Hyalomantis murzini 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 : 16-17

Hyalomantis murzini Svenson & Roy , n. sp.

Examined specimens. Madagascar. Holotype 3 & Allotype Ƥ—Camp Catta, 40 km S Ambalavo, 810 m, 26–XI to 2–XII, 2003, S. Murzin & A. Shamaev leg. (Locality H.mu.1), genitalia prep. 4057 Roy ( MNHN).

Type locality. Madagascar, Camp Catta, 40 km S Ambalavo.

Habits. Having not been observed alive by the authors, the habits are unknown.

Diagnosis. Differs from the other three species based on its uniquely constricted metazone, a uniformly brown

coloration with no black spotting, and forewings with a narrow costal area and slight brown mottling that is from

the pigmentation of the veins.

Description. Male. ( Fig. 2 C) Length measurement from head to tip of abdomen 15 mm, of forewings 15 mm, of

pronotum 3.5 mm; width of pronotum 1.8 mm, of head 3.0 mm, of costal region of forewings 0.8 mm.

Head ( Fig. 4 A): Vertex straight or slightly concave with the region between the parietal sutures and the eyes convex, forming a bulge abutting the eye. Frontal sclerite uniformly pigmented with no dark markings; moderately transverse, about two times wide as high making it less transverse than seen in the other species; lateral margins slightly angled, less than forty-five degrees; medial region of the lower margin straight. The upper margin of clypeus straight; lower margin with a moderately expanded medial lip. Labrum slightly less than two times wide as high with a rounded terminus. Anterior margin of eyes slightly concave. Antennae and maxillary palpi uniformly brown.

Pronotum ( Fig. 5 E): Convex anterior and posterior margins; supracoxal bulge present, but not pronounced; smooth lateral edges and smooth surface with a uniformly brown pigmented surface. Keel present along medial line and a noticeable supracoxal sulcus with an additional transversal groove in the anterior portion of the metazone. Prozone with non-parallel margins widening towards the supracoxal bulge. Metazone with concave margins that significantly constrict the width.

Legs: Forefemora with 12 internal spines; foretibiae with 11–12 external and 10–11 internal spines. Forelegs uniformly colored brown without black spots. Meso- and metathoracic legs uniformly brown without black markings.

Wings: Forewings slender with a narrow costal area; mostly hyaline with small splotches of darkening, particularly along the anterior margin and the distal tip of the discoidal area; costal and subcostal veins are darkened; veins in the discoidal area have dark and pale areas that alternate along the length. Hindwings exhibit the same color pattern as forewings.

Genitalia ( Fig. 9 ): Right epiphallus with apophysis sclerotized and smooth forming a distinct S-shape; distal region abutting the apophysis is sclerotized and exhibits a small region of strong sclerotization, but is smooth across the entire surface. Left epiphallus with a smooth, curved titillator that terminates in an unsclerotized lobe curving distally and away from the main structure; region above the titillator is small and forms a smooth slope moving distally; pseudophallus terminates in a rounded lobe that is slightly bent and moderately sclerotized. The hypophallus is relatively unsclerotized except for the margin associated with the left epiphallus. The left side of the terminus of the hypophallus exhibits a pronounced and smooth lobe that extends well beyond the profile of the overall structure. A central cuticular expansion is also present on the terminus of the hypophallus that gives the impression of a moderately sized bump.

Female. ( Fig. 2 D) Length measurement from head to tip of abdomen 19 mm, of forewings 16 mm, of pronotum 4.0

mm; width of pronotum 2.0 mm, of head 3.5 mm, of costal region of forewings 0.9 mm.

Head ( Fig. 4 B): Vertex as in males. Frontal sclerite uniformly pigmented with no dark markings; moderately transverse, about two times wide as high as in males; lateral margins as in males; medial region of the lower margin concave. The upper margin of clypeus convex; lower margin with a moderately expanded medial lip similar to males, but smaller. Labrum slightly less than two times as wide as high with a rounded terminus. Anterior margin of eyes slightly concave. Antennae about 9 mm, uniformly brown.

Pronotum ( Fig. 5 F): Convex, narrow anterior margin; supracoxal bulge present, but not pronounced; smooth lateral edges and smooth surface with a uniformly brown pigmented surface. Keel present along medial line and a noticeable supracoxal sulcus with an additional transversal groove in the anterior portion of the metazone as in males. Prozone with non-parallel margins widening to the supracoxal bulge. Metazone with concave margins that significantly constrict the width; posterior margin straight and two thirds the width of the pronotum at its widest.

Legs: Foreleg spine pattern as in males. Coloration as in males for all legs.

Wings: Forewings slender with a narrow costal area; color pattern same as that seen in males. Hindwings colored as in males.

Etymology. The species is named for Sergey Vladimirovich Murzin, who recently collected many interesting specimens of mantises in Madagascar.

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 9. Hyalomantis murzini n. sp., illustration of holotype male genitalia from ventral perspective showing the left and right epiphallus and hypophallus (genitalia preparation # 4057 Roy).