Paratheopompa, Schwarz, Christian J. & Ehrmann, Reinhard, 2017

Schwarz, Christian J. & Ehrmann, Reinhard, 2017, A new genus and species of bark mantis from Thailand, with an updated key to the bark mantis genera of the Oriental region (Insecta: Mantodea), Zootaxa 4291 (3), pp. 581-587 : 582

Paratheopompa n. gen.

Type species: Paratheopompa siamensis n. sp., by monotypy.

Diagnosis. Very robust, depressed, in the female sex slightly mesopterous mantids with a disruptive color pattern related to the bark-living lifestyle. Closely related and very similar to Theopompa , but with a wider pronotum and narrower costal field.

The new genus is intermediate between Humbertiella and Theopompa . It resembles Humbertiella in the shapes of head and body, particularly in the wings of the female featuring a rather narrow costal field which is not enlarged in the proximal half. It is distinguished from Humbertiella by a more robust body, particularly the differently shaped, much more robust pronotum with long dorsal processes, and longer wings in the female sex. Paratheopompa resembles Theopompa in overall body shape, robustness, the broad wings which almost reach the apex of the abdomen, and the coloration of prosternum and forelegs. It is distinguished from Theopompa by the subcircular pronotum with very strong processes, and by the narrow costal field of the female.

Description. Head wider than long, vertex without process, juxta-ocular bulges protruding. Frontal shield transverse.

Pronotum shorter than fore-coxae, about as long as wide, strongly sculptured, with denticulate margins, metazona less than twice as long as prozona.

Forelegs rather robust, slightly dilated dorsally, fore-coxae extending well beyond posterior margin of pronotum, with divergent apical lobes. Femora robust, with 4 discoidal, 4 postero-ventral, and 14 antero-ventral spines, postero-ventral margin denticulate, the two proximal postero-ventral spines closer together than the remaining. Claw-groove near base. Anterior tibiae robust, with 10 postero-ventral and 11 antero-ventral spines. Fore metatarsus longer than remaining segments combined. Mid and hind femora flattened, mid and hind tibiae sinuate, hind metatarsus shorter than remaining segments combined.

Wings of female almost reaching apex of abdomen, tegmina opaque, costal field about one third as broad as discoidal field, alae smoky.

Abdomen ovoid in female, with lateral lobes on tergites and sternites. Supra-anal plate transverse, with truncate apex, cerci not surpassing subgenital plate. Female ovipositor protruding.

Etymology. The name is a combination of Greek prefix “παρά-” meaning “near”, and Theopompa . Named for the resemblance to the latter.