Pliacanthopus (Malayamantis) bimaculatus ( Wang, 1993 )

Wu, Chao & Liu, Chun-Xiang, 2022, New and little-known species of genus Pliacanthopus Giglio-Tos (Dictyoptera: Mantodea: Nanomantidae), Journal of Natural History (J. Nat. Hist.) 56 (29 - 32), pp. 1279-1296 : 1285-1288

Pliacanthopus (Malayamantis) bimaculatus ( Wang, 1993)

( Figures 1 (b), 2 (a), 3 (b–c), 4 (b–c), 5 (b–d), 6 (b–c), 8, 9 (a–c, e),10, 11 (b), 12)

Xanthomantis bimaculata Wang, 1993: 88–89 . Xanthomantis (Xanthomantis) bimaculata: Ehrmann 2002: 365 ; Otte and Spearman 2005: 126. Pliacanthopus (Malayamantis) bimaculatus: Koçak and Kemal 2008: 9 .

Type locality

China: Yunnan, Jinghong.

Material examined

7♂, 1♀. China: 1♂; Yunnan, Jinghong, Ji’nuo; 8 September 1991; Zu-Yao Liu et al. leg.; Holotype ( SEM) ( Figure 10 ). 1♂; Yunnan, Jinghong , Ji’nuo ; 22.031°N, 100.989°E; 1400 m; 8 May 2019; Chao Wu leg. ( CWC). 1♂; Yunnan, Jinghong , Ji’nuo ; 22.037°N, 100.989°E; 1350 m; 10 May 2019; Chao Wu leg. ( CWC). 1♂; Yunnan, Ruili, Mengxiu ; 1300 m; 27 April 1980; Jin-Wen Shang leg. ( IZCAS). 1♂; Yunnan, Xishuangbanna , Menghun ; 1200–1400 m; 10 May 1958; Chun-Pei Hong leg. ( IZCAS). 1♂; Yunnan, Jinghong, Mengyang ; 22.183°N, 100.857°E; 890 m; 26 April 2019; Yu-Chen Zheng leg. ( CWC). 1♀; Yunnan, Jinghong, Bakacun ; 21.993°N, 101.175°E; 850 m; 26 July 2017; Wen-Kai Kou leg. ( CWC). 1♂; Yunnan, Pu’Er, Cha Shan Mt. ; 22.727°N, 100.974°E; 1250 m; 22 May 2021; YuChen Zheng leg. ( CWC).

Redescription of male

Head triangular; compound eyes rounded, exophthalmic. Ocelli ovoid, lateral ocelli similar to median ocellus. Juxtaocular bulges distinct, rounded, with a black spot ( Figure 2 (a)), the vertex with a low tubercle. Lower frons transverse, narrow; dorsal margin with concavity on each dorso-lateral side, bulging on median part, without median tubercle ( Figure 4 (b)). Antennae filiform, long, slightly shorter than body. Pronotum with a median keel, supracoxal dilatation well-marked; the ratio of pronotum length to supracoxal dilatation width about 2.79–2.80. Prothoracic femora with 3 discoidal spines, 4 postero-ventral spines, and a genicular spur; prothoracic femora also lined with 13–14 long and short antero-ventral spines, the spination pattern of which is iIiIiIiIiI(i)iiI. Prothoracic tibiae armed with 9–11 long and short postero-ventral spines, the spination pattern of which is (i)Iii(i)Iiiii(i)I; prothoracic tibiae also with 13–14 antero-ventral spines gradually lengthening distad ( Figure 5 (b,c)). Meso- and metathoracic legs elongate, slender; first joint of hind tarsus longer than combined length of the remaining segments. Ventral margins of claw of all tarsi dentate, comb-like ( Figure 9 (e)). Fore wings surpassing abdomen, narrow, hyaline except for costal field; discoidal field iridescent; cells large, approximately quadrilateral ( Figure 6 (b)). Hind wings longer than fore wings, hyaline except costal field apex. Abdomen narrow, elongate, with parallel lateral margins. Supra-anal plate triangular. Subgenital plate with styli of different lengths, the left stylus being much longer than right stylus ( Figure 8 (b)). Cerci elongate, surpassing wings; last segment longest, accounting for 1/3 of total length of cerci, with subacute apex ( Figures 8 (c) and 9(b)).

External genitalia ( Figures 8 (a) and 9(a))

Ventral phallomere rhomboidal; sdpl robust, very sharp, and curved towards right, with acute apex; pda expanded, more or less pigmented on its left edge. Right phallomere normal. Afa short, sclerotised, with blunt tip; paa digitiform, elongated, curved.

Female ( Figure 3 (c))

Similar to male, but body slightly larger and more robust. The ratio of pronotum length to supracoxal dilatation width about 2.35–2.36. Prothoracic femora with 14 antero-ventral spines, spination pattern of which is iIiIiIiIiIiiI. Prothoracic tibiae armed with 8–9 long and short postero-ventral spines, spination pattern of which is Ii(i)IiiiiI; spines slightly varying in number in different individuals; prothoracic tibiae with 15 antero-ventral spines gradually lengthening distad ( Figure 5 (d)). Fore wings similar to those of male, but costal field comparatively wider, thicker, and darker ( Figure 6 (c)). Last segment of cerci similar to male, but short, with subacute apex ( Figure 9 (c)).

Colouration

Generally yellowish green. Compound eyes yellow, with reddish spots and markings along antero-lateral margin. Lower frons reddish. Antennae yellowish green. Middle area of pronotum yellow. Legs yellowish green; irregularly greenish bands present on prothoracic legs; tip of spines brownish. Fore wings hyaline with pale green veins, except bright yellow costal field. Hind wings hyaline, veins pale green, except yellow costal field apex. Abdomen and cerci yellowish green.

Ootheca

Very flat. Nearly lamellar, with a pointed prolongation at each end ( Figure 8 (d,e)). Usually about 10 eggs present in an ootheca.

Nymphs

Body very slender, nearly transparent; yellowish green, with small reddish-brown spots.

Figures

Figure 1. Adult of Pliacanthopus spp. in natural habitat. (a) P. (M.) flavus, male; (b) P. (M.) bimaculatus, male; (c) P. (M.) tricolor sp. nov., female, photograph © Wen-Xuan Bi, published with permission.

Figure 2. Head and pronotum of Pliacanthopus spp., dorsal view. (a) P. (M.) bimaculatus, male; (b) P. (M.) tricolor sp. nov., female, photograph © Wen-Xuan Bi, published with permission.

Figure 3. Pliacanthopus spp., body in dorsal view. (a) P. (M.) flavus; (b, c) P. (M.) bimaculatus; (d) P. (M.) tricolor sp. nov., paratype; (a, b) male; (c, d) female.

Figure 4. Head of Pliacanthopus spp., anterior view. (a) P. (M.) flavus; (b, c) P. (M.) bimaculatus; (d) P. (M.) tricolor sp. nov.; (a, b) male; (c, d) female. Abbreviations: ey, compound eye; lf, lower frons; oc, ocellus.

Figure 5. Fore tibiae of Pliacanthopus spp., dorsal view. (a) P. (M.) flavus; (b–d) P. (M.) bimaculatus; (e) P. (M.) tricolor sp. nov.; (a–c) male; (d, e) female. Abbreviations: pvts, posteroventral tibial spines.

Figure 6. Fore wings of Pliacanthopus spp., dorsal view. (a) P. (M.) flavus, male; (b) P. (M.) bimaculatus, male; (c) P. (M.) bimaculatus, female; (d) P. (M.) tricolor sp. nov., female.

Figure 8. Male external genitalia, ♂ coxosternite, male cercus and ootheca of P. (M.) bimaculatus from Yunnan, China. (a) male external genitalia; (b) ♂ coxosternite; (c) male cercus; (d, e) ootheca. Abbreviations: afa, phalloid apophysis; bl, basal lobe of ventral phallomere; CS9, ♂ coxosternite; fda, main posterior lobe of right phallomere; L4A, sclerite extending over the ventral wall of left phallomere; L4B, sclerite extending over the dorsal wall of left phallomere; paa, posterior process of left phallomere; pda, primary distal process;pia, process posterolateral to pva of right phallomere;pva, process anteromesal to pia of right phallomere; R3, anteriorly extending sclerite of right phallomere; sdpl, lateral secondary distal process; sl9, stylus.

Figure 9. Male external genitalia, cercus and claw of Pliacanthopus spp. (a–c, e) P. (M.) bimaculatus; (d) P. (M.) tricolor sp. nov.; (a) male external genitalia; (b–d) cercus; (e) claw of prothoracic leg tarsus. Abbreviations: afa, phalloid apophysis; bl, basal lobe of ventral phallomere; paa, posterior process of left phallomere; pda, primary distal process; sdpl, lateral secondary distal process.

Figure 10. Holotype of Xanthomantis bimaculata Wang, 1993 (SEM), dorsal view.