Austroclimaciella Handschin

Snyman, Louwrens P., Sole, Catherine L. & Ohl, Michael, 2018, A revision of and keys to the genera of the Mantispinae of the Oriental and Palearctic regions (Neuroptera: Mantispidae), Zootaxa 4450 (5), pp. 501-549 : 506-508

Genus Austroclimaciella Handschin

Austroclimaciella Handschin, 1961 . Type species: Mаntispа quаdrituberculаtа ( Westwood, 1852) (as Mаntispа 4-tuberculаtа), by original designation.

Distribution: Palearctic and Oriental: northeastern India to Japan, Philippines, Indonesia.

Diagnosis ( Fig. 4 ): Austroclimaciella can be distinguished from all other Oriental and Palearctic genera by the well-rounded prozone of the pronotum and tubular midzone that is conspicuously and regularly corrugated, lacking prominent dorsal “hump” on midzone of pronotum present in Tuberonotha ( Fig. 4a, c ). The pterostigma terminates just distal to r-rs2 and the wing apices are always with distinct pigmentation ( Fig. 4b ). Austroclimaciella is the only mantispine genus in the Orient with small pores on the posterior margins of tergites IV, V, VI, VII and VIII ( Fig. 4d–f ). The colour patterns of these mantispines are always a mixture of brown and yellow with a few black decorative bands.

Head: vertex slightly domed anteromedially, flattening out posteriorly; postocular margin wide with few prominent setae; interocular space at anterior margin of scape as wide or narrower than width of eyes; scape lacks setae; flagellum length shorter than prothorax, lacks pale band in distal third; flagellomeres simple/unmodified, slightly broader than long at midlength, basal flagellomeres (approx. 8–10) with prominent whorl of setae on anterior margin which gradually change towards the apex into fine setae covering entire flagellomeres.

Thorax: anterior margin rounded or with slight dorsally directed cusp; prozone well rounded, almost globose; pronotal shape of mid-section irregularly wrinkled, pronotum in dorsal view irregularly rugose; dorsal surface with setae, lateral and ventral surface pubescent (velvet appearance), setae conspicuous on dorsal prozone; maculae not pigmented, exist only as slight indent on posteriorly directed cusps with acute apices; constriction in pronotum posterior to maculae; posterior to maculae pronotum gradually increases in width up to conspicuous dorsal hump anterior to prescutum; prothorax longer than pterothorax, ventral outline of pronotum in lateral view straight. Pterothorax: mesothorax with setae; mesoscutal furrows present but inconspicuous, do not meet medially, fade towards medial plane, disappear midway; mesoscutellum anteriorly truncated, less than 1/3 of mesonotum length; metathorax glabrous to pubescent.

Legs: mesotarsus with segment I similar in length than segments II–IV combined; segment IV the shortest; segment V slightly globose anterodorsally; metatarsus with segment I similar in length than segments II–IV combined; segment II–IV similar in size; segment V slightly globose anterodorsally; meso- and metatarsal claw with less than four teeth, usually three; collectively triangular in shape (elongated middle tooth flanked by shorter teeth).

Wings: venation comparatively complex; cells usually pigmented along anterior margin and/or distinct pigmentation on wing apices; radial cells comparatively elongated. Forewing with costal space terminating just basal to r-rs1, pterostigma commencing just distal to r-rs1; pterostigma terminates before midway of RS3; sc-ra crossvein distinctly less than half the length of RS3; two (rarely) or three c-ra crossveins distal to pterostigma; A2 simple, basally fused with A3. Hindwing: CuP straight; CuA slightly bent towards A1; A1 forked; cu-a long, connects to A1 distal to fork.

Male abdomen: length short, not extending past wing apices; tergites V and VI with two transverse rows of pores on anterolateral margin, pores do not extend to dorsum, each row consist of larger pores (5–10) along the centre, surrounded by many smaller pores (> 30), setae present among pores; area between the rows smooth, lacks setae, tergite VI with pores more conspicuous (Fig. Z); small pores on posterior margin of tergites IV, V, VI, VII and VIII; ectoprocts simple, short, do not extend past apex of sternite IX in lateral view, in caudal view ventrolaterally slightly globose, tapering off towards dorsomedial line; ventromedial lobes slightly swollen, ventrocaudally or ventromedially directed; sternite IX with square/angular medial protrusion on apex, directed ventrocaudally in lateral view; pseudopenis acute, similar in length of pseudopenal membrane, pseudopenal membrane broadly triangular, lateral apices with prominent hypomeres; gonocoxites short, distal apices do not reach level of hypomeres, basal apices do not reach basal apex of mediuncus; mediuncus with bifid distal apex and rounded basal apex; gonarcal protrusion shorter than pseudopenis and sub-acute.

Notes: nothing is known about the biology of Austroclimaciella . The general size of Austroclimaciella is smaller than Tuberonotha and Pseudoclimaciella , but general colouration of the genus is quite similar to both Tuberonotha and Pseudoclimaciella , possible mimics of Polistes spp. wasps. Photos of live specimens may reveal whether the wings are held in a vespoid manner, similar to other wasp mimics in Mantispidae .

The generic description is based on A. quadrituberculata , A. luzonica , A. maculata , A. habutsuella , and A. weelei . The boundaries between these species are not well defined. A. habutsuella and A. weelei lack a broad black band on the posterior margin of the vertex, lack pigmentation in RS2 and RS3 and the cells anterior to Rs in the forewing as well as a short pseudopenis. In turn, A. quadrituberculata , A. luzonica and A. maculata all have a black band on the posterior margin of the vertex, all radial cells as well as the cells anterior to Rs are pigmented, and the pseudopenis is markedly longer than what is found in A. habutsuella and A. weelei . Handschin, (1961) separated all of these species mainly according to “loose” distribution patterns and slight variation in the pigmentation of the wing apices which has greater variability than proposed by the author. These are thus found not to be adequate characters. Xiushuai (2010), however, kept the species separate in an unpublished thesis. Unfortunately, the thesis could not be translated to verify the characters. It is possible that A. weelei is a synonym of A. habutsuella and A. luzonica and A. maculata are both synonyms of A. quadrituberculata (see Appendix I). A revision of Austroclimaciella should be done as confirmation.

Figures

FIGURE 4. Austroclimaciella habutsuella (a) dorsal view of prothorax (b) habitus (c) prothorax in lateral view, arrow indicate posterior “hump” on dorsum of pronotum (d) tergite V in dorsal view [i. pores along anterior margin ii. small pores along posterior margin of tergite IV] (e) tergite V [i. pores along anterior margin] (f) tergite VI [i. large pores along anterior margin]