Sphodropoda Stål, 1871

Milledge, G. A., 2005, Revision of the Genera Sphodropoda, Trachymantis and Zopheromantis (Mantodea: Mantidae: Mantinae), Records of the Australian Museum 57, pp. 191-210 : 192-193

Sphodropoda Stål

Sphodropoda Stål, 1871: 399 . Type species Sphodropoda tristis Saussure , by original designation.

Diagnosis. Head about as high as wide, frontal shield without dorsal extensions; preacetabular spine strong; inner face of first tarsal segment partly or wholly black, ventral face of fore femur tuberculate, especially toward outer margin; both sexes macropterous (some females slightly brachypterous), ventral face of costal area of tegmen at least partly red. Can be distinguished from Trachymantis by the lack of a tooth on the apex of the frontal shield and from Zopheromantis by the hind femur being only about half the length of the abdomen.

Description. Small to moderately large, body robust, male macropterous, female macropterous to slightly brachypterous. Head about as wide as high, not significantly compressed anteroposteriorly, apical margin gently arched; eyes rounded, not particularly prominent; frontal shield slightly wider than high, flat, with distinct ridge laterally and apically but not produced into a tooth at apex.

Pronotum moderately elongate, supracoxal expansion slight to distinct, dorsal surface finely to moderately coarsely granulate, margins finely denticulate, ventral surface with preacetabular spine prominent. Fore coxa as long as or longer than metazone of pronotum, often with distinctive pattern on inner face and a number of prominent tubercles on anterior margin. Fore femur finely tuberculate on ventral surface, particularly toward outer margin; with four discoidal spines, relative length from longest to shortest 3- 2-1-4; with four outer and 15 inner spines, claw groove situated at about a third the total distance from base. Inner face of tarsus largely black.

Tegmen with costal area opaque, partially red beneath; discoidal area entirely opaque to mostly hyaline. Hind wing with costal and discoidal area pigmented, anal area largely hyaline. Mid and hind legs relatively short, hind femur about half the length of abdomen. Abdomen moderately elongate, cerci short, slender and cylindrical. Male genitalia with dpr bifurcate.

Notes. All the species in this genus have relatively short legs, a feature that appears to be associated with the behavioural adaptation of depressing the body against the substrate when threatened. This behaviour has been observed in three of the species recognized here ( S. tristis , S. quinquedens and S. viridis ), the behaviour of the other ( S. lepida ) has not been observed. If the substrate is a branch or twig this behaviour includes moving to the side of the branch facing away from the threat. Similar behaviour appears to have evolved independently in other genera of Mantidae , e.g., Tarachodula ( Preston-Mafham 1990, plate 33) and Galepsus (Hevers & Liske 1991, plate 21).