Arria muscoamicta Unnahachote & Shcherbakov, 2021

Unnahachote, Thornthan, Shcherbakov, Evgeny & Pinkaew, Nantasak, 2021, First record of the genus Arria (Mantodea, Haaniidae, Arriini) from Thailand, with the description of a new species of moss-dwelling praying mantis, ZooKeys 1028, pp. 49-60 : 49

Arria muscoamicta Unnahachote & Shcherbakov sp. nov. Figures 1 , 2 , 3 , 4

Type material.

Holotype. Thailand - Nakhon Nayok Province • 1 ♂; Mueang district, Hin Tung subdistrict; 14°21'56"N, 101°24'1"E; 01.IX.2018; alt. 1,240 m; W. Pathomwattananuruk leg.; THNHM-I-23353.

Comparative material.

Arria sp. Laos - Bokeo • 1 ♂; Van Pak Len, an Brücke Goldenes Dreieck; 20°12'36"N, 100°3'36"E; 01.IX.2018, IV.1979; H. Lehmannsen leg. (SMNK) .

Comparative photographic material.

Arria leigongshanensis ( Ge & Chen, 2008). Holotype; CHINA - Guizhou • 1 ♂; Leishan, Leigongshan ; 13.IX.2005; Song Qiong-Zhang leg. (GUGC).

Differential diagnosis.

A. muscoamicta sp. nov. is similar to the type species of Arria , A. cinctipes , in foreleg armament and shape of the prothorax and wings; it fits the current concept of the genus Arria (but see Discussion).

Arria muscoamicta sp. nov. can be distinguished from the most similar species, A. leigongshanensis , by the following characters: 1) pronotum distinctly longer; MzL/PzL = 1.97 [vs MzL/PzL = 1.24], 2) prozone without distinct pair of conical spines posteriorly [vs with distinct pair of conical spines posteriorly, anteriad of supracoxal sulcus], 3) foretibia have nine anteroventral spines [vs 11-13 anteroventral spines], 4) apical lobe of hindwing almost truncated [vs more or less parabolic].

Arria muscoamicta sp. nov. can also be easily distinguished from A. cinctipes by the following characters: 1) six tibial posteroventral spines [vs seven tibial posteroventral spines], 2) lack of a pair of small conical tubercles in prozone posteriorly [presence of a pair of small conical tubercles in prozone posteriorly]; from A. meghalayensis by six tibial posteroventral spines [vs seven tibial posteroventral spines]; from A. oreophilus by following characters: 1) present of conical tubercles on dorsal surface of pronotum [vs lack of conical tubercles, relatively smooth in male], 2) forewing not narrows distally [vs forewing narrows distally]; from A. sticta and A. pallida by the apex of hindwing more or less truncate [vs pointed apex].

Etymology.

The name of the species means "clothed by moss" in Latin and refers to the moss-like colouration and morphology of the adults and especially the nymphs.

Description.

Adult male. Head (Fig. 3A ). Wider than long, compound eyes strongly protruded antero-laterally, rounded. Ocellar tubercle elevated. Ocelli large. Lateral lobes of vertex elevated higher than median lobe. Antenna filiform with fine setae, longer than pronotum length, almost entirely dark except pedicel and proximal segments, which are pale green (discolouration in dried specimen). Lower frons (frontal shield) transverse, surface smooth, anterior margin and posterior margin relatively arched. Postfrontal sulcus noticeably elevated. Juxtaocular bulges distinctly protruded, higher than vertical dorsal line. Clypeus with short medial ridge and labrum entirely smooth.

Pronotum (Fig. 2C, D ). More or less slender, longer than forecoxa length, ratio of MzL/PzL = 1.97. Supracoxal dilation very prominent. Lateral margin with denticles strongly present at supracoxal dilation and the prozone, less prominent at metazone, with setae along the margin. Dorsal line of prozone concave in the middle. Dorsal surface more or less tuberculate, with two pairs of strong conical tubercles on metazone, anterior pair a little bit larger than posterior pair, and with a small tubercle laterad of each conical tubercle, while only small tubercles present in the prozone. Pair of small depressions present at anterior half of metazone posteriorly of supracoxal sulcus. Cervicalia complete. Anterior and posterior ventral cervical sclerites similar in size and shape, non-interrupted. Intercervical sclerites connected to those on opposite side, transverse, margin elevated, distinctly concave at the middle, anterior margin more or less angulated. Lateral cervical sclerites large, longer than wide, strongly concave along the side which close to ventral cervical sclerites.

Prothoracic leg (Figs 2B , 3B ). Coxa shorter than femur, internal surface somewhat smooth. Dorsal margin with a few short spines, with larger spines present in the proximal half, while very small or nearly absent at the middle and in the distal half. Ventral margin with small irregular denticles. Coxal lobes divergent, dorsal lobe a bit longer than ventral one. Femur with dorsal margin slightly S-shaped. Femoral brush ellipse-shaped. Tibial spine groove present near the middle of femur’s length. Anterior genicular lobe with a spine; posterior genicular lobe with a spine (absent on right side). Anterior side with distinctly two infuscate patches presents at middle of femur length and in the femoral brush area, respectively. Eleven or 12 AvS arranged as iIiIiIiIiiiI (iIiIiIiIiii on the right side), all AvS infuscate. Four DS, 3rd largest, 1st and 4th somewhat equal in length. Four PvS equal in length. Ventral side with small blunt tubercles in the posterior half before 1stDS, row of smaller tubercles starting from 2ndDS to the distal half along anteroventral side, and a group of small acute tubercles present at medioventral to posteroventral area between 2nd and 3rdPvS (Fig. 3B ). Tibia with nine AvS elongating distally, 1st smallest and 9th longest respectively. Six PvS arranged as i_IIIII with gap between 1stPvS and base of tibia largest. First tarsomere of protarsus longer than remaining segments combined. Spinal formula: F = 4DS/11-12AvS/4PvS; T = 9AvS/6PvS.

Meso- and metathoracic legs. Long and slender with fine setae, without dilations or projections. Femora with rounded genicular lobes each bearing a single short apical spine. Tibiae with two apical spines. First tarsomere of mesotarsus slightly longer than remaining segments combined. First tarsomere of metatarsus much longer than remaining segments combined.

Flight organs. Forewing long, narrow, with rounded apex and covered by small setae. Costal area relatively narrow. Hindwing with almost truncated apex bearing small lobe anteriorly, protruding a little beyond forewing in resting position.

Abdomen. Narrow, with small but distinct, acute lateral lobes on each abdominal tergite (Fig. 3C ). Cerci cylindrical with numerous setae, last cercomere conical. Tergite X (supra-anal plate) transverse, covered by setae, posterior margin more or less rounded with small projection at the middle. Coxosternite IX (subgenital plate) longer than wide, two posterolateral ridges present on ventral side and forming base of styli ventrally. Posterior margin truncated. Ventral side with fine setae, much denser in posterior half and on styli.

Genitalia (Fig. 4 ). Ventral phallomere oval, moderately wide, sclerotised by sclerite L4A. Lobe bl small, oval. Strip of L4A sclerotising bl even smaller than bl as a whole, but very distinct, curved ventro-dorsad across right edge of the phallomere and narrows towards the apex. Only one process sdp present, its base wide and distal half curved almost at right angle, being directed to the right and slightly posteriad in dorsal perspective and also slightly dorsad in lateral perspective. Posterior edge of sdp convex on the left, then concave, then convex again on the right. Distal half of sdp approximately the same length as sdp base’s width, but three times narrower than long. This distal part strongly sclerotised, slightly flattened in antero-posterior direction and its surface sharply divided in the same direction into posterior smooth area and anterior densely spinulated area including rounded apex. Field of spinules reaches the turning point and continues anteriad as simply strongly sclerotised right edge of sdp. Dorsal sclerotisation of sdp by L4A not covering whole sdp, but with medial membranous evagination almost up to turning point. However, along the right edge it extends even beyond base of sdp, and along left edge of ventral phallomere it reaches process pda as narrow band. Pda expressed only as a lobe, with surface between it and articulation A1 gently concave. A1 simple. Apophysis swe moderately wide and very distinct. Sclerite L4B convex, undulated, and relatively narrow.

Process paa simple, moderately long, directed to the left, but gently curving anteriorly. Edge pba with only one process, presumed to be afa. Afa membranous, moderately sized, bulbous. Pouch pne narrow and gently S-shaped in its anterior part, its posterior and ventral walls sclerotised by sclerite L1. L1 roughly triangular, widened in its right part and sclerotising area of pba immediately anteriad of afa as well as area to the left of afa (on pne plane) but not afa itself. Articulation A2 very wide, articulation A4 absent. Sclerite L2 elongated, with narrow left arm, approximately square right arm and slightly twists along posterior wall of paa leaving dorsal surface of paa weakly sclerotised.

Right phallomere triangular, with strongly concave left edge. Lobe fda covered by short, not very sparse setae within depressions at apex, and sclerotised by sclerite R1A dorsally and along the edges. Arm bm simple, flat. Gap between sclerites R1A and R1B apparent, narrow. Apophysis pia long, partially sclerotised by R1A and in the sclerotised part with slightly uneven edge on macroscale, tuberculate on microscale. Apophysis pva claw-shaped, sclerotised by sclerite R1D. Groove lge very long and narrow, sclerotised by R1B. Sclerite R3 relatively short, axe-shaped, groove age very wide.

Female. Unknown.

Measurements (mm). TL = 42.7, HW = 4.3, PL = 9.2, PW = 3.0, PnW = 1.4, PzL = 3.1, MzL = 6.1, TgL = 29.3, CfW = 1.1, AL = 26.9, PCL = 6.3, PFL = 8.5, PTL = 4.6, PtL = 5.5, MsFL = 9.1, MsTL = 7.8, MstL = 6.3, MtFL = 10.5, MtTL = 10.0, MttL = 8.5

Colouration. Body pale greenish to brownish with irregular, brownish patches scattered across its surface. Pronotum lighter and more monochrome, with two barely contrasting lateral bands anterior of supracoxal sulcus. Posterior surfaces of prothoracic coxa, femur, and tibia each with two or three darkened bands with highly irregular edges. Meso- and metathoracic legs also with two or three indistinct darkened bands, but only on femur and tibia. Forewing beige with large and small, irregular, brown patches across its surface and interrupted darkened areas along the main veins. Hindwing subhyaline, with darker patches present on apical lobe. Abdomen with longitudinal median stripe paler than lateral ones.

Figures

Figure 1. Arria muscoamicta sp. nov. in life aspect A adult male (the holotype), dorsal view B adult male (the holotype), lateral view C male nymph. A, B W. Pathomwattananuruk, published with permission C W. Khaikaew, published with permission.

Figure 2. Arria muscoamicta sp. nov. A dorsal habitus B anterior side of prothoracic leg C, D pronotum in lateral and dorsal views, respectively.

Figure 3. Arria muscoamicta sp. nov. A head in frontal view B ventral view of prothoracic femur C lateral lobe of abdominal tergite.

Figure 4. Arria muscoamicta sp. nov., male genitalia A, B left complex in ventral and dorsal perspectives, respectively C right phallomere in ventral perspective D close up of sdp.