Minutophasma richtersveldense, Wipfler, Benjamin, Theska, Tobias & Predel, Reinhard, 2018

Wipfler, Benjamin, Theska, Tobias & Predel, Reinhard, 2018, Mantophasmatodea from the Richtersveld in South Africa with description of two new genera and species, ZooKeys 746, pp. 137-160 : 143-150

Minutophasma richtersveldense sp. n. Figs 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17

Holotype.

Male. SOUTH AFRICA: Northern Cape, north of Eksteenfontein, Richtersveld, S28°47'26.94", E17°16'20.34", 06.ix.2014, 600-700m, R. Predel, specimen in ethanol. Table 1 provides an overview of the type material including the collections where it is deposited.

Paratypes.

Location 1: SOUTH AFRICA, Northern Cape, north of Eksteenfontein, Richtersveld, S28°47'26.94", E17°16'20.34", 06.ix.2014, 600-700m, R. Predel: 4 males and 4 females, specimens in ethanol. Location 2: SOUTH AFRICA, Northern Cape, west of Eksteenfontein, Richtersveld, S28°46'31.50", E17°11'12.18", 06.ix.2014, 500m, R. Predel: 2 males and 2 females, specimens in ethanol. Location 3: SOUTH AFRICA, Northern Cape, Akkedis pass, Richtersveld, S28°10'20.80", E17°01'43.60", 07.ix.2014, R. Predel: 2 females, specimens in ethanol. Table 1 provides an overview of the type material including the collections where it is deposited.

Description male.

Measurements (male holotype followed by paratypes in parentheses, in mm): total length: 9.2 (location 1: 9.1, 10.5, 9.8, 9.9, 10.7) (location 2: 10.6, 10.1); length of pronotum: 1.8 (location 1: 1.9, 1.9, 1.6, 1.9, 1.6) (location 2: 2.0, 2.1); width of pronotum: 1.6 (location 1: 1.7, 1.8, 1.5, 1.8, 1,6) (location 2: 1.9, 1.8); length of mesonotum: 1.7 (location 1: 1.7, 1.7, 1.5, 1.8, 1.5) (location 2: 1.8, 1.8); width of mesonotum: 1.5 (location 1: 1.6, 1.6, 1.4, 1.7, 1.5) (location 2: 1.7, 1.6); length of metanotum: 1.3 (location 1: 1.3, 1.4, 1.4, 1.4, 1.2) (location 2: 1.4, 1.3); width of metanotum: 1.3 (location 1: 1.4, 1.5, 1.3, 1.5, 1.5) (location 2: 1.4, 1.4); heights of head: 1.7 (location 1: 1.6, 1.7, 1.5, 1.6, 1.5) (location 2: 1.7, 1.6); total heights of head: 2.1(location 1: 2.1, 2.1, 1.9, 2.0, 1.9) (location 2: 2.2, 2.2); width of the head: 2.0 (location 1: 2.0, 2.0, 1.8, 2.2, 1.8) (location 2: 2.3, 2.2); head width over eyes: 2.2 (location 1: 2.3, 2.3, 2.1, 2.4, 2.1) (location 2: 2.4, 2.4); width between eyes: 1.3 (location 1: 1.3, 1.4, 1.3, 1.3, 1.2) (location 2: 1.5, 1.5); length of eye: 1.0 (location 1: 1.0, 1.0, 1.0, 1.0, 1.1) (location 2: 1.0, 1.1); width of eye: 0.6 (location 1: 0.6, 0.6, 0.6, 0.6, 0.6) (location 2: 0.6, 0.6).

Coloration (Fig. 10): body color ranges from green to brown to grey-beige (Fig. 10). Distinct and broad dark stripe on dorsal side, stripe in green males with whitish margins.

Head (Fig. 12): globular, orthognathous, posteriorly covered by pronotum, in some specimens the dark stripe is indistinctly visible on the vertex but weaker than on the thorax and abdomen; head slightly wider than prothorax, about twice as wide as long; head capsule sparsely covered with setae. Compound eyes whitish with black or brown spots, prominent, tapered ventro-mesally, about 1.5 times as long as high; interoccular distance ca. the length of one eye, ocelli absent. Coronal and frontal suture indistinct, pleurostomal ridge well developed. Ventral parts of occipital ridge very prominent; antennal sockets in between eyes, distinct; interantennal distance ca. diameter of one antennal socket; antennifer present; dark median butterfly-shaped spot directly below the antennal bases present but washed out and indistinct, size and pigmentation varying between specimens; anterior tentorial pits dorso-mesally of anterior mandibular articulation; frons with three bulges, one in between antennal sockets, two ventro-mesal of antennal sockets; frontoclypeal ridge not recognizable. Gena not strongly protruding, head capsule on the level of the genae distinctly narrower than on the one of the compound eyes; heights of genae lower than heights of compound eyes. Clypeus trapezoid, with well-developed clypeolabral ridge, oval sclerite in between clypeus and labrum present. Labrum flat, anteriorly rounded, with few short setae. Maxilla well developed; maxillary palp five segmented, sparsely covered with setae, palpomere one and two as long as wide, palpomere three 2.5 times as long as wide, palpomeres four and five ca. twice as long as wide. Labial palp three segmented. Scape as long as wide, with distinct black ventro-lateral spot; pedicle half as wide as scape, twice as long as wide, dilating towards the tip. Flagellum about as long as the entire animal.

Thorax (Fig. 13): dorso-medially with distinct and broad longitudinal dark stripe. Notae sparsely covered with setae. Pronotum oval with bulge positioned anterior-laterally; pronotum reaches over head and mesonotum, ventral boarder of pronotum straight. Two cervicalia present, second located postero-dorsally to the first. Pleura subdivided into epimeron and episternum. Coxae large, covered with setae.

Legs: tibia with black spikes, covered with setae. Prothoracic leg more massive than meso- and metathoracic ones; profemur ca. 4 times, mesofemur ca. 4-5 times and metafemur 6-8 times as long as wide, all legs with two ventro-median rows of spikes, spikes in some specimens larger on pro- and mesothacic leg, smaller on metathoracic one. Tibia, in pro- and mesothorax ca. 8-11 times as long as wide, in metathoracic leg between 14 and 16 times as long, with two ventro-median rows of black spikes on pro- and mesothoracic legs, protibia with 5-8 spikes per row, on metathoracic leg only two distal spikes. Tarsus with five tarsomeres, proximal four tarsomeres with euplantulae; arolium very large.

Wings: completely absent.

Abdomen: as long as thorax and head combined; meso-dorsal dark longitudinal stripe strongly developed. Abdomen covered with setae. Abdominal tergum I same width or very slightly thinner as metathorax; terga slightly broadening towards tergum IX, tergum X narrowing again.

Male terminalia (Fig. 14): tergum IX shorter than tergum VIII, posterior margin concave. Dark stripe on tergum X much broader than on previous segments, almost covering entire tergum, roof-shaped in lateral view. Subgenital plate (sternite IX) large, with strongly protruding posterio-dorsal margin; process of subgenital plate broad, almost straight when seen from posterior, broadly emarginated dorsally. Cerci one segmented, densely covered with setae; diameter round, uniformly curved, narrowed towards the apex; cerci with dorsal projection and extending towards the middle of the subgenital plate. Paraprocts and epiproct also covered with setae.

Description female.

For the female only differences to the male are described. Measurements: total length: (location 1: 11.3, 12.6, 12.7, 10.7) (location 2: 11.2, 13.2) (location 3: 12.3, 12.5); length of pronotum: (location 1: 2.2, 2.4, 2.3, 2.0) (location 2: 2.2, 2.1) (location 3: 2.2, 2.3); width of pronotum: (location 1: 2.0, 2.3, 2.2, 1.7) (location 2: 2.1, 2.0) (location 3: 2.0, 2.2); length of mesonotum: (location 1: 1.9, 2.0, 2.0, 1.8) (location 2: 2.0, 1.9) (location 3: 2.0, 1.9); width of mesonotum: (location 1: 1.9, 2.1, 2.0, 1.6) (location 2: 1.9, 1.8) (location 3: 1.8, 2.1); length of metanotum: (location 1: 1.4, 1.6, 1.6, 1.3) (location 2: 1.3, 1.5) (location 3: 1.5, 1.4); width of metanotum: (location 1: 1.8, 2.0, 1.8, 1.6) (location 2: 1.8, 1.8) (location 3: 1.7, 2.0); heights of head: (location 1: 1.6, 2.1, 2.1, 1.8) (location 2: 1.9, 2.1) (location 3: 1.8, 2.1); total heights of the head: (location 1: 2.4, 2.7, 2.7, 2.4) (location 2: 2.6, 2.7) (location 3: 2.4, 2.7); width of the head: (location 1: 2.4, 2.5, 2.4, 2.2) (location 2: 2.4, 2.4) (location 3: 2.3, 2.4); head width over eyes: (location 1: 2.6, 2.7, 2.8, 2.4) (location 2: 2.7, 2.7) (location 3: 2.5, 2.5); width between eyes: (location 1: 1.6, 1.7, 1.6, 1.4) (location 2: 1.7, 1.7) (location 3: 1.7, 1.7); length of eye: (location 1: 1.1, 1.2, 1.1, 1.0) (location 2: 1.2, 1.1) (location 3: 1.1, 1.2); width of eye: (location 1: 0.6, 0.7, 0.6, 0.6) (location 2: 0.7, 0.6) (location 3: 0.7, 0.7).

Coloration: all found females are green, without dorsal longitudinal dark stripe.

Head (Fig. 15): compound eyes slightly smaller than in the male. Head capsule on the level of the genae distinctly wider than on the level of the compound eyes.

Thorax (Fig. 16): notae with slightly denser setation than males. No dorsal dark stripe.

Legs: protibia with 6-9 spikes per row.

Abdomen: no dorsal brown stripe. Widest point of abdomen at segments 5 or 6.

Female terminalia (Fig. 17): tergum IX shorter than tergum VIII, posterior margin without distinct convexity. Tergum X slightly longer as tergum IX; apex rounded posteriorly; terga with sparse setation; epiproct half as long as tergum X, setose. Paraprocts rounded and densely covered with setae. Cerci slightly shorter than paraprocts, cone shaped and densely covered with setae. Sternite VIII with straight posterior margin. Gonapophysis VIII long and slender, distally blunt with ventrocaudal process. Gonocoxite IX almost completely hidden in lateral view; gonoplac triangular, heavily sclerotized.

Etymology.

The species name richtersveldense refers to the currently known area of distribution, the Richtersveld.

Comments.

This species was found in a variety of green and grey-green bushes with small leaves; several specimens were also collected from grass stalks. From the most northern population at Akkedis pass, only females or female nymphs (>20) were recorded over a period of three years. The absence of males implies that parthenogenesis might occur; this phenomenon was not reported from mantophasmatodeans so far. The sex ratio in the populations around Eksteenfontein was about 1:1 as usual in Mantophasmatodea .