Hierodula pistillinota Wang, Zhou & Zhang, 2020

Liu, Qin-Peng, Liu, Zi-Jun, Wang, Guo-Li & Yin, Zi-Xu, 2021, Taxonomic revision of the praying mantis subfamily Hierodulinae of China (Mantodea: Mantidae), Zootaxa 4951 (3), pp. 401-433 : 412-413

Hierodula pistillinota Wang, Zhou & Zhang, 2020

( Figs. 4 , 15M–N )

Hierodula venosa nec Olivier, 1792. In: Zhu et al. 2012: 263.

Hierodula pistillinota Wang, Zhou & Zhang, 2020a: 9 . Holotype (♂): China, Yunnan, SEM.

Material examined. 1♂, 1♀, CHINA, Yunnan, Xishuangbanna, Jinghong , 22°36’N, 101°25’E, 2.xi.2017, leg. Zhaotai Wei.

Measurements [in mm, ♂ (n = 1), ♀ (n = 1)]. Body length, ♂ 73.5, ♀ 84.4. Pronotum length, ♂ 23.1, ♀ 25.7. Forewing length, ♂ 60.8, ♀ 51.7.

Description of the female. The body generally bright green or golden. Head. Triangular, 1.5 times as wide as long. Compound eyes prominent, inverted drop-shaped. Vertex flat. Ocellar tubercle with slightly protruding archshaped ridge anteriorly connecting sideways. Three ocelli small, all about the same size. Lower frons vertical, with two defined vertical ridges medially and the upper edge curved upwards. The length of the lower frons 1.1 times longer than its width. Clypeus nearly trapezoidal, with a large bulge at its centre. Pronotum straight and robust, with slight expansion and irregular denticulation laterally. Length of pronotum 3.1 times the maximum width, and the length of metazona 2.8 times as long as prozona. Edge near the widest point smooth curve. Lateral cervical sclerites narrow, abutting intercervical sclerites at the base. Postcervical plate saddle-shaped, its length and width are approximately equal. Furcasternite flat, the middle carina slight. Forelegs. Forecoxa with six to eight distinct apically obtuse dorsal spines, with the forecoxal lobes developed and rounded. The base of AvfS 2, 4, and 10 with a small black spot respectively. AvfS 2, 4, 10, and 15 darkly pigmented. DS on forefemur light coloured dorsally, while the 1 st and 3 rd spines ventrally black. Femoral armament: four PvfS, four DS, fifteen AvfS. AvfS unequal in size, arranged as follows: iIiIiIiIiIiIiiI(L)/iIiIiIiIiIiIiiI(R). Femoral brush long and narrow in shape. Spination formula: F= 4DS/ 15AvS/ 4PvS; T= 14AvfS/13PvS. Meso- and metathoracic legs. Consistent with other Hierodula species.

Wings. Forewing 2.9 times as long as its maximum width. Pterostigma narrows in shape, beige. Hindwing hyaline, triangular, 1.7 times as long as its maximum width. Abdomen. Fusiform, reaching its widest point around three to four tergite. Tergite X transverse, arch in shape.

Distribution. China (Yunnan); Thailand; Vietnam.

Remarks. This species was originally described based on male specimens only and the female is described for the first time in the present study. Male genitalia of specimens studied herein do not differ from those present in Wang et al. (2020a). The pia of male genitalia of H. pistillinota is remarkable: it projects distally and forms a tapering, hook-like process, while in most other mantids, clasping apparatus of the right phallomere are generally uniform ( Schwarz & Roy 2019). This special and stable character may have played a part in sexual selection. This species was identified as ‘ Hierodula venosa ’ in Zhu et al. (2012).

Ootheca ( Fig. 15M–N ) barrel-like in shape. External wall thinly leathery, russet brown with thick beige coloured external coating adhering. The proximal end of ootheca fully encircling the attached point, with the ventral surface of the ootheca exposed, and the emergence area is nearly perpendicular to the attached point. Two rows of chamber openings are covered by the operculum, the flaps of which form a remarkable residual process beyond the edge of the ootheca.

Figures

FIGURE 4. Female Hierodula pistillinota. A. Whole body, dorsal view. B. Foreleg, ventral view. C. Whole body, ventral view. D. Head.

FIGURE 15. Ootheca of Hierodulinae from China (except T–U. Hierodula membranacea from India). A–D. Rhombomantis fusca. E–H. R. longipennis. I–J. Hierodula patellifera (Xishuangbanna, Yunnan). K–L. Hierodula tenuidentata. M–N. Hierodula pistillinota. O. Hierodula maculata. P. Hierodula patellifera (Qingdao, Shandong). Q. Mekongomantis quinquespinosa. R–S. Hierodula confusa.