Arria leigongshanensis ( Ge and Chen, 2008 )

Wu, Chao, Zhang, Jia-Zhi & Liu, Chun-Xiang, 2024, Arria qinlingensis sp. n., a remarkable new praying mantis from China (Mantodea: Haaniidae), Journal of Natural History 58 (9 - 12), pp. 408-421 : 417-420

Arria leigongshanensis ( Ge and Chen, 2008)

( Figures 1 (c–e), 6(b), 8(e, f), 9, 10(a, c))

Palaeothespis leigongshanensis Ge and Chen, 2008: 53–58 ; Zhu et al.: 115–117.

Arria leigongshanensis : Schwarz and Roy 2018: 456; Wang et al. 2021: 5.

Materials examined

1♂, 3♀, 3 juv . ♀ ; China, Guizhou Province, Leishan City, Leigongshan Mt., Xian’nv’ping; 26.367°N, 108.200°E, 1500 m; 5 September 2020; Jia-Zhi Zhang leg. ( CJZ).

Notes

A comprehensive description of the morphology and illustrations of the male genitalia of this species were given by Ge and Chen (2008) and Wang et al. (2021), respectively. In contrast to A. qinlingensis sp. n., A. leigongshanensis has a smaller transverse terminal lobe to the right side of sdpl (in ventral view), the transverse terminal lobe does not connect to sdpl ( Figure 6 (b)); smaller body in both sexes;tubercles on the juxta-ocular bulges are absent; and the leaf-lobes on their dorsal abdomen also significantly differ from those of A. qinlingensis sp. n. Furthermore, we noticed that a unique and cryptic structure was present in all the sampled females of A. leigongshanensis . The meso- and metathorax of females have four green blisterlike structures; each holds a small amount of haemolymph ( Figure 9 ). This structure is not a result of deformation caused by any injury, since all six female samples possess them. In addition, this structure appeared during the nymphal stage when rearing in the lab. This unique structure has not been observed in A. qinlingensis sp. n.

Measurements (lengths in mm)

Male. Body (head to abdomen end): 27.33; body (head to wings): 41.05; pronotum: 6.79; fore coxae: 5.51; fore femora: 6.72; fore tibiae: 3.75; hind femora: 7.56; hind tibiae: 8.37; forewings: 29.08; hind wings: 28.64.

Female. Body (head to abdomen end): 26.50–28.43; pronotum: 7.83–7.96; fore coxae: 6.82–6.88; fore femora: 7.16–7.23; fore tibiae: 4.52–4.77; hind femora: 7.63–7.85; hind tibiae: 7.85–8.03.

Distribution

China: Guizhou.

Figures

Figure 1. Arria spp., body in dorsal and lateral view. a, b: A. pallida; c–e: A. leigongshanensis. a, c: males; b, d–e: females.

Figure 6. ♂ coxosternite, tergite 10 and circus, male genitalia of Arria spp., ventral view. a: A. qinlingensis sp. n.; b: A. leigongshanensis.

Figure 9. Nymph and adult of Arria leigongshanensis. a: male, nymph; b: female, nymph; c: female, adult, showing the special structure of the pterothorax.