Cornucollis masoalensis, Brannoch, Sydney K. & Svenson, Gavin J., 2016

Brannoch, Sydney K. & Svenson, Gavin J., 2016, A new genus and species (Cornucollis gen. n. masoalensis sp. n.) of praying mantis from northern Madagascar (Mantodea, Iridopterygidae, Tropidomantinae), ZooKeys 556, pp. 65-81 : 71-75

Taxon classification Animalia Mantodea Iridopterygidae

Cornucollis masoalensis sp. n.

Type.

Holotype ♂ - Madagascar, Masoala, Tampolo battage canopée, 3 –XI– 2001, H. Barrios & D. Randriamasimanana ( Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle, Paris, France).

Diagnosis.

Small and relatively slender with dorsoventrally compressed cranium and likewise compressed, conical compound eyes. Pronotum length more than twice the width, relatively broad, with a slightly expanded lateral margin and deep tapering in the posterior half of the metazone; pronotal medial keel distinctly elevated, traversing the length of the pronotum. Cervical region with ventral sclerite; lateral cervical sclerite with a slightly blunted, horn-like mediolateral projection directed laterad. Anteroventral femoral spines with spineless region between distal penultimate and ultimate spine. Foretibial posteroventral spines procumbent. Forefemora = 3DS/10AvS/4PvS; Foretibiae = 12AvS/15PvS. Wings well-developed. Male genital complex with processo apical (paa) relatively smooth; lobo membranoso (loa) with sclerotized region of crenulation on the posterior margin; ventral sclerotization of the left phallomere complex (i.e. the ventral phallomere) (L4A) without granulation, with a distinct lateral outgrowth on both the dextral and sinistral margins, the posterior margin tapering into a narrow distal process (pda); right phallomere (R1) features a right arm (bm) with a sclerotized, acuminate outgrowth.

Description.

Male. Holotype. Body length 24.22 mm; pronotum length 4.87; prozone length 1.98; pronotum width 2.18; pronotum narrow width 1.38; head width 4.22; head vertex to clypeus 1.61; frons width 1.4; frons height 0.31; prothoracic femur length 5.94; mesothoracic femur length 5.7; mesothoracic tibia length 3.38; mesothoracic tarsus length 3.022; metathoracic femur length 6.07; metathoracic tibia length 5.82; metathoracic tarsus length 4.61.

Head (Fig. 2). Patch of darkly colored speckles present on either side of the parietal sutures, near the vertical margin. Hypognathous. Juxtaocular bulges present, highlighted by parietal sutures. Head dorsoventrally compressed with likewise compressed, laterally conical compound eyes with blunted posterolateral margins. Cranial vertical margin margin is variably ciliated and cosinusoidal, the medial region strongly concave. Four gently sloping carinal ridges on the vertex (two of which originate from the mid-vertex, the other two originate from the mid-ocular region) converge into an elevation on the posteromedial vertex in the shape of a truncated pyramid, which is slightly bisected apically by the coronal suture. Vertex slightly concave posterior to the lateral, paired ocelli. Ocelli are situated atop an ocellar hill (i.e., an elevated region of cuticle). Lateral, paired ocelli are larger in size, amber in color, and relatively more oblong than the unpaired, median ocellus which is relatively smaller, yellow, and approximately spherical. Lower frons transverse, the anterior margins of the structure closely abutting the posterior half of the circumantennal sclerites and the posterior half of the unpaired, median ocellus. Clypeus broad. Labrum approximately rounded along the anterior margin. Maxillary and labial palpi pale. Compound eye pigmentation darker than cuticle of the cranium. Antennae long and filiform, lightly ciliated, tapered distally.

Thorax. Pronotum broad (Fig. 3); socketed setae project from perimeter. Lateral margin of the pronotum (LMP) relatively expanded around the circumference of the prozone and anterior metazone; LMP distinctly tapered in the posterior region of the metazone. Pronotal medial keel, elevated, traversing the length of pronotum. Region of pronotal medial keel is elevated, sloping down to LMP. Prozone with bilaterally symmetric sculpting, which taper to just prior to LMP expansion. Anterior metazone features a slight indentation on either side of the medial keel. Metazone posterior margin elevated into a shelf which extends slightly over the anterior margin of the mesothorax. The cervix bears lateral cervical sclerites and intercervical sclerites; one ventral cervical sclerite is present, arcuate, traversing the space between the lateral cervical sclerites (Fig. 4). The anterior portions of the lateral cervical sclerites extend just past the anterior-most region of the prozone and are lightly ciliated; Lateral cervical sclerite mediolateral margin features a distinct, horn-like acumination (Fig. 4). A furcasternal tubercle projects medially at the base of the T-shaped sclerite, posterior to the prothoracic coxae; surfaced with sternal hairs. DK hearing organ present on metathoracic ventral surface (See Yager and Svenson 2008 for hearing organ description). Wings well-developed, extending beyond base of abdominalia, opaque; relatively long cilia project along anterior portion of costal margin and relatively short cilia densely surface both the dorsal and ventral wing surface.

Prothoracic legs. Prothoracic legs are moderately surfaced with cilia and socketed setae. The forecoxae are long, extending past the base of the pronotum; postero- and anteroventral margins with socketed setae; apical lobes convergent with anterior lobe squared and posterior lobe rounded. Forefemora with a slightly arcuate dorsal margin that narrows distally. Posteroventral femoral spines robust and darkened at the apex, interspersed with cilia, socketed setae, and a row of crenulation along the posteroventral margin. Femoral genicular lobe with a moderately sized, slightly curved spine. Tibial spur groove deeply recessed, lying between first discoidal spine and the first anteroventral femoral spine. Anteroventral femoral spines alternate in size from medium to small in the following formation: IiIiIiIiII, with a spineless region between the distal penultimate and ultimate posteroventral femoral spines; spines darkened apically. The second discoidal spine is significantly longer than the first and third. Foretibiae moderately surfaced with cilia. Posteroventral tibial spines procumbent (Fig. 5); spines darkened apically; anteroventral tibial spines gradually elongate towards the tibial spur; spines darkened apically. Foretarsi unknown due to specimen damage. F= 3DS/10AvS/4PvS; T= 12AvS/15PvS.

Meso- and metathoracic legs. Meso- and metathoracic legs densely ciliated across surface. Posteroventral carina on the margin of the meso- and metafemora. Genicular lobes of the femora lacking spines. Tibiae tubular, featuring an apical lobe and two apical spurs. Tarsi 5-segmented with an enlarged penultimate euplantulae; darkened ungues.

Abdomen. Smooth, tubular, surface densely ciliated. Supraanal plate triangular, extremely narrow, ciliated; cerci long, ciliated, compressed, tapering to a point; subgenital plate terminating into two divergent rounded lobes, each featuring a short, ciliated stylus.

Genitalia (Fig. 6). Dorsal sclerotization of the left phallomeric complex (i.e., the left phallomere) is fairly narrow anteriorly, broadening towards the posterior margin; anterior process (ap) of L4B is compact, recurved anteriorly; ap anterior margin heavily sclerotized; Apical process (paa) of L2 is strongly dilated on the anterior margin of its visible “base,” recurved distally, narrow; paa with a rounded apical margin. Lobo membranoso (loa) relatively short, a heavily sclerotized region of crenulation projects from the posteromedial margin. Ventral sclerotization of the left phallomere complex (i.e., the ventral phallomere) (L4A) is narrow and rounded anteriorly, with a moderately sclerotized sinistral margin; L4A medial sinistral margin features a distinct, broad outgrowth; L4A posterior region tapers dextrally into a relatively narrow distal process (pda); L4A posterodextral margin is broad; L4A dextral margin moderately sclerotized with a relatively small outgrowth. Anterior apodeme (an) of R1 is significantly rounded anteriorly with a moderately sclerotized sinistral margin; processo ventrale sclerificato (pva) is strongly curved and slightly tumescent, the structure is heavily sclerotized along the posterior margin; piastra ventrale (pia) is relatively linear in shape with a slightly slanted anterior margin. R1 posterior region is narrow, lightly ciliated with a tapered, rounded posterior margin; the right arm (bm) with a distinct anterior sclerotization that features an acuminate projection.

Etymology.

This species is named for the Masoala peninsula of Madagascar, the region where the specimen was collected.

Natural history.

Specimen was collected in June in Tampolo, Masoala, Madagascar by beating the canopy of an unknown tree.