Otomantis capirica Giglio-Tos, 1915

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 : 186-188

Otomantis capirica Giglio-Tos, 1915

( Figs 9A, F ; 10A, E, I, M ; 11A ; 12A–B, L ; 13 )

Otomantis capirica Giglio-Tos, 1915: 102 (female) (Original description)

O. capirica ; Giglio-Tos (1927: 653); Beier (1934: 18); Ehrmann (2002: 249); Otte & Spearman, 2005: 82)

Type material. Lectotype of Otomantis capirica ♀ from Kapiri ( MRAC).

Other material. D. R. CONGO: 1♂ Kaswabilenga ( R. Lufira) 700m, 15 IX–6-XI 1947, Mis G. F. de Witte 768a ( MRAC); Kapiri 1 ♀ ( MRAC); 2♂ Elisabethville , 26.XI.56 and 5.XII. 1959 Roy genitalia prep. 657, Ch. Seydel, Coll. Mus. Congo, ( IICT); N . RHODESIA: 1♂ N’Changa, C. T. Nacnamara, B. M. 1931-179, Stiewe genitalia prep. OT.NR.2 ( NHM); E-ANGOLA : 2 ♀ juv. Distr. of Moxico , Upper Luena R., 14–15, 25–26. V.1927, M. Burr, Brit. Mus. 1927-287 ( NHM) .

Lectotype designation. Giglio-Tos (1915) did not designate any specimen of O. capirica explicitly as the holotype, therefore, the type series of O. capirica is made of two name-bearing syntypes ( ICZN, Article 72). Since the syntype male must be placed under O. casaica (see note under O.casaica ), it is thus necessary to designate the female syntype for O. capirica as a lectotype for this species ( ICZN, Article 74).This procedure leaves the male without name-bearing status and can now be placed under its corresponding species: O. casaica .

Diagnosis. This is the largest species of the genus, which at first sight is very similar to O. centralis sp. n. However, it can be easily distinguished from O. centralis sp. n. by an examination of the vertical process of vertex, which is more developed and more incised at the apex, and the angle of the supracoxal dilation is more accentuated.

Redescription female.

General coloration: Body brown with small dark spots, more numerous on the head and pronotum; prosternum ochre, with some small dark spots. Mesothoracic wings with numerous dark spots, often bigger than the same in males. Internal surface of coxae brown and with some small blackish spots; inner surface of femora brown, the flattened part is black with two yellowish bands, all internal and external spines ochre with dark apex. Abdominal segments brown, subgenital-plate ochre.

Measurements (mm): TL 20; HW 5; PL 5; SDW 3.4; ML 2.6; MPW 1.87; CL 5.1; FL 6.6; MFW 3; WL 17 x 5. Head ( Fig. 9F ): Transverse, 1.47 times wider than pronotal supracoxal dilation; vertex rounded, vertical process of vertex bifid, juxta-ocular tubercles conical; eyes kidney-like, apical spine with rounded apex; frontal shield transverse, with a small tubercle on its upper margin.

Pronotum ( Fig. 10I, M ): Stocky, rhomboidal, 1.47 times longer than wide; prozone short, lateral margins finely denticulate, disc with two bigger conical tubercles. Disc of metazone with a median V-shape depression behind the supracoxal sulcus, lateral margins of supracoxal dilation forming a prominent obtuse angle.

Forelegs: Coxae robust, anterior margin with 8–10 minute, dark tubercles, internal surface scattered with dark spots, divergent internal lobes. Femora 2.2 times longer than wide, dorsal margin with a series of small granules. Spination formula F=4ES/11IS/4DS and T =10–11ES/8IS.

Meso and metathoracic legs: Femora with distal triangular-shaped lobes with rounded apex, nearly same size in meso- and metafemora, lateral margin broadened.

Wings: Mesothoracic wings brown-colored and opaque, with numerous dark patches differing in size, costal area with numerous brown cross-veins. Metathoracic wings semi-hyaline and auburn colored, longitudinal veins of discoidal area dark brown.

Abdomen: Robust and cylindrical.

Male description.

General coloration: Body ochre with numerous small dark spots, more numerous on head and pronotum. Maxillar palpi ochre, last two segments darker inside; mandibles and labial palpi ochre with dark apex. Anterior legs ochre. Abdomen dark brown dorsally, ochre ventrally.

Measurements (mm): TL 25; HW 5.4; PL 4.7; SDW 3.7; ML 2.4; MPW 1.7; SDW 3.3; CL 5.5; FL 6.5; MFW 3.0; WL 23 x 6.

Head ( Fig. 9A ): Transverse; juxta-ocular tubercles conical; vertical process of vertex bifid; eyes oval with an apical spine with rounded apex; frontal shield transverse, pentagonal, 2.46 times wider than high, lateral margins straight, apex with a rounded tooth folded forward.

Thorax: Pronotum ( Fig. 10A, E ) stocky, rhomboidal, 1.42 times longer than wide. Prozone short, lateral margins with 3–4 small dark tubercles; disc with two big conical tubercles near the supracoxal sulcus; disc of metazona with a median V-shaped depression behind the supracoxal sulcus; lateral margins of supracoxal dilation forming an prominent angle.

Forelegs: Coxae about 1.17 times longer than pronotum; anterior margin with a series of small dark granules, each bearing a seta at the apex. Internal apical lobes divergent. Femora expanded, flattened, 2.16 times longer than wide, dorsal margin curved with its widest part within the 2/3 from base ( Fig. 11A ), dorsal margin just distal of maximal MFW with tubercles. Spination formula F=4ES/11IS/4DS and T =10–11ES/9IS.

Meso and metathoracic legs: Femora robust, with a distal triangular lobe (more acuminated on mesofemora), the same is larger on the metafemora. Tibiae shorter than femora with a basal triangular lobe. Hind metatarsi about as long as remaining segments together.

Wings: Mesothoracic wings 3.83 times longer than wide, costal area brownish, discoidal area hyaline, with scattered brown spots and a more or less rounded distal apex. Metathoracic wings entirely hyaline.

Abdomen: Cylindrical; supra-anal plate triangular in shape, with rounded apex; subgenital plate longer than wide, not incised at apex and with two small styli. Cerci conical.

External genitalia: Ventral phallomere ovoid ( Fig. 12L ), slightly longer than wide, exhibiting a lobe-like distal process (dp) that has a large auriculated lamina on the right side, with the outer margin sinuate. Left phallomere with dorsal lamina (dl) elongated ( Fig. 12B ), widened at the base and gradually narrowing towards the apex, ventral lamina ( Fig. 12A , vl) more or less square in shape, with a long arm on its anterior margin. Phalloid apophysis (af) well developed, with two contiguous apical processes of which the anterior one is considerably more developed.

Distribution. This species occurs in the south of the D. R. of Congo ( Fig. 13 ).

Figures

FIGURE 9. Head of: A, F, (♂ and ♀), O. capirica; B, G, (♂ and ♀), O. centralis sp. n.; C (♂), O. trimacula sp. n.; D (♂), O. gracilis sp. n., Scale = 1mm.

FIGURE 10. Pronotum of: O. capirica A, E (♂), I, M (♀), in dorsal and lateral view; O. centralis sp. n. B, F (♂), L, N (♀), in dorsal and lateral view; O. trimacula sp. n. C, G (♂) in dorsal and lateral view; O. gracilis sp. n. D, H (♂) in dorsal and lateral view. Scale = 1mm.

FIGURE 11. Inner surface of fore femur of: A, O. capirica; B, O. centralis sp. n.; C, O. trimacula sp. n.; D, O. gracilis sp. n.. Scale = 1mm.

FIGURE 12. External genitalia of: A, B (left phallomere, ventral and dorsal views), L (ventral phallomere, dorsal view), O. capirica (holotype); C, D (left phallomere, ventral and dorsal views), M (ventral phallomere in dorsal view), O. centralis sp. n. (holotype); E, F (left phallomere, ventral and dorsal views), N (ventral phallomere in dorsal view), O. trimacula sp. n. (holotype); G, H (left phallomere, ventral and dorsal views), O (ventral phallomere in dorsal view), O. gracilis sp. n. (holotype). Scale = 500 µm.

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”).