Hierodula sternosticta Wood-Mason, 1882

Connors, Matthew G., 2023, Studies in Australian Mantodea: New synonyms, notes on distributions, and an updated checklist, Zootaxa 5239 (4), pp. 477-499 : 483

Hierodula sternosticta Wood-Mason, 1882

This species has not been recorded in Australia since it was described, but has been collected in New Guinea and other islands to the north of Australia ( Beier 1935; Balderson 1984). The syntype series was collected in Trinity Bay (near Cairns), Queensland ( Wood-Mason 1882; Mukherjee et al. 1992), an area that is now well-populated and frequently surveyed, but has not yielded any further specimens. Other than the lack of black markings on the forecoxae, the type specimens are similar to H. majuscula , a species that is very common in the area today, and of note is that old specimens of H. majuscula that have been stored in alcohol frequently lose all trace of black markings on the forecoxae. The types of H. sternosticta have also been stored in alcohol and their colours have faded, however Wood-Mason makes explicit reference to the colour of the specimens in his description of H. sternosticta , noting that parts of the forecoxae are “washed with red on the inside”. Further study is needed to determine whether this species is a senior synonym of H. majuscula .