Rhodomantis microptera, Milledge, Graham A., 2014

Milledge, Graham A., 2014, A revision of Rhodomantis Giglio-Tos, 1917 (Mantodea: Mantidae: Mantinae), Zootaxa 3797 (1), pp. 39-64 : 50-51

Rhodomantis microptera sp. nov.

( Figs. 21–22 , 39–40 , 47–49 , 54 )

Material examined. Holotype. ♂, Western Australia, Mitchell River Falls, Kimberley District , W.A., 14°49’S 125°42’E, 12 May 1983, D.C.F. Rentz & J. Balderson, stop 16, 11-000016 ( ANIC).

Paratypes. 1♀, same data as holotype, 11-000017 . 1♀, Western Australia, Surveyors Pool, near Mitchell Plateau, Kimberley District , 14°40’S 125°44’E, 15 May 1983, D.C.F. Rentz & J. Balderson, stop 20, 11-000018 (both ANIC) .

Diagnosis. This species can be distinguished from others in the genus by having the wings reduced to small flaps in both sexes.

Description. Body ( Figs. 21–22 ) very elongate and slender. Colour brown or yellow brown—the colour of dry grass. Frontal shield with moderate subanntenal ridge. Ocelli of both sexes poorly developed. Antennae of male about half the length of prothorax, of female about one third the length of prothorax. Prothorax elongate and slender, metazone of pronotum with dorsolateral carinae which become indistinct anteriorly and posteriorly. Foreleg with coxa distinctly shorter than metazone, femur with claw groove situated at about mid point. Both sexes with wings reduced to small lateral flaps. Abdomen elongate and very slender, supra-anal plate triangular, cerci much reduced in both sexes, not reaching tip of abdomen. Caudal margin of sixth abdominal sternite of female ( Fig. 49 ) extended, forming a scoop like structure. Styli of male elongate, about same length as subgenital plate and twice the length of the cerci.

Male genitalia ( Figs. 39–40 ) with dpr short, very broad and truncate, with short anterior and posterior projections and lateral margin finely cuspulate; pa compact with small blunt shagreened projection posteriorly, medial lobe of vph prominent and curved dorsally, anterior portion of vph narrowed, apr of left phallomere prominent. Female ovipositor without hooks ( Figs. 47–49 ).

Measurements (mm). Body length, ♂ 57.7, ♀ 81.5. Head width, ♂ 3.8, ♀ 5.3. Head depth, ♂ 1.9, ♀ 3.2. Pronotum length, ♂ 21.7, ♀ 30.2. Pronotum width, ♂ 1.8, ♀ 2.8. Forecoxa length, ♂ 8.8, ♀ 12.7. Forefemur length, ♂ 10.5, ♀ 16.2. Tegmen length, ♂ 3.1, ♀ 3.1. Abdomen length, ♂ 28.2, ♀ 40.4.

Immature stages. Unknown.

Etymology. Specific name refers to the extremely reduced wings in this species.

Distribution and habits. Found in the Kimberley region of Western Australia ( Fig. 54 ). Habits unknown but likely to be a grass dweller.

Figures

FIGURE 54. Rhodomantis species distributions. R. rentzi n. sp. (black circle); R. macula n. sp. (black triangle); R. microptera n. sp. (square with black centre).

FIGURES 18–22. Rhodomantis, dorsal habitus. R. rentzi n. sp.: 18, male holotype; 19, female; 20, female wings. R. microptera n. sp.: 21, male holotype; 22, female paratype.

FIGURES 37–40. Rhodomantis, male genitalia. R. rentzi n. sp.: 37, dorsal aspect, left and ventral phallomeres; 38, ventral aspect, right and ventral phallomeres. R. microptera n. sp.: 39, dorsal aspect, left and ventral phallomeres; 40, ventral aspect, right and ventral phallomeres. Scales = 1mm.

FIGURES 41–52. Rhodomantis, terminal abdominal segments of females and oothecae. R. pulchella (Tepper) abdomen: 41, dorsal; 42, dorsolateral; 43 ventral. R. macula n. sp. abdomen: 44, dorsal; 45, dorsolateral; 46, ventral. R. microptera n. sp. abdomen: 47, dorsal; 48, dorsolateral; 49, ventral. Oothecae: 50, R. pulchella; 51, R. queenslandica (Sjöstedt); 52, R. queenslandica, laid in soil.