Majangella Giglio-Tos, 1915

Svenson, Gavin J. & Vollmer, William, 2014, A case of the higher-level classification of praying mantises (Mantodea) obscuring the synonymy of Majangella Giglio-Tos, 1915 (Liturgusidae, Liturgusinae) and Ephippiomantis Werner, 1922 (Hymenopodidae, Acromantinae), Zootaxa 3797 (1), pp. 103-119 : 104-105

Majangella Giglio-Tos, 1915

Majangella : GIGLIO- TOS, 1915: 93; GIGLIO- TOS, 1919: 66; GIGLIO- TOS, 1927: 309, 310, 700; BEIER, 1931: 151; BEIER, 1935: 6, 13; BEIER, 1942: 141; BEIER, 1964: 943; BEIER, 1968: 8; EHRMANN, 2002: 213, 375; OTTE & SPEARMAN, 2005: 134; BRAGG, 2010: 21-22, 24–25, 30, Figs. 3 , 6 –7, 18–19, 36.

= Ephippiomantis: WERNER, 1922: 123 ; GIGLIO- TOS, 1927: 651; WERNER, 1933: 267; BEIER, 1934: 15; BEIER, 1964: 939; BEIER, 1968: 6; EHRMANN, 2002: 135, 374; OTTE & SPEARMAN, 2005: 75; SVENSON & WHITING, 2009: Fig. 3 . syn. nov.

Type species: Majangella moultoni Giglio-Tos, 1915 by original designation.

Original Descriptions. Included to provide strong evidence of synonymy.

Original Description of Majangella by Giglio-Tos (1915: 93):

“Gen. Majangella n. Gen

Caput latum. Clypeus facialis prominens, triangularis. Clypeus frontalis transverses, basi bigranulato margine supero angulato, medio in dentem acutum producto. Oculi rotundati, prominentes. Ocelli magni. Vertex in medio super ocellos in processum conicum breve productus, inter processum et oculos tuberculo conico minute utrinque instrumetus. Summus vertex truncutas, ad oculos tuberculo rotundato parum distinto. Pronotum coxis ant. paulo longius marginibus fortiter dentatis, ampliatione lata, angulari, prozona compressa, antice in gibbam unicam rotundata, postice in gibbas binas conicas acutas elevate, sulco supracoxali profundo, metazona pone sulcum in gibbas binas conicas acutas elevate. Elytra longa, subopaca, laxe reticulate. Alae hyalinae, vena discoidali ramosa. Abdomen dilatatum, segmentis posticis angulis lobatis, acutis. Femora antica margine supero crenulato, a basi ultra medium in laminam lobum rotundatum formantem elevato, sulco unguiculari pone medium sito, spinus discoidalibus 4, spinis esternis 4 intus incurvis, longis. Tibiae anticae extus spinis 11, 1–6 ab apice erectis, 7–11 basalibus procumbentibus. Femora 4 postica basi nonnihil incrassate, subtus ante apicem lobulo dentiforme instructa. Tibiae 4 apice nonnihil attentuato. Lamina supraanalis transversa brevis. Cerci graciles longi.”

Translation:

“Gen. Majangella n. Gen

Head broad. Clypeus prominent, triangular. Frontal shield transverse, the base rough with upper margin angulate, producing a medial acute process. The eyes rounded, prominent. Ocelli large. A short conical process is produced medially above the ocelli on the vertex, small conical tubercles present on each side between the process of vertex and the eyes. The uppermost vertex is truncate, a rounded tubercle a slight distance before the eyes. Forecoxae a little longer than pronotum and the margins strongly dentate, supracoxal bulge wide, angulate, prozone compressed, anteriorly with a single rounded process, located posteriorly are two elevated and pointed, conical processes, supracoxal sulcus deep, after sulcus on the metazone are two elevated and pointed, conical processes. Elytra long, sub-opaque, loosely reticulate. Hindwings hyaline, discoidal vein branching. Abdomen dilated, segments with posterior corners forming angular, acute lobes. Forefemora with upper margin crenulate, from the base to beyond the middle forming an elevated lamellar, rounded lobe, the tibial groove located proximal to the middle, 4 discoidal spines, 4 external spines that are long and curved inward. Foretibiae with 11 external spines, spines 1–6 from the apex are erect, 7–11 toward the base are decumbent. The 4 hind femora thickened at the base, furnished with a ventral denticulate pre-apical lobe. The 4 tibia simple at the apex. Supra-anal plate transverse, short. Cerci long, slender.”

Original Description of Ephippiomantis by Werner (1922: 123):

“ Ephippiomantis n. g. Generi Acromantis proximum, sed tuberculis duabus valde prominentibus pronoti ante sulcum transversum, duobusque pone sulcum sitis, acutis, appositis contiguis, post-positis distantibus, processu verticis distincte bifido, necnon elytris maculates sat distincta.

Diese merkwürdge Acromantine, die im Habitus ebenso an Haania erinnert, wie sie in den wichtigen morphologischen Merkmalen sich völlig an Acromantis anschliesst, ist an den zwei Paaren von kegelförmigen Pronotumhöckern, zwischen denen sich eine sattelartige Vertiefung befindet (daher der Genusname), stammt aus Sumatra.”

Translation:

“ Ephippiomantis n. g. Closest to genus Acromantis , but well-enough distinguishable by the two very prominent tubercles on the pronotum anterior to the transverse sulcus and the two [tubercles] lying posterior to the sulcus, being acuminate [pointed], closely adjacent, the posterior ones distant [from each other?], by the vertical process being distinctly bifid, as well as by the speckled elytra. This strange Acromantine, resembling in habit as to Haania , as in the important morphological features that completely connects it to Acromantis is the two pairs of conical pronotal cusps, between which a saddle like depression is located (hence the genus name), comes from Sumatra.”

Figures

FIGURE 3. Majangella, pronotum (ventral surface removed in lateral perspective for clarity). M. moultoni Giglio-Tos, 1915 (MAJ07): A, dorsal; B, lateral. M. carli Giglio-Tos, 1915 (MAJ10): C, dorsal; D, lateral. M. ophirensis (Werner, 1922; MAJ12): E, dorsal; F, lateral.

FIGURE 6. Distributional map for species of Majangella with each examined specimen’s location provided in the text and on the map with the following symbols. ×– M. moultoni, Θ– M. carli, and *– M. ophirensis. A KML file with all location data viewable with Google Earth is available for download at: http://mantodearesearch.com/Projects/.