Otomantis minima Stiewe, 2014

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 : 184-185

Otomantis minima Stiewe sp. n.

( Figs 2F ; 3F; 5E; 7C; 13)

Type material. Holotype 1♂, AFRICA-S: Stiewe genital slide Nr. OT.SA.03 (NHM)

Diagnosis. This new species O. minima sp. n. represents the smallest member of the genus. The copulatory apparatus of this new species resembles that of O. rendalli in regards of the shape of the ventral phallomere. However, there are some striking differences between these two species. The ventral phallomere is strongly extended distally in O. minima sp. n., which is not the case in O. rendalli , the lateral process of the left phallomere is conspicuously long and developed in O. minima sp. n., and its pronotum is much shorter than in rendalli. Finally, the mesofemora of O. rendalli has a well-developed distal lobe, whereas the same is only indicated in O. minima sp. n. The female is unknown for the species.

Description male.

General coloration: Body lutescent, without dark spots. Head dark brown, with some blackish spots. Antennae ochre.

Measurements (mm): TL12.7; HW 4.1; PL 3.8; SDW 2.2: MPW 1.25; CL 3.5; FL 4.6; MFW 2.0; WL 14.7.

Head ( Fig. 2F ): Transverse, vertex nearly straight, vertical process of vertex small triangular, juxta-ocular tubercles conical; eyes kidney-shaped with a distinct short apical spine; frontal shield transversal about 2.5 times wider than high, apex arched and acuminate.

Pronotum ( Fig. 3F ): Relatively small, 1.7 times longer than wide; prozone narrow and elongated, disc with two indicated bumps; metazone with a longitudinal median carina; lateral margins of supracoxal dilation with some small dark tubercles.

Forelegs: Coxae with anterior margin with some very small teeth; internal apical lobes divergent. Femora flattened ( Fig. 5E ), 2.3 times longer than wide, dorsal margin homogeneously curved with some small spines between external spines, well-developed genicular spine. Spination formula F=4ES/11IS/4DS and T =10ES/9IS, all spines of femora and of tibiae ochre with dark apex.

Meso and metathoracic legs: Mesofemora with very small distal lobe which is indicated but undeveloped; metafemora with small distal lobe, bigger than the same on the mesofemora; metatibiae and meta-basitarsi missing in the holotype.

Wings: Exceeding the apex of abdomen; Metathoracic wings about 3.5 times longer than maximum width; costal field opaque, narrow; discoidal area hyaline. Metathoracic wings hyaline.

Abdomen: Cylindrical, supra-anal plate triangular in shape with rounded apex, cerci cylindrical; subgenital plate longer than wide, distal edge deeply emarginated between the styli.

External genitalia ( Fig. 7C ): Ventral phallomere longer than wide, distal margin rounded, strongly protruding, lateral with one big thorn-like distal process (dp) and a second anterior sclerotized one which is more elongated. Left phallomere with short dorsal lamina (dl) and sclerotized in its anterior part; ventral lamina (vl) wide and sclerotized, the anterior process is well developed; both laminas form a long conspicuous lateral process (lp); phalloid apophysis (af) enlarged, sclerotized, bilobed and the surface fine-grained. Right phallomere inconspicuous.

Distribution. South Africa ( Fig.13 ).

Etymology. Named in reference to the very small size of this new species.

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 3. Male pronotum of: A (dorsal view), G (lateral view), O. scutigera; B (dorsal view), I (lateral view), O. aurita; C (dorsal view), O. rendalli; D (dorsal view), H (lateral view), O. casaica; E (dorsal view), L (lateral view), O. bolivari sp. n.; F (dorsal view) O. minima sp. n., Scale = 1mm.

FIGURE 5. Inner surface of fore femur (males): A, O. scutigera; B, O. aurita; C, O. rendalli; D, O. casaica; E, O. minima sp. n.; F, O. bolivari sp. n., Scale = 1mm.

FIGURE 7. External genitalia of (all phallomeres in ventral view): A, O. rendalli (holotype,); B, O. aurita (holotype, ventral view); C, O. minima sp. n. (holotype, left phallomere ventral view, remaining phallomeres dorsal view).

FIGURE 13. Geographic distribution of Otomantis spp. in Southern Africa and Madagascar: black circle= O casaica; black square= O. bolivari sp. n.; black triangle= O. rendalli; black diamond= O. scutigera; black shape star= O. aurita; open triangle= O. capirica; open square= O. centralis sp. n.; open circle= O. gracilis sp. n.; open diamond= O. trimacula sp. n. (note: question mark refers to the distribution of O. minima sp. n., known only from “South Africa”).