Holaptilon abdullahii Mirzaee and Battiston, 2024

Mirzaee, Zohreh, Battiston, Roberto, Ballarin, Francesco, Sadeghi, Saber, Simoes, Marianna, Wiemers, Martin & Schmitt, Thomas, 2024, The Six Dwarfs of the Middle East: revision of the enigmatic praying mantis genus Holaptilon (Mantodea: Gonypetidae: Gonypetinae) with the description of four new species under integrative taxonomy, Arthropod Systematics & amp; Phylogeny 82, pp. 89-117 : 89

4.4. Holaptilon abdullahii Mirzaee and Battiston sp. nov.

Figure 9a, b

Material examined.

Holotype: 1♂, ethanol, with genitalia in a separate micro-vial, Jam , Bushehr province, Iran, 27.883N, 52.354E, 743 m, 11/2020, leg. Mirzaee (SDEI) . - Paratypes: 3♀, ethanol, with genitalia in a separate micro-vial, Tombak , Bushehr, Iran, 27.726N, 52.209E, 83 m, 7/2015, 8/2016, 8/2019, leg. Abdullahi and Mirzaee (SDEI) ; 5♂, 3♀, 2 nymphs, ethanol, Tombak , Bushehr, Iran, 27.726N, 52.209E, 83 m, 7/2015, 7/2016, 7/2017, 5/2018, leg. Abdullahi and Mirzaee (ZMPC) ; 2♂, 4♀, ethanol, Tombak , Bushehr, Iran, 27.726N, 52.209E, 83 m, 8/2016, 8/2019, 8/2020, 8/2021, leg. Abdullahi and Mirzaee (ZMCBSU) ; 2♂, ethanol, Tombak , Bushehr, Iran, 27.726N, 52.209E, 83 m, 7/2017, 8/2017, leg. Abdullahi and Mirzaee (ESPC) ; 2♂, 3♀, ethanol, Kangan , Bushehr, Iran, 27.843N, 52.064E, 57 m, 8/2019, 5/2020 leg. Abdullahi and Mirzaee (ZMPC) ; 3♂, 1♀, 1 nymph, ethanol, Jam , Bushehr, Iran, 27.883N, 52.354E, 83 m, 7/2019, 7/2020, leg. Abdullahi and Mirzaee (ZMPC) ; 1♂, ethanol, Soroo , Bushehr, Iran, 28.006N, 51.908E, 47 m, 4/2021, leg. Mirzaee (ZMPC) .

Diagnosis.

Males and females of this species can be distinguished from other species by having five posteroventral femoral spines and long, saber-like afa with a constant width that is gently curved or straight. Processes pba anteriad of afa is not sclerotised, and the posterior edge of vla is gently angular (Fig. 2a, b ).

Description.

Males are smaller and more delicate in appearance than females, both male and female apterous, head and body dorsally sandy brown, with small dark brown and black spots, mostly in the middle of body parts. Head: Wider than high (ratio: 1.1-1.3), two times wider (ratio: 2) than pronotum (Table S3) (Fig. 10a, b ). Pronotum: Rectangular shape, almost flat, compact. Slightly higher than wide (ratio: 1.2) Meso- and metanotum: roof-shaped and slightly keeled (Fig. 11a, b ). Forelegs: Femora broad, dorsal edge lamellar, 1.8 times longer than wide, armed with 12 or 13 anteroventral spines, of which the second spine is longer than the others and the spines with even numbers are longer than spines with odd numbers; four discoidal spines with the first being shorter, the third longer than the others, the second a bit shorter than the third (both extrovertedly curved), the fourth is short but longer than the first; five posteroventral spines, with almost all of them of the same size, the first two spines are close to each other but the third and fourth are more distant and the fifth spine has a much greater distance and is far away from the other spines; anterior genicular lobe and posterior genicular lobe with a spine; foretibia armed with nine or ten anteroventral spines, elongating distally, and 11, 12 or 13 posteroventral spines, elongating distally. The first three tarsomeres in most of the individuals (N = 21) blackish and the tarsomere number 4 and 5 white, in other individuals (N = 10) whole 5 tarsomeres white (Fig. 12e ). Abdomen: Slender but half as wide in male compared to female, the tergites weakly keeled in midline; supra anal plate transverse, triangular; cerci with nine readily recognizable cercomeres, covered by long setae; last cercomere longer and narrower than the others; subgenital plate much longer than wide. Male genitalia: Ventral phallomere oval, moderately wide; afa long and saber-shaped, with constant width, gently curved or straight, strongly sclerotised in left half, pba anteriad of afa not sclerotised. Posterior edge of vla gently angular and well sclerotised. Sclerite L4B curved, of complex shape, widened distally. Apical process paa long, directed left side, with curved apex (Fig. 2a, b ). Ootheca: Dark yellow to creamy in colour, oval-shaped in dorsal view, dorsoventrally flattened. Rows of egg chambers that are parallel to the top and bottom of the egg, casing is visible from outside (Fig. 13a ).

Measurements (in mm).

Body length: ♂ 12-13, ♀ 15-20; Head width: ♂ 3.1-3.4, ♀ 3.5-4.0; Head height: ♂ 1.4-1.7, ♀ 1.7-2.0; Pronotum length: ♂ 2.7-3.2, ♀ 3.0-3.7; Pronotum width: ♂ 2.4-2.7, ♀ 2.5-3.1; Forecoxa length: ♂ 3.0-3.3, ♀ 3.0-3.6; Forefemora length: ♂ 3.2-3.5, ♀ 3.5-4.0; Forefemora width: ♂ 1.3-1.7, ♀ 1.7-2.2.

Distribution.

South of Iran, Bushehr province (Jam, Kan-gan, Tompak, Soroo) (Fig. 6 : green points).

Habitat.

Rocky habitats within mountains where a permanent water source is available (Fig. 7a ).

Conservation.

This species seems very localized with an Extent of Occurrence (EOO) of about 300 km2 in a small number of locations (4). With no data on population trends over time, and despite its natural habitat susceptible to low anthropogenic impacts, this species might have to be categorized as endangered, but further studies are necessary to clarify its threat status.

Etymology.

Named after the first collector, Hossein Abdullahi.

Figures

Figure 2. Dorsal view and ventral view of male genitalia of different Holaptilon species: a, b H. abdullahii sp. nov.; c, d H. iranicum sp. nov.; e, f ventral view H. tadovaniensis sp. nov.; g, h H. brevipugilis; i, j H. khozestani sp. nov.; k, l H. pusillulum; scale bar: 500 µm. afa = anterior process (left phallic complex: left phallomere). paa = apical process (left phallic complex: left phallomere). vla = the right-posterior ventral lobe (left phallic complex: " ventral phallomere "; with L 4 A sclerotization in ventral wall; with opening of ejaculatory duct in dorsal wall). pba = (left phallic complex: left phallomere), of afa plus the edge (between pouches pne and lve) from which they arise (with L 1 and L 2 sclerotizations). L 4 B = sclerite extending over the dorsal wall (left phallomere). L 4 A = sclerite extending over the ventral wall (left and " ventral " phallomere).

Figure 6. Current and historic records of Holaptilon species, visualisation with QGIS v. 3.22, Base map: ESRI Terrain map.

Figure 7. Examples of the habitats of Holaptilon species: a H. abdullahii sp. nov., Soroo, Busheher province (29.569 N, 51.947 E). b H. iranicum sp. nov., Arjan, Fars province (29.569 N, 51.947 E). c H. khozestani sp. nov., Malagha, Khozestan province (31.607 N, 49.998 E). d H. tadovaniensis sp. nov., Tadovan, Fars (28.853 N, 53.326 E).

Figure 9. Genus Holaptilon life habitus: a H. abdullahii sp. nov., paratype male from Soroo, Busheher province (29.569 N, 51.947 E). b H. abdullahii sp. nov., paratype female from Kangan, Busheher province (27.843 N, 52.064 E). c H. brevipugilis male and female from Arak (34.128 N, 50.07 E) (photo credit: Mahmood Kolnegari). d H. iranicum sp. nov., holotype male from Arjan, Fars province (29.569 N, 51.947 E). e H. iranicum sp. nov., paratype female from Arjan, Fars province (29.569 N, 51.947 E). f H. khozestani sp. nov., holotype male from Malagha, Khozestan province (31.607 N, 49.998 E). g H. khozestani sp. nov., paratype female from Dehdez, Khozestan province (31.733 N, 50.222 E). h H. tadovaniensis sp. nov., paratype female from Tadovan, Fars (28.853 N, 53.326 E). i H. tadovaniensis sp. nov., holotype male from Tadovan, Fars (28.853 N, 53.326 E). j H. pusillulum male from Jerusalem, Israel (28.853 N, 53.326 E) (photo credit: More Yosef Avi). k H. pusillulum female from Jerusalem, Israel (31.737 N, 35.077 E) (photo credit: Chaym Turak).

Figure 10. Heads of different Holaptilon species: a male (Kangan), b female (Kangan) H. abdullahii sp. nov.; c female (Arjan), d male (Arjan), e female (Sahlak), f female (Yasuj) H. iranicum sp. nov.; g male (Tadovan), h female (Tadovan) H. tadovaniensis sp. nov.; i female (Arak), j male (Mashhad), k female (Arak), l male (Arak) H. brevipugilis; m male (Dehdez), n male (Malagha), o male (Dehdez), p female (Dehdez) H. khozestani sp. nov.; scale bar: 1 mm.

Figure 11. Posterior view of the thoraxes of different Holaptilon species: a male (Kangan) b female (Kangan) H. abdullahii sp. nov.; c female (Arjan), d male (Arjan), e female (Sahlak), f female (Yasuj) H. iranicum sp. nov.; g male (Tadovan), h female (Tadovan) H. tadovaniensis sp. nov.; i female (Arak), j male (Mashhad), k female (Arak), l male (Arak) H. brevipugilis; m male (Dehdez), n male (Malagha), o male (Dehdez), p female (Dehdez) H. khozestani sp. nov.; scale bar: 2 mm; white arrows indicate the characters that were used in the previous studies as diagnostic characters.

Figure 12. Different types of spines of the foreleg of different Holaptilon species: a female H. iranicum sp. nov.; b female H. tadovaniensis sp. nov.; c male H. brevipugilis; d male H. khozestani sp. nov.; e male H. abdullahii sp. nov.; f female H. pusillulum; scale bar: 2 mm.

Figure 13. Ootheca of different Holaptilon species: a H. abdullahii sp. nov.; b H. iranicum sp. nov.; c - e H. khozestani sp. nov.; f Palachia pulchra, parasitoid wasp which parasites Holaptilon ootheca; scale bar for the oothecae: 3 mm, for the wasp: 0.5 mm.