Titanodula menglaensis, Liu & Liu & Wang & Yin, 2021

Liu, Qin-Peng, Liu, Zi-Jun, Wang, Guo-Li & Yin, Zi-Xu, 2021, Taxonomic revision of the praying mantis subfamily Hierodulinae of China (Mantodea: Mantidae), Zootaxa 4951 (3), pp. 401-433 : 422-429

Titanodula menglaensis sp. nov.

( Figs. 10A–C , 11 )

Hierodula sp. Zhu et al., 2012: 257–260.

Diagnosis. Closely related to T. attenboroughi and T. formosana in external appearance but could be clearly distinguished from latter species by the shape of male genitalia: 1) Sclerite L4A of the two species are nearly elongate diamond, and the length is about 1.9–2.3 as long as the widest point, while the new species more rounded, and the length is only 1.4 times as its width. 2) Sdpl of T. attenboroughi and T. formosana much strongly bent and pointing upwards, and the bending angle in the two species are smaller than the new species. 3) The base of sdpl membranous, broad in T. attenboroughi and T. formosana , while more sclerotized and uniform in the new species. 4) Paa and sclerite L2 on left phallomere in new species are more developed than in the two other species.

Type material. Holotype ( Fig. 11A–B ): 1♂, CHINA, Menglun Town , Mengla Country, Xishuangbanna, Yun- nan, 101°11’E, 21°55’N, alt. 700m, 3.iv.2019, leg. Guozhong Yang. Paratypes: 2 ♀, same date and locality as holotype .

Description. Male. Large-sized. Generally coloured green, often with a layer of white scale on the surface of ventral pronotum and forewings. Head. Triangular, wider than long, with reverse drop-shaped compound eyes. Vertex is slightly raised. Ocellar tubercle with slightly protruding ridges connecting ocelli. Ocelli small and hyaline, median ocellus larger than the smaller laterals. Lower frons flat and transverse, width 1.2 times the length. Pronotum. Elongated and straight, 3.4 times as long as its maximum width, with thin pronotal expansion and without denticulations laterally. Metazona times 3.0 as long as prozona. Lcs nearly a narrow cone, abutting slightly reduced ics at the base. Pcpl narrow saddle-shaped. Fs completely flat, middle carina invisible. Forelegs. Light green coloured. Forecoxa with seven to eight uniform small spinules. Cxl rounded and symmetrical, with smoke colour area laterally. The joint of the trochanter and forefemur, as well as the base of AvfS 2, 10, and 15 with a small black spot respectively. AvfS 1, 2, 10, and 15 are also darkly pigmented. Fb narrow ellipse, starting from 12 th AvfS and ending distally of 15 th Avfs. Ventral of the 1 st and 3 rd (the biggest one) DS dark coloured. AvfS unequal in size, arranged as follows: iIiIiIiIiIiIiiI(R)/iIiIiIiIiIiIiiI(L). Spinal formula: F=4DS/15AvS/4PvS; T=14AvS/11(L)-12(R)PvS. Meso- and metathoracis legs. Slender, brownish-green, without expansions and dilatations. Femur apically with a small spine, while tibia apically with two small spines and a triangular extension. Abdomen. Fusiform, lemon-yellow in dorsal view and green in ventral view. The length 2.5 times the width. Coxosternite IX equilateral triangular, posterior margin of which features two large styli. Tergite X (supra-anal plate) transverse, evenly rounded. Cerci slender, conical, covering with fine setae. Wings. Well-developed. Forewing 3.5 times as long as its maximum width. Costal area chartreuse, with rufous veins, gradually broadening from the base and then slowly narrowing to the apex of the wing. The discoidal area generally hyaline, with tan veins. Pterostigma beige, elongated. Hindwing hyaline, triangular, 2.0 times as long as its maximum width. Male genitalia ( Fig. 10A–C ). Left phallomere: evenly inverted drop-like. sclerite L4B spoon-shaped. Width of the base sclerite L2 broad, nearly equal to the width of sclerite L4B. Apical process paa widen basally, suddenly narrow at distal, shaping an apex sharply curved in nearly 90°. Ventral phallomere: sclerite L4A ellipse, the length slightly longer than width, with its lower-left edge strongly sclerotized, connected with sdpm. Sdpm short and smoothly curved, while sdpl strongly bend to the right and form an angle of nearly 90°. Both sdpm and sdpl sclerotized and pigmented apically. Right phallomere: fda nearly triangular. The features agree with other Titanodula species.

Female. Large sized, more robust than male. Similar to male in colouration. Head. Triangular. Vertex is slightly raised. Ocellar and ocellar tubercle largely reduced, very small. Lower frons pentagonal, its length and width about equal. Pronotum. 3.5 times as long as its maximum width, irregular denticulation armed along the anterior edge of pronotum and disappeared posteriorly. Metazona 2.7 times as long as prozona. Forelegs. Forecoxa with six to seven small spines arranged uniformly. Other features are similar to the male. AvfS unequal in size, arranged as follows: iIiIiIiIiIiIiiI(R)/iIiIiIiIiIiIiiI(L). Spinal formula: F=4DS/15AvS/4PvS; T=14-15AvS/10-11(R)PvS. Meso- and metathoracis legs. Similar to the male. Abdomen. Fusiform, green ventrally. Wings. Forewings opaque, 3.1 times as long as its maximum width. Hindwing hyaline, 1.9 times as long as its maximum width.

Ootheca. Similar to Titanodula formosana ( Giglio-Tos, 1912) according to Zhu et al. (2012).

Measurements. [in mm, ♂ (n = 1), ♀ (n = 2)]. Body: male 86.0, female 88.7; pronotum: male 24.8, female 29.8; prozona: male 6.2, female 8.5; metazona: male 18.3, female 21.8; forecoxa: male 15.1, female 17.5; forefemur: male 19.6, female 24.8; foretibia: male 12.3, female 14.1; mid femur: male 17.6, female 19.2; mid tibia: male 13.4, female 16.4; hind femur: male 18.9, female 23.9; hind tibia: male 18.4, female 23.3; forewing (length/width): male 56.2/16.0, female 53.8/18.2; hindwing (length/width): male 50.1/25.4, female 48.7/27.2;

Ratios. Pronotum/prozona: male 4.0, female 3.5; forewing/pronotum: male 2.3, female 1.8; forewing length/ width: male 3.5, female 2.9; hingwing length/width: male 2.0, female 1.8.

Etymology. The specific epithet is derived from the name of the type locality (Mengla County) in Yunnan, China.

Distribution. China (Yunnan).

Figures

FIGURE 10. Genitalia of Titanodula. A–C. Titanodula menglaensis sp. nov. A. Ventral phallomere; B. Right phallomere; C. Left phallomere. D–K. Four types of ventral and left phallomere of Titanodula formosana. D–E. Collected from Yilan, Taiwan. F–G. Collected from Taizhou, Zhejiang. H–I. Collected from Ledong Hainan. J–K. Collected from Fangchenggang, Guangxi.

FIGURE 11. Titanodula menglaensis sp. nov. A–B. Holotype, male. A. Dorsal view. B. Ventral view. C. Ventral view of forelegs. D–E. Paratype, female. D. Dorsal view; E. Ventral view. F–G. Paratype, female. F. Dorsal view; G. Ventral view.