Holaptilon pusillulum Beier, 1964

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

4.3. Holaptilon pusillulum Beier, 1964

Figure 9k, l

Type locality.

Yad Vashem near Jerusalem, Israel.

Material examined.

1♀, ethanol, Judean Hills , Ora, Yad VaShem, Israel, 31.774N, 35.175E, 8/1971, leg. Wahrman ; 1♂, ethanol, Judean Hills , Qiryat Yearin, Israel, 31.802N, 35.099E, 5/2022, leg. More Yosef ; 1♂, 1♀, ethanol, Judean Hills , Jerusalem, Israel, 31.768N, 35.157E, 8/1974, leg. Wahrman ; 1♀, ethanol, Judean Hills , Ora, En Kerem, Israel, 31.774N, 35.175E, 8/1971, leg. Wahrman (SMNHTAU).

Remarks.

Since the only Holaptilon species occurring in Israel is H. pusillulum and the material in SMNHTAU was mostly collected at or close to the type locality, non-type material of this species was loaned from SMNHTAU to prevent any damage to the type material.

The original description ( Beier 1964) was based on only three specimens of the single-known Holaptilon species at that time and cannot be used anymore to separate this species from the others. A new species diagnosis is therefore proposed, based on male genitalia here described for the first time.

New diagnosis.

Males of this species can be distinguished from other Holaptilon species by the long, hook like afa, which is strongly sclerotised; posterior edge of vla oblique (Fig. 2k, l ).

Redescription.

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: 1.1-1.4), wider (ratio: 1.2) than pronotum (Table S3). Pronotum: Rectangular shape, almost flat, compact. Slightly higher than wide (ratio: 1.3) Meso- and metanotum: roof-shaped and keeled. Forelegs: Femora broad, dorsal edge lamellar, two times longer than wide, armed with 11-12 anteroventral spines with the second one longer than the others; 4 discoidal spines with the first one shorter, the third one longer than the others, the second one is a bit smaller than the third one, the fourth is short but longer than the first one; 4 posteroventral spines, with the first one slightly longer than the other three spines, the first two spines are close to each other but the third and fourth are a bit more distant; anterior genicular lobe and posterior genicular lobe with a spine; foretibia armed with 9-10 anteroventral spines, elongating distally, and 11-13 posteroventral spines, also elongating distally (Fig. 12c ). 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, hook like, which is strongly sclerotised; posterior edge of vla oblique, pba anteriad of afa sclerotised. Posterior edge of vla gently angular and not well sclerotised. Sclerite L4B curved, of complex shape, widened distally. Apical process paa long, directed left side, with curved apex (Fig. 2k, l ). Ootheca: unknown.

Measurements (in mm).

Body length: ♂ 11-12, ♀ 14-18; Head width: ♂ 2.7-3.0, ♀ 3.2-3.5; Head height: ♂ 2.3, ♀ 2.5-3.0; Pronotum length: ♂ 3.0, ♀ 3.0-3.7; Pronotum width: ♂ 2.3-2.4, ♀ 2.3-2.5; Forecoxa length: ♂ 2.0-2.8, ♀ 2.8-3.0; Forefemora length: ♂ 2.8-3.2, ♀ 3.0-3.8; Forefemora width: ♂ 1.3-1.5, ♀ 1.5-1.7.

Distribution.

Israel, Jordan, and Palestine ( Beier 1964; Fig. 6 , red points).

Conservation.

This species seems very localised with an Extent of Occurrence (EOO) of about 900 km2 in a very limited number of locations. This species has been observed discontinuously from its original description in the middle of the 20th century probably because of not very abundant populations, cryptic habits and fragmented populations. The anthropogenic presence and impacts in its habitats are variable but often heavy, involving different urban and agricultural land uses (fig. 8) with severe threats to the natural ecosystems; therefore, this species can be classified as Endangered (B2ab).

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 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 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.