Revision of the Genera Sphodropoda, Trachymantis and Zopheromantis (Mantodea: Mantidae: Mantinae)
Author
Milledge, G. A.
text
Records of the Australian Museum
2005
57
191
210
journal article
2201-4349
Sphodropoda lepida
n.sp.
Figs. 20–23
,
43
Material examined
.
HOLOTYPE
3,
Uluru
campsite,
Horn Centenary Expedition
,
25°23'10"S
131°00'46"E
,
Northern Territory
,
25 Mar 1995
,
G. Milledge
(
NMV
)
.
PARATYPES
(733): 13,
Ayers Rock
,
Northern Territory
,
16 Feb 1967
,
M.S. Upton
;
633, 56 km
W of Amata
,
Musgrave Ranges
,
26°09'S
130°35'E
,
South Australia
,
20–21 Jan 1982
,
D.C.F. & B.G.F. Rentz
&
R. Honeycutt
(all
ANIC
)
.
Diagnosis
. This species can be distinguished by the lack of markings on the inner face of the fore coxa (
Fig. 22
), the banded tegmina (
Fig. 20
) and the form of the male genitalia (
Fig. 23
).
Description
. Male only, female unknown. Medium sized species. Body colour partly green and partly purplish brown. Head (
Fig. 21
) purplish brown; narrower than other species in the genus, ridge on frontal shield without blunt point at apex. Prothorax purplish brown, paler at margins; with a few scattered tubercles on dorsal surface; lateral margin finely denticulate. Fore legs green; inner face of coxa without markings (
Fig. 22
), anterior margin with 7 denticles; inner face of fore femur with three small dark spots at base of spines; inner face of all tarsal segments black. Mid and hind legs green. Wings about as long as abdomen; dorsal and ventral surface of costal area of tegmen purplish, hyaline; hind wing with costal and discoidal area greenish, anal hyaline. Abdomen with median black spot on proximal margin of ventral sclerites 2–5. Male genitalia (
Fig. 23
) with short, broad
apr
;
pa
with smooth, pointed anterior projection, shagreened posteriorly with pointed lateral and blunt dorsal projections;
apr
with anterior projection moderately elongate, posterior one extremely short.
Figs. 20–23.
Sphodropoda lepida
, male. (20) Dorsal view; (21) head, anterior view; (22) fore leg, internal view; (23) genitalia, dorsal view. Scales = 2 mm.
Figs. 24–25.
Trachymantis obesa
.
Immature stages
. Immature stages and ootheca unknown.
Distribution and habits
. At present, only known from central
Australia
(
Fig. 43
). Habits unknown but likely to be similar to other members of the genus.