Amorphoscelis guaduna Wu and Liu, 2021

Wu, Chao & Liu, Chun-Xiang, 2021, The genus Amorphoscelis Stål (Mantodea: Amorphoscelidae) from China, with description of two new species and one newly recorded species, Journal of Natural History 55 (3 - 4), pp. 189-204 : 198-201

Amorphoscelis guaduna Wu and Liu sp. nov.

( Figures 1 (f), 3(f), 4(g,h), 5(i,k,p))

Type material. Holotype: CHINA: 1 ♂; Fujian, Guadun, Wuyishan Mt. ; 1200 m; 19 August 2004; Da-Kang Zhou leg. ( IZCAS).

Description. Male. General appearance similar to congener. Head large, wider than pronotum; compound eye rounded and protuberant; 3 ocelli large and bulging, lateral ocelli larger than medial ocellus. Juxtaocular bulges hemispherical, obtuse, not mucronate ( Figure 4 (h)). Antennae filiform, surpassing apex of abdomen. Pronotum short, longer than wide, inverted trapezoidal and pilose; Front edge straight, wider than arcshaped trailing edge, with curved lateral edges. Fore femora robust, pilose, with 1 short discoidal spine; tibiae short, bending and swollen in the middle, without spines; tarsi much longer than tibiae, meta-basitarsi much longer than total length of following segments. Fore wings nearly hyaline, narrow semi-hyaline costal area, with hyaline discoidal and anal-area. Fore wings slightly longer than margin of abdominalia. Hind wings hyaline, iridescent, with semi-hyaline costal area. Middle and hind leg robust, without spines but with hairs, meta-basitarsus much longer than total length of following segments. Abdomen slender, subgenital plate trapezoidal, unnoticed, with styli. Cerci long, hairy; last segment oblong, entire, without incision ( Figure 5 (p)).

Genitalia. Median secondary distal process and lateral secondary distal process of ventral phallomere closely neighbouring, slightly curved, sharp ( Figure 5 (j)). Apical process of left phallomere simple, without a small peak on lateral side ( Figure 5 (i–k)).

Colouration. Generally tawny with brown spots. Antennae brownish, with light-coloured base at each segment, and brownish lower frons. Fore coxae tawny, fore femora and fore tibiae brown with dark brownish area near femoral brush with inner surface; middle and hind femora pale brown, middle and hind tibia and all tarsi fulvous. Fore wings nearly hyaline with small brown spots, narrow semi-hyaline costal area brown, longitudinal veins with sporadical brownish spots, discoidal and anal areas hyaline; hind wings hyaline, with brown costal area ( Figure 1 (f)). Ventral surface of abdomen brown and glossy. Cerci brownish, each segment light-coloured at base. Genitalia strongly pigmented.

Female. Unknown.

Male measurements (mm). Body length: 16.82; length of pronotum: 1.71; length of fore femora: 3.35; length of middle femora: 5.20; length of hind femora: 5.75; length of tegmina: 18.50; length of cerci: 2.40; head width: 3.68.

Discussion. The new species is distinctive due to its hemispherical juxtaocular bulge and features of the male genitalia. Additionally, the male cerci of the new species are larger than those of the other species.

This species has a unique head; that is, the juxtaocular bulge is hemispherical and obtuse, whereas it is conical in other Chinese species. Taking into account the head characteristics and the species distribution, a female specimen that was identified as A. phaesoma Yang from Kuatun (i.e. Wuyishan-Guadun) by Roy (2011) might in fact be A. guaduna sp. nov. To be certain, we are awaiting the examination of more specimens collected from the type locality.

Distribution. China (Fujian).

Etymology. The species is named after the type locality, Guadun, in Fujian Province, China.

Figures

Figure 1. (a–f) Left side of male fore wings in Amorphoscelis spp. from China. (a) A. chinensis from Guangdong; (b) A. chinensis from Henan; (c) A. hainana; (d) A. singaporana; (e) A. xueshani sp. nov.; (f) A. guaduna sp. nov.

Figure 4. Left side of the anterior surface of the head in Amorphoscelis spp. from China, and in A. singporana from Thailand. (a) female, allotype of A. stellulata; (b,c) female, A. chinensis; (d) male, A. xueshani sp. nov.; (e) male,A. singaporana; (f) male, A. hainana; (g) female, A. guaduna sp. nov. (after Roy 2011); (h) male, A. guaduna sp. nov.; (i) female, A. singaporana from Thailand; (j) male, A. chinensis; (k) male, holotype of A. stellulata; (l) male, holotype of A. phaesoma. Abbreviations: ey, compound eye; jb, juxtaocular bulge.

Figure 5. Male phallic complex and cercus of Amorphoscelis spp. from China. (a,f,i) right epiphallus; (b, c,d,g,j) ventral phallomere; (e,h,k) left epiphallus; (l–p) cercus. (a–e) A. chinensis; (f–h) A. hainana; (i–k) A. guaduna sp. nov.; (l) A. singaporana; (m) A. xueshani sp. nov.; (n) A. chinensis; (o) A. hainana; (p) A. guaduna sp. nov. Abbreviations: afa, phalloid apophysis; bl, basal lobe of ventral phallomere; paa, apical process of left phallomere, titillator; pda, primary distal process; sdpl, lateral secondary distal process; sdpm, median secondary distal process.