Theopropus sp.

Wu, Chao & Liu, Chun-Xiang, 2021, Notes on the genus Theopropus Saussure (Mantodea, Hymenopodidae) from China, with description of a new species from the Himalayas, ZooKeys 1049, pp. 163-182 : 163

publication ID	https://dx.doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1049.65295
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:1D3720A7-708F-4D52-AD98-54125D34CE64
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/ABC83524-5073-58D8-941B-968DE849473C
treatment provided by	ZooKeys by Pensoft
scientific name	Theopropus sp.
status

Treatment

Theopropus sp. View in CoL

Figs 2C View Figure 2 ; 3C View Figure 3 ; 5C, F View Figure 5 ; 6C View Figure 6 ; 7C View Figure 7 ; 8C, F View Figure 8 ; 9C, E View Figure 9 ; 10C View Figure 10 ; 12 View Figure 12 ; 13E, F View Figure 13 ; 14F View Figure 14

Material examined.

35♂, 6♀. China • 5♂; Yunnan, Jinghong, Xiaopuxi ; 22°01'52"N, 100°58'19"E; 1100 m; 10-V-2019; Chao Wu leg.; CWC GoogleMaps ; • 7♂; Yunnan, Jinghong, Menglun ; 21°57'37"N, 101°12'17"E; 850 m; 6-V-2019; Chao Wu leg.; IZCAS GoogleMaps ; • 8♂; Yunnan, Mengla, Bubeng ; 21°37'02"N, 101°34'44"E; 900 m; 11-X-2014; Chao Wu leg.; CWC GoogleMaps ; • 15♂; Yunnan, Mengla, Mohan ; 21°11'04"N, 101°43'31"E; 1000 m; 30-IX-2017; Chao Wu leg.; CWC GoogleMaps ; • 1♀; Yunnan, Jinghong, Menglun ; 21°57'37"N, 101°12'17"E; 850 m; 5-X-2014; Chao Wu leg.; IZCAS GoogleMaps ; • 1♀; Yunnan, Mengla, Mohan ; 21°11'04"N, 101°43'31"E; 1000 m; 22-IX-2017; Chao Wu leg.; CWC GoogleMaps ; • 1♀; Yunnan, Jinghong, Menglun ; 21°57'37"N, 101°12'17"E; 850 m; 22-IX-2013; Chao Wu leg.; CWC GoogleMaps ; • 1♀; Yunnan, Jinghong, Damenglong ; 21°30'43"N, 100°40'22"E; 600 m; 10-X-2013; Chao Wu leg.; CWC GoogleMaps .

Thailand • 2♀; Thailand ; Chiang Mai; VII-2017; Nan Jiang leg.; CWC .

Comments.

Male. Compound eyes oval, anteriorly protruding. Prolongation bifid vertex conical, not reaching imaginary line extending between the apexes of the eyes (Fig. 5C View Figure 5 ). Lateral pronotal expansion wide, ratio of pronotum length to supracoxal dilatation width about 1.51-1.53. Lateral margins of pronotum bearing inconspicuous teeth. Black band on each lateral margin of metazone continuous (Fig. 6C View Figure 6 ). Anterior coxa bearing 8-10 dorsal spines, femora with 17 anteroventral spines, tibia with 17-18 anteroventral and 21 posteroventral spines; tibia with two black horizontal bands on ventral side (Fig. 8C, F View Figure 8 ). Forewings green; the black lateral borders of the white band in middle of discoidal area wide, blurry. Hindwings orangish red, transparent.

External genitalia: Simple. Left phallomere wide, rhomboidal; secondary distal process (spd) indistinct; phalloid apophysis (afa) short; posterior process of left phallomere (paa) digitiform (Fig. 10C View Figure 10 ).

Female. Large-sized, robust. Ratio of pronotum length to supracoxal dilatation width about 1.37-1.40; black band on lateral margin of metazone continuous (Fig. 7C View Figure 7 ). Lateral margins of pronotum bearing prominently serrated teeth. Hindwings yellow, transparent at edges.

Differential diagnosis.

Compared with the other two species of Theopropus in China, this species is smaller in body size, the prolongation on the vertex is small in the female, and the difference in body size between the sexes is more pronounced. The dorsal spines on anterior coxae are larger and longer than those of the other two species. The anterior tibia does not have a black spot near the spur. The male characteristics are also close to that of T. cattulus (Westwood, 1889) (type locality in Java, Indonesia) but the markings of the pronotum and forewings are different. In addition, in this species, the male hindwings do not have the opaque area which is present in the male specimens of T. elegans from the Malay Peninsula. These specimens may represent another new species, and further research on this species is needed.

Measurements

(length in mm). Body (head to wings): male 24.8-25.3, female 41.2-42.0; body (vertex to abdomen end): male 20.4-21.8, female 38.5.1-49.8; pronotum: male 5.1-5.2, female 10.8-10.9; fore coxae: male 5.0-5.1, female 12.6-13.0; fore femora: male 5.7-5.8, female 14.1-14.3; fore tibiae: male 4.8-4.9, female 11.0-11.2; middle femora: male 4.9-5.0, female 10.7-10.9; hind femora: male 5.8-5.9, female 11.6-11.8; forewing: male 17.1-17.4, female 27.2-27.6; hindwing: male 15.6-16.1, female 23.6-23.8.

Distribution.

China: Yunnan; Thailand.

Biological characteristics.

Theopropus species often live among flowers. In Huaping of Guangxi Province (southwestern of China), T. sinecus sinecus often appears among the inflorescences of Valerianaceae plants, the mottling pattern of the mantis allows them to blend in such an environment (Fig. 13A, B View Figure 13 ). The males have phototaxis during night time.

In China, the genus Theopropus ranges northwestwards to Medog, Tibet, and eastwards to the central Fujian Province. Theopropus species often inhabit medium-elevation forests. In Guangxi Province, T. sinecus sinecus is distributed at an altitude of about 800-1400 m. Theopropus sinecus qiongae ssp. nov. was collected from 800-1000 m in Hainan Island. Theopropus species in Yunnan Province were collected from 600-1100 m. Theopropus xishiae sp. nov. from Tibet were collected from 900-1400 m. Theopropus sinecus sinecus overwinters as eggs or nymphs in Guangxi, Fujian, and Guangdong Provinces. In the mountains of these areas, it snows in winter, and the lowest temperature about -5~-10 °C. Nymphs of T. sinecus sinecus hide in the deciduous layers during winter, and begin to grow about April of the following year; adults can be seen from July to November. In Hainan Island, no clear seasonality patterns can be observed in T. sinecus qiongae ssp. nov., for which adults and nymphs can be found in each season. The same situation is found in southern Yunnan. The situation for T. xishiae sp. nov. in Medog of Tibet is unclear, but adults of T. xishiae can be seen from July to October.