Phthersigena Stål, 1871

Milledge, Graham A., 2024, Review of the genera Glabromantis, Paraoxypilus, and Phthersigena (Mantodea: Nanomantidae: Fulciniinae), Records of the Australian Museum 76 (2), pp. 69-103 : 76-77

Phthersigena Stål, 1871

Phthersigena Stål, 1871: 400 . Type species Phthersigena conspersa Stål , by monotypy.

Diagnosis. Members of this genus have can be distinguished from other members of the Paraoxypilina , except Gyromantis , by having the anterior margin of the forecoxa unarmed, by having a distinct spine at the corner of the pronotal margin above the coxal insertion and by the females having very reduced wings. From Gyromantis they can be distinguished by the reduced vertical apophyses (prominent and pointed in Gyromantis ) and by the extreme reduction of the female wings (moderately reduced in Gyromantis ).

Description. Body rather small, colour some shade of brown or grey. Head wider than high, with a pair of low apophyses on the vertex beside each eye and a pair of low par-ocular spines; frontal shield wider than high, with pronounced sub antennal ridge.Antennae fine and filamentous, slightly longer than prothorax in female, about three to four times longer than prothorax in male.

Pronotum short and broad, margin with slight supracoxal expansion with a distinct spine at each corner, surface finely tuberculate with a few low spines and ridges, margins finely tuberculate, with distinct median carina which has several low projections.

Forecoxa longer than pronotum, anterior margin smooth, inner face smooth, outer face divided by strong longitudinal ridge. Fore femur slightly expanded dorsally, inner face with contrasting markings, outer face with central longitudinal ridge; claw groove at midpoint, deep and pronounced; ventrally with three discoidal spines, in length from longest to shortest 2 1 3, outer row of five small spines, inner row of five spines and double row of small tubercles between spines one and two; area between inner and outer spines tuberculate, often with several low sclerotized ridges and with central longitudinal depression in which the tibia rests. Fore tibia without spines but with inner row of small tubercles near claw corresponding to similar row on femur; outer face slightly concave, inner face marked with contrasting colours.

Male with wings longer than abdomen, forewings translucent to semi opaque, hindwings mostly hyaline; female strongly brachypterous. Mesonotum and metanotum with small caudal projection on median carina.

Mid and hind legs slender, unmodified, often with pale banding.

Abdomen of male elongate, narrow, lateral margins slightly expanded, dorsal median carina slightly expanded toward posterior margins of tergites; abdomen of female with lateral margins slightly expanded, posterior margins of tergites gently undulating, with distinct dorsal median carina which is moderately expanded toward posterior margins of tergites; supra-anal plate of male shorter than subgenital plate, that of female elongate, covering ovipositor, carinate with blunt pointed tip. Cerci short, about the same length as supra-anal plate in male, about half the length of supra-anal plate in female. Female genitalia with apical lobe of gonapophysis 8 prominent and spatulate. Male with relatively short styli.

Remarks. Phthersigena appears to sit between Paraoxypilus and Glabromantis morphologically.