen: Cylindrical; supra-anal plate triangular in shape, with rounded apex; subgenital plate longer than wide, not incised at apex and with two small styli. Cerci conical, shorter than in O. scutigera .

External genitalia: Ventral phallomere ( Fig. 12O ) similar to O. capirica , but with a smaller auriculated lamina. Left phallomere with dorsal lamina (dl) elongated ( Fig. 12H ), slightly wider at the base, ventral lamina ( Fig. 12G , vl) more or less square, with a long arm on the anterior margin. Phalloid apophysis (af) well-developed, with two short apical processes.

Distribution. This species occurs in R. Congo ( Fig. 13 ).

Etymology. Named in reference to its delicate appearance.

Figures

FIGURE 9. Head of: A, F, (♂ and ♀), O. capirica; B, G, (♂ and ♀), O. centralis sp. n.; C (♂), O. trimacula sp. n.; D (♂), O. gracilis sp. n., Scale = 1mm.

FIGURE 10. Pronotum of: O. capirica A, E (♂), I, M (♀), in dorsal and lateral view; O. centralis sp. n. B, F (♂), L, N (♀), in dorsal and lateral view; O. trimacula sp. n. C, G (♂) in dorsal and lateral view; O. gracilis sp. n. D, H (♂) in dorsal and lateral view. Scale = 1mm.

FIGURE 11. Inner surface of fore femur of: A, O. capirica; B, O. centralis sp. n.; C, O. trimacula sp. n.; D, O. gracilis sp. n.. Scale = 1mm.

FIGURE 12. External genitalia of: A, B (left phallomere, ventral and dorsal views), L (ventral phallomere, dorsal view), O. capirica (holotype); C, D (left phallomere, ventral and dorsal views), M (ventral phallomere in dorsal view), O. centralis sp. n. (holotype); E, F (left phallomere, ventral and dorsal views), N (ventral phallomere in dorsal view), O. trimacula sp. n. (holotype); G, H (left phallomere, ventral and dorsal views), O (ventral phallomere in dorsal view), O. gracilis sp. n. (holotype). Scale = 500 µm.

FIGURE 13. Geographic distribution of Otomantis spp. in Southern Africa and Madagascar: black circle= O casaica; black square= O. bolivari sp. n.; black triangle= O. rendalli; black diamond= O. scutigera; black shape star= O. aurita; open triangle= O. capirica; open square= O. centralis sp. n.; open circle= O. gracilis sp. n.; open diamond= O. trimacula sp. n. (note: question mark refers to the distribution of O. minima sp. n., known only from “South Africa”).