Otomantis scutigera Bolívar, 1890

Lombardo, Francesco, Stiewe, Martin B. D., Ippolito, Salvatrice & Marletta, Alessandro, 2014, A taxonomic revision of Otomantis Bolivar, 1890 (Mantodea: Hymenopodidae, Acromantinae) with description of five new species, Zootaxa 3797 (1), pp. 169-193 : 172-173

Otomantis scutigera Bolívar, 1890

( Figs 2A, G ; 3A, G; 4A; 5A; 6A–B, I; 13)

Otomantis scutigera Bolívar, 1890: 305 (original description) Otomantis scutigera Brunn (1901: 227) ; Kirby (1904: 296); Giglio Tos (1927: 548); Beier (1934: 18); Beier (1942: 117);

Kaltenbach (1996: 307); Kaltenbach (1998: 37); Ehrmann (2002: 250) (partim: Mozambique); Otte & Spearman (2005:

82) Acanthomantis africana Saussure & Zehntner, 1895: 215

Type material. Syntypes 2♂ and 1♀ of O. scutigera from MOZAMBIQUE: Lourenço Marques , Bolivar collection ( MNCN) .

Other material. SOUTH AFRICA-E: Kwazulu/Maputaland, Natal NE, Ndumo, W border Tembe, Elephant park, 80m, 29.12.2007 – 9.1.2008, 2♂ (leg. Snižek), Stiewe genitalia prep. Ot.02/03. (coll. Stiewe).

Remarks. In 1890, Bolivar described O. scutigera based on specimens from Mozambique. We were able to examine this type material, which is held in the Bolívar collection (MNCN). The type series consists of three syntypes (two males and one female), of which only one male (inventory number 1552) bears a label with the locality of capture (Lourenço Marques) and a second label, handwritten by Bolívar himself, bears the name of the new species ( O. scutigera ). There is no information on the other two specimens. The morphological examination of this material shows that both males are conspecific. The female is similar to the males and matches the description and measurements given by the author. Since Bolivar states “Lourenço Marques” as the only place of origin of the new species, we believe that the absence of any information regarding the latter two specimens indicates that they probably come from the same locality. It is not unusual, within historical collections, to find a group of specimens from the same collecting event sharing a single locality label, which is usually carried by only one specimen.

Diagnosis. Vertical process of vertex simple; prozone slender with two flattened tubercles. Phalloid apophysis enlarged, with incised distal margin forming two equal teeth ( Figs. 6A, B ).

Figures

FIGURE 2. Head of: A (♂), G (♀), O. scutigera; B (♂), H (♀), O. aurita; C (♂), I (♀), O. rendalli; D (♂), L (♀), O. casaica; E (♂), M (♀), O. bolivari sp. n.; F (♂), O. minima sp. n., Scale = 1mm.

FIGURE 6. External genitalia of: A, B (left phallomere, dorsal and ventral view), I (ventral phallomere, dorsal view), O. scutigera (holotype); C, D (left phallomere, dorsal and ventral view), L (ventral phallomere, dorsal view), O. rendalli (from skukuza); E, F (left phallomere, dorsal and ventral view), M (ventral phallomere, dorsal view), O. casaica (holotype); G, H (left phallomere, dorsal and ventral view), N (ventral phallomere, dorsal view), O. bolivari sp. n., (paratype). Scales = 500 µm.