Otomantis trimacula Stiewe & Lombardo, 2014

Lombardo, Francesco, Stiewe, Martin B. D., Ippolito, Salvatrice & Marletta, Alessandro, 2014, A taxonomic revision of Otomantis Bolivar, 1890 (Mantodea: Hymenopodidae, Acromantinae) with description of five new species, Zootaxa 3797 (1), pp. 169-193 : 191

Otomantis trimacula Stiewe & Lombardo sp. n.

( Figs 9C ; 10C, G ; 11C ; 12E–F, N ; 13 )

Type material. Holotype 1♂, ZAMBIA NW: 150 KM of Mwinilunga , leg. Snižek 18.10.2008, Stiewe genitalia prep. OT.02, ex coll. Stiewe ( NHM) . Paratypes: 1♂ same locality and data of holotype, (ex coll. Stiewe, MDAB) , 1♂, Stiewe genitalia prep. OT.03, same locality and data of holotype (coll. STIEWE); ZAMBIA NW 1♂: E. of Chisasa, W. of Solwezi , leg. Snižek 24.10.2008, Stiewe genitalia prep. OT.01 (coll. STIEWE); MALAWI : 1♂ Kasunga N.P., light, J.Londt, XII. 1980, Roy genitalia prep. 4435, ( MNHN); C. MALAWI : 1♂ (Kasungu District, Chimaliro Forest Reserve , 4000ft, 3. Dec 2000, Collector: R.J.Murphy, Det. Ref. No. 49, Roy genitalia prep. 4436, ( MNHN).

Diagnosis. Similar to O. centralis , from which it can be distinguished by the more pointy tubercles on the prozone; mesothoracic wings with three distinct chestnut colored spots, and contiguous apical lobes on the phalloid apophysis. The female is unknown for the species.

Male description.

General Coloration: Body ochre with some small dark spots on the head; antennae ochre, maxillary palpi ochre, with the last two segments darkish inside; mandibles and labial palpi ochre with dark apex; anterior legs ochre; mesothoracic wings hyaline with some sparse small chestnut-colored spots, three of which are bigger than the remaining ones.

Measurements (mm): TL 21; HW 4.8; PL 4.5; ML 2.3; SDW 3.1; MPW 1.6 CL 4.8; FL 6; MFW 2.6; WL 23 x 5.

Head ( Fig. 9C ): Transverse, 1.54 times wider than pronotal supracoxal dilation; vertex straight, vertical process of vertex bifid; juxta-ocular tubercles conical with acute apex; eyes oval with a short apical spine. Antennae elongated; frontal shield transverse, pentagonal, 2.80 times wider than high, apex with a forwardly projected spike.

Thorax: Pronotum ( Fig. 10C, G ) rhomboidal, 1.45 times longer than wide; prozone elongated, lateral margins with 4–5 dark tubercles, disc with two large acute conical tubercles just beyond the supracoxal sulcus. Disc of metazone with a longitudinal median carina; lateral margins of supracoxal dilation forming an obtuse angle.

Forelegs: Coxae about 1.06 times longer than pronotum, anterior margin with a series of small ochre granules bearing a seta at the apex, internal apical lobes divergent. Femora flattened ( Fig. 11C ), 2.3 times longer than wide, dorsal margin toothed, curved and with its widest part at the 2/3 from base. Spination formula F=4ES/11IS/4DS and T=11ES/10IS, all spines of femora and tibiae brown with dark apex.

Meso and metathoracic legs: Femora robust, with a distal triangular lobe, which is larger on the metafemora and more acuminated in the mesofemora; tibiae shorter than femora, with a basal triangular lobe.

Wings: Hyaline, exceeding the apex of abdomen; costal field of mesothoracic wings opaque, discoidal area hyaline with some sparse chestnut colored spots, three spots more indicated; metathoracic wings hyaline.

Abdomen: Cylindrical, supra-anal plate triangular with rounded apex; subgenital plate longer than wide, apex not incised.

External genitalia: Ventral phallomere ovoid ( Fig. 12N ), slightly longer than wide with a weakly developed, lobe-like distal process (dp); on the right side with a large auriculated lamina, and with sinuate outer margin. Left phallomere with dorsal lamina (dl) elongated ( Fig. 12F ), slightly widened at the base and gradually narrowing towards the apex, ventral lamina ( Fig. 12E , vl) more or less square in shape and with a long arm on the anterior margin. Phalloid apophysis (af) well developed, with two fused apical lobes of which the anterior one is considerably larger.

Distribution. This species occurs in Zambia and Malawi ( Fig. 13 ).

Etymology. The new species is named in reference to its three chestnut colored spots on the mesothoracic wings.

Figures

FIGURE 9. Head of: A, F, (♂ and ♀), O. capirica; B, G, (♂ and ♀), O. centralis sp. n.; C (♂), O. trimacula sp. n.; D (♂), O. gracilis sp. n., Scale = 1mm.

FIGURE 10. Pronotum of: O. capirica A, E (♂), I, M (♀), in dorsal and lateral view; O. centralis sp. n. B, F (♂), L, N (♀), in dorsal and lateral view; O. trimacula sp. n. C, G (♂) in dorsal and lateral view; O. gracilis sp. n. D, H (♂) in dorsal and lateral view. Scale = 1mm.

FIGURE 11. Inner surface of fore femur of: A, O. capirica; B, O. centralis sp. n.; C, O. trimacula sp. n.; D, O. gracilis sp. n.. Scale = 1mm.

FIGURE 12. External genitalia of: A, B (left phallomere, ventral and dorsal views), L (ventral phallomere, dorsal view), O. capirica (holotype); C, D (left phallomere, ventral and dorsal views), M (ventral phallomere in dorsal view), O. centralis sp. n. (holotype); E, F (left phallomere, ventral and dorsal views), N (ventral phallomere in dorsal view), O. trimacula sp. n. (holotype); G, H (left phallomere, ventral and dorsal views), O (ventral phallomere in dorsal view), O. gracilis sp. n. (holotype). Scale = 500 µm.

FIGURE 13. Geographic distribution of Otomantis spp. in Southern Africa and Madagascar: black circle= O casaica; black square= O. bolivari sp. n.; black triangle= O. rendalli; black diamond= O. scutigera; black shape star= O. aurita; open triangle= O. capirica; open square= O. centralis sp. n.; open circle= O. gracilis sp. n.; open diamond= O. trimacula sp. n. (note: question mark refers to the distribution of O. minima sp. n., known only from “South Africa”).