Phasmomantella pallida ( Roy, 2001 ) Vermeersch, 2018

Vermeersch, Xavier H. C., 2018, Phasmomantella gen. nov., a spectacular new genus of praying mantis from southern Central Vietnam (Mantodea, Mantidae, Deroplatyinae, Euchomenellini), European Journal of Taxonomy 442, pp. 1-17 : 11-15

Phasmomantella pallida ( Roy, 2001) gen. et comb. nov.

Figs 5 ¯6; Table 2

Diagnosis

Species with long and slender pronotum. Head broader than high, with large globular eyes. Antennae filiform. Pronotum entirely smooth along the margins. Medial keel embedded in a longitudinal groove in the prozone but elevated in the metazone. Profemora with four discoidal spines, 15 anteroventral spines and four posteroventral spines. Protibiae with 12 anteroventral spines and seven posteroventral spines. Tegmina and alae entirely hyaline, reaching apex of abdomen in males. Female unknown.

Etymology

The specific epithet ‘ pallida ’ was proposed by Roy (2001) when he described the species as Euchomenella pallida since the colouration of the type was uniformly beige and far more pale than in any other species belonging to that genus. By analogy with Phasmomantella nuichuana gen. et sp. nov., it is now clear that the live colouration is green, turning to beige when pigmentation is lost during conservation.

Material examined

Holotype ( Fig. 5 )

VIETNAM: Ƌ, Khánh Hòa Prov., Nha Trang , 19¯ 20 Jun. 1912, A. Krempf leg. ( MNHN ( EP) 2519, genitalia preparation no 3627 by R. Roy).

Description

Male (holotype, Fig. 5 )

MEASUREMENTS. For details, see Table 2.

HEAD ( Fig. 5 ). Wider than long with large, rounded compound eyes projecting outside profile of head both laterally and anteriorly. Vertex more or less straight. Ocelli well developed, ocellar tubercle flat with only the ocelli protruding. Median ocellus pointing forwards, lateral paired ocelli larger and facing sideways. Lower frons transverse and slightly arch-shaped without vertical ridges internally; upper and lateral margins bordered with a noticeably protruding ridge. Clypeus entirely smooth.

THORAX ( Fig. 5 ). Pronotum long, straight and slender. Gradually expanding from rounded anterior margin towards widest point, then narrowing down in gentle sinusoidal curve until margins run parallel to each other, and very slightly widening again near the posterior end. Lateral margins and dorsal surface entirely smooth. Narrowest point located in the middle of pronotum. Medial keel embedded in a longitudinal groove-like depression in prozone and anterior part of metazone up to widest point but becoming distinctly elevated afterwards. Cross-section of metazone triangular. Furcasternite entirely smooth.

PROTHORACIC LEGS ( Fig. 5 ). Coxa slightly shorter than half of pronotum length, with 8 or 9 white spinules of equal size without smaller spinules in between them. Coxal lobes rounded, equal in length but ventral lobe broader, running parallel with a small space between them. Femur with straight dorsal margin, surface entirely smooth apart from two parallel rows of small tubercles that run ventrally and start proximally from 2 nd discoidal spine towards distal part of joint with the trochanter. Femoral brush long and oval in shape, starting from the 12 th and ending just a little distally of 15 th AvS. Colouration beige with some green hues (probably green during life) with exception of a well-defined rectangular spot on the anterior surface starting proximally from the 1 st AvS and ending between the 4 th and 5 th AvS. Femoral spot reaches from ventral margin to roughly half of femoral height, deep black in dried specimens. AvS 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 10 and 15 entirely darkened, other AvS only apically infuscate. Tibial spur groove past distal third of femur. AvS unequal in size and arranged as follows: IIIIIIIIIIIIIII. AvS 10 and 15 large but with four much smaller spines of equal size between them. Large and medium spines alternate between AvS 1 and 10, first spine being a medium one. Medium spines subtly inclined towards anterior side of femur. PvS 4 is smallest, 3 is largest, 1 and 2 larger than the 4 th but gradually becoming smaller towards proximal end of femur. First DS with dark brownish spot at the base. DS with same size arrangement as PvS, with DS 3 remarkably large and about twice the size of second PvS. Protibiae smooth with longitudinal groove across entire length of posterior side. Tibial AvS gradually elongated towards tibial spur. Protarsi apically darkened; first tarsomere longer than others combined. Spinal formula: F = 4DS/15AvS/4PvS; T = 12AvS/7PvS.

MESO- AND METATHORACIC LEGS ( Fig. 5 ). Long and slender without lobes. Femora with rounded genicular lobes and a short genicular spur. Tibiae tubular with two tibial spurs. First tarsomere of mesotarsus slightly shorter than the remaining segments combined.

TEGMINA AND ALAE ( Fig. 5 ). Slightly longer than pronotum, possibly extending a little further than posterior end of abdomen (damaged abdomen in holotype), costal and discoidal area entirely hyaline with darker brownish veins. Costal area very narrow, reaching widest point about halfway between wing base and stigma. Stigma triangular, long and narrow, broad anteriorly, but ending in a sharp point posteriorly; entirely transparent, but well defined and protruding from the surface of tegmen; situated at about a third of total tegmen length. Alae as long as tegmina when folded, entirely hyaline but very slightly enfumated (beige-brown) with darker veins than in tegmina.

ABDOMEN ( Fig. 5 ). Long and narrow. Damaged and incomplete in holotype due to genitalia preparation. tergite 10 broad, short and rounded.

GENITALIA ( Fig. 5 ). A brief description of the genitalia is provided by Roy (2001) along with a partial drawing. It translates as follows: “Hypophallus with a more or less square shaped darker region on the left side of the apex, possibly incomplete. Right epiphallus gradually more brown towards the apical side. Phalloid apophysis with brown apex and small lobe”.

Distribution

Currently recorded only from Nha Trang in Khánh Hòa Province, southern Central Vietnam ( Fig. 6 ).

Figures

Fig. 5. Phasmomantella pallida (Roy, 2001), holotype, ³, habitus (glued on paper), genitalia (preparation by Roger Roy nr: 3627) and labels.

Fig. 6. Distribution map of Phasmomantella nuichuana gen. et sp. nov. (black circle) and Phasmomantella pallida (Roy, 2001) (red circle).

Tables

Table 2. Measurements and spine counts for the holotype (HT) of Phasmomantella pallida (Roy, 2001).

Measurements	HT
Total Length	49.4
Head width	5.6
Head height	2.8
Pronotum length	21.4
Pronotum width	2.7
Pronotum narrow width	1.3
Prozone length	4.6
Metazone length	16.8
Tegmen length	26.1
Procoxa length	11.6
Profemur length	13.4
Protibia length	6
Protarsus length	5.2
Mesofemur length	11.3
Anteroventral femoral spine count	15
Anteroventral tibial spine count	12
Posteroventral tibial spine count	7