Deroplatys Westwood, 1839

Schwarz, Christian J. & Konopik, Oliver, 2014, An annotated checklist of the praYing mantises (Mantodea) of Borneo, including the results of the 2008 scientific expedition to Lanjak Entimau Wildlife SanctuarY, Sarawak, Zootaxa 3797 (1), pp. 130-168 : 153-155

Deroplatys Westwood, 1839

Body resembling dead leaves, particularly in the females. Around 10 species are found in S and SE Asia. Arboricolous, occuring only in the understorey of old-growth forests. Males are good fliers, females also fully winged but non-volant. A revision of this genus is in progress.

Deroplatys lobata ( Guérin-Méneville, 1838)

Choeradodis lobata Guérin-Méneville, 1838: 69 -70, pl. 234

= Mantis (Deroplatys) rhombica De Haan, 1842: 92 -93, pl. 17, fig. 1-2 (f)

= Deroplatys brunneri Kirby, 1904: 281

Distribution. Myanmar, Thailand, Malay Peninsula, Sumatra, Java, Borneo, Palawan ( Rehn 1903, Werner 1923, 1924, 1925, 1927a, 1927b, 1933, Giglio-Tos 1927, Ehrmann 2002, Delfosse 2009; ZMB).

Bornean records. Sarawak: Mt. Serapi (CS in situ), Mt. Baw (SMSM), Lanjak Entimau (1 m, SFDC), Mt. Mulu (CS in situ), Mt. Batu Lawi (SMSM); Brunei: Kuala Belalong (OK in situ); Sabah: Crocker Range ( Delfosse 2009), Tawau ( Delfosse 2009); Kalimantan: Paku (SMSM), Balikpapan ( Werner 1921), Mentawir ( Beier 1958), Moan ( Beier 1958), Nanga Badau ( Delfosse 2009), Malinau (SMSM), Akar Bagantung Ulu (SMSM).

Remarks. There is considerable confusion regarding D. lobata , D. rhombica ( De Haan, 1842) and D. angustata Westwood, 1841 (see, for instance, Werner 1921, 1923, 1924 b). Ehrmann (2002) lists the female mentioned in the original description by De Haan (1842) in concordance with Giglio-Tos (1917b, 1927) as a synonym of D. lobata (see above) while leaving the male under D. rhombica . In fact, De Haan (1842) himself regarded his female as conspecific with D. lobata (p. 92), which had been described four years earlier by Guérin- Méneville (1838). The shape of the pronotal shield (including the triangular projections on its anterior margin) vary considerably, including both the “ lobata ” and “ rhombica ” types figured in Giglio-Tos (1927) and Ehrmann (2002). This issue will be addressed in a revision of the genus prepared by CS. In the meanwhile, and in order to provide the most updated information in this checklist, it is sufficient to say that only one species of this complex occurs in Borneo.

Deroplatys desiccata Westwood, 1839 §

= Deroplatys arida Westwood, 1841

= Mantis (Deroplatys) palliata De Haan, 1842 (m)

Distribution. Malay Peninsula, Sumatra, Mentawai Islands, Java, Borneo ( Rehn 1903, Werner 1921, 1922, 1923, 1924, 1925, 1927a, 1927b, 1933, Giglio-Tos 1927, Ehrmann 2002, Delfosse 2009).

Bornean records. Sarawak: S Simunjan (CS in situ), Mt. Dulit ( Werner 1930); Brunei: Kuala Belalong (OK in situ), Sabah: Ulu Senagang (AFUW), Poring Hot Springs ( Helmkampf et al. 2007, Delfosse 2009), Kalabakan (OK in situ), Maliau Basin (OK in situ), Sandakan ( Hebard 1920), Labuan Island ( Hebard 1920), Darvel Bay (ZMB); Kalimantan: Sampit ( Beier 1958), Long Peleben (ZMB), Banjarmasin (SMNK), Mt. Baharu ( Delfosse 2009).

Deroplatys truncata ( Guérin-Méneville, 1843)

Choeradodis truncata Guérin-Méneville, 1843

= Deroplatys siccifolium Saussure, 1870: 240

= Deroplatys shelfordi Kirby, 1903: 304 (syn. nov.)

Distribution. Malay Peninsula, Sumatra, Java, Borneo ( Werner 1921, 1923, 1933, Giglio-Tos 1927, Ehrmann 2002).

Bornean records. Sarawak: Kuching (SMSM, CS in situ), Mt. Santubong (CS in situ), Mt. Matang (SMSM), Baram River (Brunner von Wattenwyl 1898), Batang Ai (SMNK), Lanjak Entimau (1 m, CSUB), Mt. Dulit ( Beier 1937; SMSM); Sabah: Crocker Range ( Delfosse 2009), Poring Hot Springs ( Helmkampf et al. 2007, Delfosse 2009), Tawau ( Delfosse 2009), Danum Valley ( Helmkampf et al. 2007), Sandakan ( Hebard 1920), Darvel Bay (ZMB); Kalimantan: Wain ( Beier 1958), Balikpapan ( Werner 1923), Long Peleben (ZMB), Banjarmasin (SMNK).

Remarks. While also exhibiting a dead-leaf cryptic strategy, the pronotal expansion of this species is wider than that of any other Deroplatys species. It is engaged in stridulation during startling display in females.

D. shelfordi Kirby, 1903 is a synonym of this species. Neither the female holotype (NHM, Fig. 2 a, 2b) nor the specimens deposited in the Sarawak Museum (SMSM) differ significantly from Sumatran, Javan or W-Malaysian D. truncata specimens ( Fig. 2 c, 2d). The pronotum of females bears a pair of subopaque spots, one on each side of the pronotal expansion, that are not mentioned in the description of D. shelfordi . However, the conspicuousness of these spots varies among females, they are usually less pronounced in Bornean specimens. Additionally, their pronotal expansion is somewhat narrower than that of continental females, which may have added to the confusion. The eyes of the D. shelfordi holotype are clearly conical, not rounded, as stated by Giglio-Tos (1927), and the black mark on the ventral side of the fore femora corresponds to that of D. truncata ( Fig. 2 ), as does the shape of wings and legs. In addition to this, the male of D. shelfordi remains unknown; all males found in the same habitat as shelfordi females can be attributed to D. truncata . All of this suggests that D. shelfordi is not a valid species but a synonym of D. truncata and thus we establish this new synonymy. The specimens from Mt. Dulit (1 m, 1 f, NHM) assigned by Beier (1937) to D. shelfordi do not correspond to the holotype of that species nor to D. truncata , but closely resemble the variable D. lobata .

The ocurrence of this species in New Guinea ( Ehrmann 2002) is erroneous, as no specimens of Deroplatys are known east of the Wallace line.

Deroplatys sarawaca Westwood, 1889

Distribution. Sarawak ( Westwood 1889; OUMNH).

Remarks. This is a rare species known only from the holotype and without exact locality. One female nymph deposited in the ZMB was identified by Giglio-Tos as D. sarawaca , but it actually belongs to D. trigonodera .

Deroplatys trigonodera Westwood, 1889

Distribution. Myanmar, Malay Peninsula, Sumatra, Borneo ( Westwood 1889, Werner 1927b, 1933, Ehrmann 2002, Delfosse 2009).

Bornean records. Sarawak: Mt. Santubong (CS in situ), Mt. Serapi (CS in situ), Mt. Mulu (CS in situ), Sabah: Tawau Hills (AFUW), Danum Valley (CSUB), Kalabakan (OK in situ); Kalimantan: Singkawang (ZMB). Remarks. Width of pronotal dilatation variable. Males remain officially undescribed, but are well known from captive bred stocks. A male from Singkawang, Borneo, attributable to this species but labeled as D. rhombica , is found in the ZMB. The ocurrence of this species in New Guinea given by Ehrmann (2002) is erroneous, as no spcimens of Deroplatys are known east of the Wallace line.

Deroplatys moultoni Giglio-Tos, 1917

Distribution. Borneo: Sarawak: Kuching (Giglio-Tos 1917), Mt. Dulit ( Beier 1937); Kalimantan: Wahnes (Giglio- Tos 1917).

Remarks. Poorly known species of uncertain taxonomic status; type specimens could not be located among the SMSM collection.

Figures

FIGURE 2. Variability in females of Deroplatys truncata (Guérin-Méneville, 1843). a. Holotype of Deroplatys shelfordi Kirby, 1903 from Sarawak (NHM), dorsal view; b. same, ventral view; Photos M. Stiewe © NHM. c. Specimen from the Cameron Highlands, Malay Peninsula (ZMB), dorsal view; d. same, ventral view of head and pronotum; Photos C. J. Schwarz © ZMB.