Hyalomantis whitingi Svenson & Roy

Svenson, Gavin J. & Roy, Roger, 2011, Taxonomic treatment of the endemic Malagasy praying mantis genus Hyalomantis GIGLIO-TOS, 1915, with a new synonymy and the description of three new species (Mantodea, Iridopterygidae, Tropidomantinae), Zootaxa 2777, pp. 1-24 : 18-21

Hyalomantis whitingi Svenson & Roy , n. sp.

Ichromantis dichroica PAULIAN, 1957 : 41–43 (partim, female only); EHRMANN, 2002: 191 (partim); OTTE & SPEARMAN, 2005: 122 (partim).

Examined specimens. Madagascar. Holotype 3—Est, Route de Tamatave, P. K. 181 env. Beforona, IX– 1972, coll. A. Peyrieras (Locality H.w.1), genitalia prep. 3953 Roy ( MNHN); Paratype 3—Fianarantsoa, Ranamafana National Park, Centre ValBio, S 21.25425 E 47.421556, 920 m, 10–13 Nov. 2008, coll. G.J. Svenson (Locality H.w.2), genitalia prep. 0 0 1 Svenson ( GSMC); Allotype Ƥ—Environs d’Amboditavolo, 900 m, R. Capuron (Locality H.w.3) ( MNHN); Paratype Ƥ— Maroantsetra, 1935, R. Heim (Locality H.w.4) ( MNHN); Paratype Ƥ—Beanana, Maroantsetra, XI–[19]56, coll. G. R. (Locality H.w.5) ( PBZT); Paratype Ƥ—Madagascar (S.E.), R. Decary, 1926 (Exact Locality unknown) ( MNHN).

The female specimen figured and included as allotype in the description of Ichromantis dichroica Paulian, 1957 (pg. 42, Fig. 21) is actually a female of our newly described species Hyalomantis whitingi . We located Paulian’s allotype listed as being from “ Madagascar EST, environs d’Amboditavolo (R. Capuron), I.R.S.M.” in the collections of the MNHN and compared it with an additional three female specimens of our new species and found it to be conspecific. Therefore, Paulian’s specimen (listed above under collection event H.w.3) is included within this treatment and given allotype status as H. whitingi .

Type locality. Madagascar- Est, Route de Tamatave, P. K. 181 env. Beforona.

Habits. Very similar to those of H. madagascariensis , a single male was collected alive and photographed in Ranamafana National Park. The male arrived at a mercury vapor lamp well after sunset. It readily took flight and ran nimbly across the sheet. It maintained a low profile, flattening its body to the surface of a leaf. When photographed the next day it would rapidly run to the edge of a leaf before taking flight. Flight ability was strong with a distinct preference to fly towards natural light.

Diagnosis. Most similar to H. madagascariensis , this species can be easily distinguished from H. antsingica

and H. murzini based on the characteristic lateral dark dashes on the frontal sclerite of males and females, a much

larger body size, and the opaque green, oval shaped forewings of females. Though H. whitingi is very similar to H.

madagascariensis in habitus, it differs from this species by the presence of brown mottling across the male fore-

wings and centrally in the female forewings compared to the discrete dark spots found in H. madagascariensis . In

addition, the presence of two pronounced lobes on the hypophallus of the male genitalia and a much larger body

size are also major differences.

Description. Male. ( Figs. 2 E, G) Length measurement from head to tip of abdomen 23 mm, of forewings 20 mm,

of pronotum 5.1 mm; width of pronotum 2.3 mm, of head 3.9 mm, of costal region of forewings 1.7 mm.

Head ( Fig. 4 C): Vertex straight with the region between the parietal sutures and the eyes convex, forming a bulge abutting the eye; slightly darker pigmenting near each eye. Frontal sclerite with two lateral darkly pigmented dashes, never meeting medially; lateral margins angled nearly forty-five degrees from the central axis of the head; lower margin moderately concave. The upper and lower margins of the clypeus are convex; the surface with sculpting that forms a centrally elevated ridge. Labrum slightly less than 2 times wide as high with a rounded terminus; tip with a black spot. Two distal terminal segments of maxillary palpi darkened considerably. Anterior margin of eyes concave. Antennae about 11 mm.

Pronotum ( Fig. 5 G): Convex anterior margin close to or equal to the width of the convex posterior margin; supracoxal bulge present, but not pronounced; smooth lateral edges and smooth surface. Keel present along medial line with a transversal groove just posterior to the supracoxal sulcus. Prozone with non-parallel margins widening to the supracoxal bulge; two symmetrically placed black dashes or splotches on opposite sides of the midline, half way to the lateral margin and two thirds posterior from the anterior margin of the prozone. Metazone with concave margins that slightly constrict the width; two round, black marks, positioned at the anterior end between the supracoxal sulcus and the transversal groove; two additional pairs of markings, one pair small dashes and the other an elongate strip, are positioned in close proximity and flank the midline near the posterior margin.

Legs: Forefemora with 13 internal spines, foretibiae with 13–15 external and 12–13 internal spines. Forecoxae without spots. Forefemora with a black spot on the external face between the base of the second and third proximal external spines. Foretibiae with two large external spots between the forth and fifth spines from the base as well as between the tenth and twelfth. Mesothoracic femora with two black spots dorsally, one positioned medially and the other subapical; two additional small black spots placed apically; tibiae with two black spots, one basal and the other apical; basitarsomere and fourth tarsal segment each with an apical spot. Metathoracic legs matching mesothoracic spotting patterns except for the absence of the dorsal medial spot on the femora and the presence of basal darkening.

Wings: Forewings almost entirely hyaline with small regions of darkened splotching within cells in the costal area and adjacent discoidal area; discoidal area with particularly darkened pigmentation present in groups of veins. Two larger areas of darkened veins are present at one quarter the total wing length from the proximal origin and at the midpoint of the forewings abutting the subcostal vein in the discoidal area. Additional, smaller regions of darkened veins are present more distally in the discoidal area of the forewings. This pattern gives the forewing a mottled appearance. Costal area of forewing is broadened relative to the entire wing comprising a quarter of the total wing width. Hindwings are completely hyaline.

Genitalia ( Fig. 10 ): Right epiphallus with apophysis sclerotized and smooth forming a slight S-shape in varying orientations; distal region abutting the apophysis is sclerotized and exhibits a slightly raised nub that is rough surfaced. Left epiphallus with a smooth, curved titillator that terminates in an unsclerotized lobe that curves close to the margin of the left epiphallus; region proximal to the titillator large and pronounced with slight back folding in the cuticle, which is distinct from the other species; pseudophallus terminates in a rounded tip that is strongly sclerotized and smooth. The hypophallus is relatively unsclerotized except for the margin associated with the left epiphallus, which also forms a large expansion not seen in the other species that results in a distinct medial lobe spanning a third of the margin; terminus of hypophallus exhibits two pronounced curved lobes oriented at a forty-five degree angle to the central axis of the hypophallus; each lobe, one more distal to the other, terminates with a smooth, strongly sclerotized rounded tip.

Female. ( Fig. 2 F) Length from head to tip of abdomen 26–30 mm, of forewings 23.5–24.5 mm, of pronotum 5.8–

6.0 mm; width of pronotum 2.7–2.8 mm, of head 4.5–4.9 mm, of costal region of forewings 2.6–3.0 mm.

Head ( Fig. 4 D): Vertex straight with two slight median depressions between the parietal sutures; region between the parietal sutures and the eyes convex as in males. Frontal sclerite with two lateral darkly pigmented markings; shaped similar to males. The upper margin of clypeus convex; lower margin similar to males, but less pronounced; the surface with sculpting that forms a centrally elevated ridge. Labrum wider than in males and without a dark spot. Antennae 17 mm long and uniformly pale. Maxillary palpi slightly darkened at distal terminus.

Pronotum ( Fig. 5 H): Strongly convex anterior margin and lateral margins lead to a slightly pronounced supracoxal bulge; smooth lateral edges and smooth surface. Keel present along medial line with a transversal groove just posterior to the supracoxal sulcus. Prozone without markings. Metazone with slightly concave margins; two round, black marks, positioned just posterior to the supracoxal sulcus as in males; two additional pairs of markings positioned in the posterior region similar to males were present in only one of the examined females; posterior margin nearly straight and is as broad as the anterior margin of pronotum.

Legs: Foreleg spine arrangement as in males; forefemora without spots; foretibiae with two external spots as in males. Meso- and metathoracic legs as in males, but no black spot positioned medially on the mesothoracic femora.

Wings: Forewings are opaque and presumably green in living specimens; anterior/lateral margin of the forewing pigmented a red-brown nearly the entire length, which extends inwards on costal cross-veins and fades to green within no more than a quarter the width of the costal area. Costal area of forewing is broadened relative to the entire wing, comprising a third of the total wing width, and is considerably more reticulate compared to males. Small regions of darkened veins are present in the discoidal area, one larger area at the midpoint of the forewing and abutting the subcostal vein matching the comparable area in males. Hindwings are mostly hyaline, with pigmentation in the costal area and the distal part of the discoidal area.

Etymology. Named for Michael F. Whiting, who through his work on insect phylogenetics, made a significant contribution to sampling the diversity of Mantodea and reconstructing the phylogeny of the order.

Figures

FIGURE 2. Hyalomantis, dorsal habitus. H. antsingica n. sp.: A, male holotype; B, female allotype. H. murzini n. sp.: C, male holotype; D, female allotype. H. whitingi n. sp.: E, male holotype; F, female paratype from Maroantsetra; G, living male paratype collected in Ranamafana National Park. (G. Svenson phot.).

FIGURE 4. Hyalomantis, illustrations of head from the anterior perspective. H. murzini n. sp.: A, male holotype; B, female allotype. H. whitingi n. sp.: C, male holotype; D, female paratype from Beanana.

FIGURE 5. Hyalomantis, dorsal perspective of the pronotum. The supracoxal sulci are indicated by thicker transverse lines. H. madagascariensis Saussure, 1870: A, male; B, female. H. antsingica n. sp.: C, male holotype; D, female allotype. H. murzini n. sp.: E, male holotype; F, female allotype. H. whitingi n. sp.: G, male holotype; H, female paratype from Beanana.

FIGURE 10. Hyalomantis whitingi n. sp., illustrations of male genitalia from ventral perspective. A, holotype (genitalia preparation # 3953 Roy): left and right epiphallus and hypophallus; B, paratype apophysis; C, paratype hypophallus and left epiphallus with pseudophallus and titillator (genitalia preparation # 0001 Svenson).