Microphotina panguanensis Schwarz, Ehrmann & Stiewe, 2020

Schwarz, Christian J., Ehrmann, Reinhard, Stiewe, Martin B. D., Mörtter, Rolf & Falkenberg, Michael, 2020, Mantodea of Panguana (Insecta: Dictyoptera), Zootaxa 4824 (1), pp. 1-66 : 27-31

Microphotina panguanensis Schwarz, Ehrmann & Stiewe n. sp.

( Figs. 57–64 , 139 )

Type material. Holotype: ♂, Peru, Dep. Huánuco, Panguana ACP, Rio Yuyapichis , S 09° 37´W 74° 56´, 230 m, lux, 23.IV.2018, leg. M. Falkenberg ( Figs. 57–59, 60a ) (genitalia preparation Schwarz No. 411, Figs. 61–62 ) ( MUSM) . Paratypes: ♂, same as before, 02.X.2014, leg. M. Falkenberg (SMNK-Mant 12562, Fig. 60c ) (genitalia preparation Schwarz No. 381, Figs. 63–64 ) ( SMNK) ; ♂, same as before, 15.IV.2018, leg. M. Falkenberg ( ZSM, Fig. 60b ) ; ♂, same as before, 15.IV.2018, leg. M. Falkenberg ( CSC) .

Description. Small green photinaids of greenish color and with hyaline wings in the male sex ( Figs. 57–58 , 139 ).

Head ( Fig. 59 ) green, distinctly wider than long. Vertex convex, raised above dorsal margin of eyes, juxtaocular bulges slightly protruding. Eyes kidney-shaped, lateral margin very indistinctly conical. Ocelli large, ovoid, forming an angle of about 120°, ocellar sockets reddish-brown. Frontal shield strongly transverse, ventral margin with median part slightly curved downwards, lateral parts strongly curved downwards, rendering the whole ventral margin more or less trapezoid. Lateral parts of dorsal margin concave semicircular (surrounding the base of antenna), median part rounded and with a very indistinct notch. Clypeus wider than high, palps pale green. Antennae pale, becoming darker towards apex, moniliform.

Pronotum ( Fig. 60 ) relatively slender, 3.9 to 4.2 times as long as wide, with smooth margins and indistinctly marked supracoxal expansion. Prozona with a small lobe at the anterior corner, lateral margins subparallel, anterior margin rounded triangular. Metazona 2.4–2.5 times as long as prozona, with concave margins.

Forelegs ( Fig. 59 ) relatively slender. Forecoxae pale green, about as long as metazona, with smooth margins. Apical lobes divergent. Anterior femora pale green, claw-groove at proximal third of femur. Posteroventral margin of femur with five spines plus an additional small one on the genicular lobe, and an irregular row of tubercles slightly mediad of the spines. Four discoidal spines, with the third the longest, the second slightly longer than the fourth, and the first very small and indistinct. Anteroventral margin with usually 14, rarely 13 spines of very similar length, at base arranged into two rows that later merge into one, with the configuration iIiIiIiIiI(i)IiI; spines with little size difference but “I” spines bendable, “i” spines rigid; apical-most anteroventral spine long but not bendable. Genicular lobe with a spine. Anterior tibiae with 16–18 slightly decumbent posteroventral and 14–15 anteroventral spines. Metatarsus longer than remaining segments combined.

Meso- and metathorax pale green, metathorax without cyclopean ear. Mid and hind legs pale green, slightly setose. Middle tibiae shorter than corresponding femora, hind tibiae longer. Middle metatarsus slightly shorter, hind metatarsus much longer than remaining segments combined.

Wings hyaline with greenish veins, without subopaque apexes. Costal field narrow, with more or less parallel crossveins. Stigma very indistinct, elongate. Alae surpassing tegmina at rest by about 2 mm.

Abdomen simple, parallel-sided. Supra-anal plate triangular with rounded apex. Cerci pilose, with 13 segments, first cercomere consisting of a few fused segments, last cercomere with subacute apex. Subgenital plate with rounded posterior margin, styli with conical but rounded apex ( Figs. 61, 63 ).

Ventral phallomere of genitalia ( Figs. 62, 64 ) without sdp but with an elongate bl, and a field of small digitiform tubercles opposite of it. Left phallomere with a forked afa consisting of a strongly sclerotized, unguiform lobe pointing to the right, and a membranous, weakly sclerotized lobe to the right of it. Paa T-shaped.

Female unknown.

Measurements (in mm): body 26.7–29.4, head length 2.7–3.0, head width 4.5–4.7, antennae 14.0–18.0, pronotum length 7.1–7.8, maximum pronotum width 1.8–1.9, minimum pronotum width 1.2–1.3, prozona 2.0–2.2, metazona 5.1–5.6, forecoxa 5.1–5.5, forefemur length 6.1–6.6, forefemur width 1.3–1.4, foretibia 4.3–4.6, mesofemur 7.0–7.6, mesotibia 5.4–6.1, metafemur 7.5–8.1, metatibia 8.4–9.5, tegmen length 21.6–22.5, tegmen width 5.8–6.4, costal field 0.6–0.7, ala length 20.0–20.9.

Etymology. Named after the type location.

Differential diagnosis. Microphotina panguanensis n. sp. resembles M. viridescens and M. viridula in the shape of the pronotum and the genitalia. It can be distinguished from M. viridescens by smaller size, the perfectly hyaline tegmina without apical subopacity, and the presence (vs. lack of) an unguiform lobe on afa ( François & Roy 2015). M. panguanensis can be distinguished from M. viridula by a more robust metazona (1.2–1.3 mm vs. 0.9–1.1 mm), wider tegmina (ratio 3.5–3.7 as opposed to 3.2–3.3), bl not being sinuous at base, and the distinctly T-shaped paa. M. panguanensis resembles M. vitripennis in body size and the hyaline tegmina. It can be distinguished from M. vitripennis by a lower number of anteroventral spines on the foretibiae, a more robust pronotum (ratio 3.9–4.2 as opposed to 4.6–4.8), and its different genitalia, lacking the field of distinct pilosity present on the ventral phallomere of the latter, and having a differently shaped afa.

Remarks. This species extends the distribution of the genus, previously only known from the Guyanas, to the Western Amazon. A specimen probably belonging to this species has also been recorded from Madre de Dios by Rivera (2010a).

Key to the males of Microphotina

1. Ventral phallomere with an elongate pilosity field on the right side; afa long, acute, and curved anteriad (Guyanas, N Brazil, Venezuela)................................................................................ M. vitripennis

- Ventral phallomere without elongate pilosity field on the right side; afa bilobed, with one membranous rounded lobe and one short, sclerotized lobe.................................................................................. 2

2. Tegmina and alae subopaque yellowish or greenish towards apex; sclerotized lobe of afa not developed into an unguiform process (Guyanas)......................................................................... M. viridescens

- Tegmina and alae hyaline from base to apex; sclerotized lobe of afa developed into an unguiform process............... 3

3. Minimum width of metazona 0.9–1.1 mm; bl sinuous at base; paa not T-shaped (S French Guiana)............. M. viridula

- Minimum width of metazona 1.2–1.3 mm; bl not sinuous at base; paa T-shaped ( Peru)............ M. panguanensis n. sp.

Figures

FIGURES 57–60. Microphotina panguanensis n. sp., external morphology. 57. Holotype male in dorsal view. 58. Same, in ventral view. Scale bar: 10 mm. 59. Head and foreleg in anterior view. Scale bar: 1 mm. 60. Pronota of holotype (a) and two paratypes (b, c). Scale bar: 1 mm.

FIGURES 61–64. Microphotina panguanensis n. sp., terminalia and genitalia. 61. Terminalia of holotype. 62. Genitalia of holotype, ventral view. 63. Terminalia of paratype. 64. Genitalia of paratype, ventral view. Scale bars: 1 mm.

FIGURES 136–141. Life aspects of praying mantids at Panguana (continued). 136. Angela guianensis, male. 137. Angela cf. quinquemaculata, female. 138. Angela subhyalina, female. 139. Microphotina panguanensis n. sp., male. Photos © Dieter Schulten. 140. Macromantis hyalina (Degeer, 1773), male. Photo © Rolf Mörtter. 141. Acanthops erosula, juvenile female. Photo © Dieter Schulten.