Glabromantis nebulosa Sjöstedt, 1918

Milledge, Graham A., 2024, Review of the genera Glabromantis, Paraoxypilus, and Phthersigena (Mantodea: Nanomantidae: Fulciniinae), Records of the Australian Museum 76 (2), pp. 69-103 : 79-80

Glabromantis nebulosa Sjöstedt, 1918

Figs. 2C–D ; 5A–B ; 12A–F ; 18B,E ; 22A

Glabromantis nebulosa Sjöstedt, 1918: 13 .

Glabromantis melania Tindale, 1923: 431–432 , syn. nov.

Type material. Not examined but Sjöstedt, 1918 gives a full description of this species.

Material examined. Queensland. 1♀, Bernborough Downs, near Winton , 25 Nov 1973, R . Patterson . 1♂, 6km SE of Chillagoe , 17°12'S 144°33'E, 26 Nov 1981, J. Balderson . 1♀, Cloncurry , 22 Apr1962, K.H.L. Key & E.L. Corby . 1♂, 16km SE of Glenormiston H.S., W of Boulia , 22°56'S 138°57'E, 10 May 1975, Balderson & Freeman . 1♀, 33km W of Karmona O.S., Cooper’s Creek area , 30 Apr 1968, R .C. Lewis. 1♂, 8km ESE of Musselbrook Mining Camp , 18°38'S 138°11'E, 11 May 1995, T .A.Weir (w). 1♂, 18km NE of Thargomindah , 15 Mar 1964, L.J. Chinnick (all ANIC) . New South Wales. 1♂, Clifton Downs , 31 Oct 1949, S.J. Paramonov ( ANIC) .

Northern Territory. 1♂, 32km SE of Alice Springs , 23°59'S 133°56'E, 23 Sep 1978, M.S. Upton . 1♂, 39km E of Alice Springs , 23°41'S 134°15'E, 25–26 Sep 1978, D.C.F. Rentz . 1♂, 56km SE of Alice Springs , 24°11 S 134°01'E, 3 Oct 1978, M.S. Upton . 1♂, 15km SW of Alroy Downs H.S., 19°24'S 135°58'E, 10 Apr 1976, Key, Balderson et al . 1♂, 2km WSW of Andado H.S., 25°25'S 135°16'E, 26 Sep 1972, K.H.L. Key et al . 1♂, Brunette Downs, near Frewena , 15 Aug 1982, R . Patterson . 1♀, Eight Mile Waterhole , 25km NE of McArthur R .H.S., 3 Jun 1978, M. King. 1♂, 62km SSW of Sandy Blight Junction , 31 Mar 1963, L.J. Chinnick . 1♂, 27km ENE of Tennant Creek , 21 Oct 1965, Blackith & Mesa . 1♂, Tindal , 13km ESE of Katherine, 14°31'S 132°22'E, 5 Dec 1967, W.J.M. Vestjens (w) (all ANIC) . South Australia. 2♂, Coopers Creek , 13km NNE of Atadunna H.S., 28°38'S 138°42'E, 16 Sep 1972, K.H.L. Key et al . 1♂, Leigh Creek , 29 Sep 1965, G.C. Gregory . 1♂, same data except 3 Mar 1967 . 2♂, 33km SSE of Oodnadatta , 27°47'S 135°39'E, 23 Sep 1972, K.H.L. Key et al. (all ANIC) . Western Australia. 1♂, Ashburton R ., 38km S of Onslow , 30 Aug 1964, P.B. & L.C. Carne . 1♀, 60km E of Balgo Hills , M. Golding . 1♂, Brogo Hill , 160km S of Halls Creek, 15 Sep 1985, M. Golding . 1♂, 145km ESE of Broome , 18°55'S 123°27'E, 6 Aug 1976, I.F.B. Common . 1♂, same data except 7Aug 1976 . 1♂, 101km ESE of Broome , 18°27'S 123°03'E, 20 Aug 1976, I.F.B. Common . 1♀, Kimberley Region, road to Lake Argyle , 2km N of campground, 16°06'18"S 128°44'50"E, 9 Jun 1999, G. Milledge (w) ( AM) . 1♂, 14km SE of Kalumburu Mission , 14°25'S 126°40'E, 3–6 Jun 1988, T .A.Weir (w). 1♂, 10km NW of Kununurra , 15°46'S 128°38'S, 8 May 1983, D.C.F. Rentz & J. Balderson . 1♂, 8km N of Learmonth , 22°09'S 114°05'E, 9 Oct 1995, D.C.F. Rentz & L. Lowe (w) . 2♂, 13km WNW of Lyndon H.S., NE of Carnarvon , Jul 1950, G. Thomas . 1♂, 5km SE of Millstream H.S., 21°37'E 117°06'E, 12 Apr 1971, Upton & Mitchell . 2♂, 20km S of Minderoo H.S., 22°10'S 115°02'E, 17 Oct 1970, M.S. Upton & J.E. Feehan . 1♂, 40km ESE of Wittenoom , 24 Apr 1963, L.J. Chinnick . 1♀, Wyndham , 15 Feb 1930, T . G. Campbell (all ANIC) .

Diagnosis. Can be distinguished from G. unicornis by the lack of a projection on the subantennal ridge.

Description. Body colour dark brown to pale mottled brown, peppered with darker spots.

Head Fig. 12A–B with vertical apophyses low, pointed or blunt and lightly tuberculate; par-ocular spines absent; ocelli without associated projections.

Prozone of thorax ( Fig. 12C–D ) with low diagonal ridge either side of carina; metazone with single pair of low bumps posterior to saddle groove, barely apparent in male; median carina not prominent and without projections; pronotal margin smooth, expanded slightly above coxal insertions, but usually lacking pointed projection (a very small one present in some female specimens); prosternum blackish, pre-acetabular spine absent.

Wings of male ( Fig. 5A ) with tegmina translucent, peppered with darker and lighter blotches; hindwings with tip similar colour to tegmina, remainder hyaline. Wings of female ( Fig. 5B ) slightly reduced, tegmina similar to male, hindwings with costal area brownish, tip similar in colour to tegmina, remainder essentially hyaline but with faint brownish tinge.

Forecoxa ( Fig. 12E–F ) without spines; inner face with colour uniform pale cream; outer face with anterior half similar to inner face, posterior half similar in colour to rest of body. Inner face of fore femur ( Fig. 12E–F ) usually similar to in colour to inner face of forecoxa, but mottled brown or almost entirely black-brown in some specimens, femoral brush somewhat raised; outer face body coloured, with central longitudinal ridge. Inner face of fore tibia similar in colour to inner face of fore femur. Fore tarsus similar in colour to hind legs.

Dpr of male genitalia ( Fig. 18B, E ) with broad triangular central process with blunt tip and sometimes with shallow notch on left margin, narrow dextral process with shagreened tip which curves dorsally. Pa with single small, low anterior projection and narrow sclerotized region between it and ml. Ml squat, stout and shagreened.

Immature stages. Juvenile stages unknown.

Distribution and habits. Found across the northern half of Australia ( Fig. 22A ). Habits not known, but likely to be similar to G. unicornis .

Remarks. This species is very close to G. unicornis and may be conspecific with it. However, all specimens currently available for study can placed in one species or the other based on the presence/absence of the projection on the subantennal ridge. The male genitalia also display distinct differences. Tindale separated G. melania based on its dark colouration and small morphological differences. It is here considered a synonym of G. nebulosa . The type male of G. melania has the tip of the abdomen missing.

Figures

Figure 2. Live photographs Paraoxypilus, Phthersigena and Glabromantis species. A. Paraoxypilus atra, female (Lorenzo Bertola). B. Phthersigena conspersa, female (Aaron Bean). C. Glabromantis nebulosa, male (Tony Eales). D. Ph. conspersa. male (Simon Ong). E. G. nebulosa, female (Gunter Maywald).

Figure 5. Preserved specimens of Glabromantis and Phthersigena species. G. nebulosa, A. male, B. female. G. unicornis, D. male, E. female. Ph. conspersa, C. male, F. female.

Figure 12. Glabromantis nebulosa, frontal view of head, A. female, B. male, lateral view of head and pronotum, A. female, D. male, internal face of foreleg, E. female, F. male.

Figure 18. Male genitalia of Phthersigena and Glabromantis species. Ph. conspersa, left dorsal and ventral phallomeres, A. dorsal view, D. ventral view. G. nebulosa left and right dorsal and ventral phallomeres, B. dorsal view, E. ventral view. G. unicornis, left dorsal and ventral phallomeres, C. dorsal view, F. ventral view. Scale bars = 0.5mm.

Figure 22. Distribution maps for Glabromantis species, A. G. nebulosa, B. G. unicornis.