Acromantis japonica Westwood, 1889

Shim, Jaeil & Song, Jeong-Hun, 2024, A taxonomic review of the order Mantodea in Korea based on morphology and DNA barcodes, ZooKeys 1206, pp. 1-43 : 1-43

Acromantis japonica Westwood, 1889

Figs 20–29 , 30–33

Acromantis japonica Westwood, 1889: 43.

Acromantis japonica Westwood, 1889: Jeon et al. 1999: 226 ( South Korea); Kim 2021: 65. Korean records.

Specimens examined.

[ NASIC] South Korea: GN: 2 ♀, Mt. Noja , Dongbu-myeon, Island Geojedo, Geoje-si, 10 IX 2016, Jaeil Shim ; 1 ♂, Mt. Wangjo , Nambu-myeon, Tappo-ri, Island Geojedo, Geoje-si, 23 XII 2019, Jun-Ho Lee ; 2 ♀, Mt. Noja , Dongbu-myeon, Island Geojedo, Geoje-si, 29 IX 2016, Byeongmin Jeong ; JN: 3 ♂, Jeongdo-ri , Wando-gun, 10 I 2019, JaeDong Gim (reared from ootheca) ; 3 ♂, Jeongdo-ri , Wando-gun, 26 II 2019, Jaeil Shim (reared from ootheca) ; 8 ♂ 6 ♀, Is. Bogil-do , Bogil-myoen, Wando-gun, 2 III 2023, Jaeil Shim (reared from ootheca) ; JJ: 1 ♂, Mt. Sambang , Namjeju-gun, Jeju-si 28 IX 2000, Miae Kim ; 1 ♂, Hwasun-ri , Andeok-myeon, Seogwipo-si, 12–13 IX 2023, Jaeil Shim ; 8 ♂ 1 ♀, Sumang-ri , Namwon-eup, Seogwipo-si, 13–14 IX 2023, Jaeil Shim .

Redescription.

Measurements (mm): Total length (vertex to tip of abdomen) ♂ 23.3–26.2, ♀ 28.4–32.2; head width ♂ 4.1–4.2, ♀ 5.0–5.1; head length ♂ 2.4, ♀ 3.4; pronotum width ♂ 2.6–2.7, ♀ 3.4; pronotum length ♂ 6.5–7.0, ♀ 8.2–8.4; forewing (tegmina) length ♂ 17.4–20.0, ♀ 17.0–18.5. Male (Figs 20 , 22 , 24–28 , 30 , 31 ). Small sized mantises. Coloration (Fig. 20 ): Body greenish brown to brown. Head (Fig. 22 ): Triangular; width 1.7 × length. Antenna> 2 × as long as pronotum. Vertex nearly flat, anterior vertex with weakly pronounced spurs. Postocellar tubercle weakly pronounced. Compound eye globular, slightly protruding laterally; compound eye with brightly coloured moire pattern (in live specimens). Ocelli larger than female, middle ocellus nearly globular, lateral two ocelli oblong. Posterior apex of lower frons (Fig. 22 ) with protruding spur. Prothorax (Figs 24 , 25 ): Pronotum length 2.5–2.6 × maximum width. Pronotum (Fig. 24 ) surface smooth, lateral margin with few denticles; metazone> 2 × longer than prozone; middle of metazone with flat bulge (pair); metazone lateral margin slightly concave. Furcasternite (Fig. 25 ) very slightly convex, middle area with flat protuberance. Forelegs (Prothoracic legs): Foreleg (Figs 20 , 26 ) surface smooth and shiny, pale green. Coxa dorsal margin with 6–10 spines. Dorsal and ventral coxal lobes (Fig. 26 ) fully divided from each other. Femur dorsal margin (Figs 20 , 26 ) slightly convex at the middle, distal half of margin very slightly concave. Genicular spurs (Fig. 26 ) well developed, conspicuously shorter than Pvfs, postero-ventral genicular spurs weakly curved outward. Pvts (Fig. 27 ) fully decumbent. Spination formula: Avts = 12–13; Pvts = 12; Avfs = 10–13; Pvfs = 4; Ds = 4. In 12 Avfs (Fig. 26 , 28 ): spines 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, and 12 size larger than remaining Avfs, dark brown. Ds 2 and 3 dark brown in live specimens. Meso- and metathoracic legs: Meso- and metathoracic legs with transverse dark pattern. Meso- and metathoracic femora (Fig. 20 ) with weakly expanded postero-ventral femoral lobe. Tarsi 5 - segmented. Wing: Wings completely surpassing the end of abdomen (Fig. 20 ). Forewing costal area bright brown or green, discoidal area brownish and transparent, cubitus brown. Forewing with oblique brown stripes. Hindwing costal area brown, discoidal area brownish and transparent; hindwing apex brown, truncate. Abdomen: Sternites III – VII posterior margin with a medial lip, process slightly expanded. Cerci setose, 13 segments. Male subgenital plate (coxosternite IX) (Fig. 30 ) irregularly rounded rhomboidal in shape, inter-stylar margin generally concave, but medial area occasionally slightly convex. Ventral surface of subgenital plate with numerous setae. Styli rather short. Male genitalia (Fig. 31 ): Right phallomere pia sclerotized and surface with few denticles; fda nearly triangular in shape, its surface with few setae. Left phallomere, paa nearly absent (very blunt); afa weakly sclerotized, and distal end bulbous; loa invisible. Ventral phallomere nearly elliptical, without any melanized structures, distal margin truncate or weakly bilobed (sdpm and sdpl may be expanded). Female (Figs 21 , 23 , 29 ). Similar to male, with following differences. Head (Fig. 23 ): width 1.5 × length. Antenna as long as pronotum. Prothorax: Pronotum length 2.4 × maximum width. Forelegs (Prothoracic legs): Foreleg dorsal surface brown, coxa ventral surface (Fig. 29 ) red in live specimens. Wings (Fig. 21 ): Forewing costal area color green. Ootheca (Figs 32 , 33 ). Measurements (mm): Length 10.7–14.8; maximum width 4.3–4.8; maximum height 3.6–4.3; length of emergence area 7.8–10.4; width of emergence area 1.5–2.4. Identification: Nearly rectangular dorsally, hemispherical in cross-section, each edge with slightly expanded attachment area (Fig. 32 ). Ootheca attached on ventral surface. External wall color brown (Fig. 33 ). External coating bright brown but surface weakly covered. Exhibiting ~ 10– 15 egg chambers (Fig. 33 ) clearly delimited by prominently visible curved lips. Distal end softly truncate and weakly rough. Nymph. First instar nymph: Body color black and surface shiny (ant mimic); compound eye with white stripes (moiré pattern); posterior margin of pro-, meso-, and metathoracic tergite with white lines; tarsus of meso- and metathoracic legs white. Second to last instar nymph: Body brown to dark brown with brightly colored mottled pattern; vertex spurs well developed; abdomen with expanded lamellar process (lip) in the middle of sternites.

Biological notes.

Acromantis japonica is found in the southern islands of the Korean Peninsula ( Jeon et al. 1999; An 2011). They occur in leaf litter, under broad leaves and on tree trunks. Adults exhibit positive phototaxis, and oothecae are typically laid under stones and the bark of rotten logs. This species overwinters in the egg stage inside their oothecae ( Taniguchi 1987; Befu 1992). They exhibit behaviors such as vibrating their antennae and swinging forelegs. Nymphs fold their abdomens back during rest. The first instar nymphs hatch from the end of May to early June, while adults emerge beginning from the end of August.

Distribution.

China, Japan, Taiwan, North Korea, South Korea.

Remarks.

The genus Acromantis has characteristic stripe patterns on their compound eyes when they are alive (see Nakamine et al. 2017: figs 2, 3), weakly pronounced postocellar tubercles and truncated hindwings ( Vyjayandi et al. 2010; Mukherjee et al. 2017; Shcherbakov and Anisyutkin 2018). They occur in East Asia to Australasia ( Jeon et al. 1999; Nakamine 2016; Patel et al. 2016).

Family Mantidae Latreille, 1802

Subfamily Mantinae Latreille, 1802

Figures

Figures 20–29. Habitus, head, pronotum and foreleg of Acromantis japonica 20 male dorsal aspect 21 female dorsal aspect 22 male face 23 female face 24 female pronotum 25 male furcasternite 26 male foreleg ventral aspect 27 foreleg tibia and tarsus (dorsal aspect) 28 foreleg interior aspect 29 female coxa ventral aspect (live specimens). Red arrows = bulge and protuberance.

Figures 30–33. Male genitalia and ootheca of Acromantis japonica 30 subgenital plate 31 male genitalia 32 ootheca (dorsal aspect) 33 ootheca (lateral asepct).