Ima corymbia Connors & Yeeles & Lach & Rentz 2023, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Connors, Matthew G.
name: Yeeles, Peter
name: Lach, Lori
name: Rentz, David C. F.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2023
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Mantodea
Nanomantidae
Ima
Ima corymbia

description: Ima corymbia Connors, sp. nov.
Figures 6–9, 14, 15F–G
Type material. Holotype male. Label 1. “Canns Camp Creek, White Mountains National Park, Queensland 20.642 S, 145.166 E 1 April 2023, 8:00 PM On Corymbia leichhardti trunk M.G. Connors, R. Asai, & G. Kruger-Ilingworth Collected as nymph, matured 10 May 2023 ”. Holotype in Queensland Museum, Brisbane, registration number T259469.
Allotopotype female with associated ootheca. Label 1. “Canns Camp Creek, White Mountains National Park, Queensland 20.642 S, 145.166 E 24 April 2022, 9:30 PM On Corymbia leichhardti trunk M.G. Connors, C. Henderson, & M. Allan ”. Label 2. “Ootheca deposited in captivity 29 May 2022 ”.Allotype in Queensland Museum, Brisbane.
Paratopotypes: 1♀ nymph, Canns Camp Creek, White Mountains National Park, 20.642 S 145.166 E, 24 APR 2022, M.G. Connors, C. Henderson, & M. Allan, on Corymbia leichhardti trunk (QM); 3♂♂ same locality, 1 APR 2023, M.G. Connors, R. Asai, & G. Kruger-Ilingworth, on Corymbia leichhardti trunk, collected as nymph and raised in captivity, matured May 2023 (QM).
Other paratypes: QLD: 1♂ 4 km W by S of Cooktown, 15.28 S 145.13 E, 21 MAY 1977, I.F.B. Common & E.D. Edwards (ANIC); 1♂ Shiptons Flat, nr. Cooktown, 15.47 S 145.14 E, 16–18 MAY 1981, D.C.F. Rentz, Stop 38. meadow, at light (ANIC); 1♂ 6 km W. of Cooktown, 21 JAN 1971, J.G. Brooks, at light (ANIC); 4♂♂ 24km N. by W. of Mareeba, 16.47 S 145.22 E, 24–25 NOV 1981, J. Balderson (ANIC); 1♂ Mt Spurgeon Rd., 2.5 km from highway, 488m, 16°30’ S 145°08’ E, 11 MAR 2010, D.C.F. Rentz & B. Richardson, Stop 2, ANIC Image, ANIC Database No. 11 000026 (ANIC); 1♂ Station CK. 70km.N.W. Cairns Cook H’way, 28 NOV 1970, R. Hardie M. V.I., ANIC Uni. of New England Coll. Donated 1983 (ANIC); 1♂ 17 KM SE OF Black Mtn Rd On Toll Road, 16°46’ S 146°25’ E, 6 FEB 2010, D.C.F. Rentz & B. Richardson, Stop 1, ANIC Image, ANIC Database No. 11 000033 (ANIC); 1♂ same locality and collectors, 6 DEC 2010, Stop 18, ANIC Image, ANIC Database No. 11 000019 (ANIC); 3♂♂ 8.5km NW Mulligan Hwy on Hodzic Rd 380m, 16°49’45.24’’ S 145°27’50.76’’ E, 13 MAR 2018, D.C.F. Rentz, Stop 8 (ANIC); 1♂ Bilwon, Bilwon Rd (nr Biboohra) 476m, 16°50’ S 145°28’ E, 25 MAR 2011, D.C.F. Rentz & B. Richardson, Stop 12, ANIC Image, ANIC Database No. 11 000039 (ANIC); 2♂♂ Koah, 961 Koah Rd 382m, 16°50.122’ S 145°30.731’ E, 22 SEP 2018, D.C.F. Rentz, Stop 26 (ANIC); 2♂♂ same locality and collector, 21 DEC 2019, Stop 31 (ANIC); 2♂♂ Fasio Rd, Paddy’s Green (Mareeba Wetlands) 420m, 16°55.881’ S 145°19.630’ E, 16 FEB 2019, D.C.F. Rentz, Stop 5 (ANIC); 1♂ Mt Mulligan Sta, NW of Dimbulah, on Thornborough Rd 426m, 16°59.078’ S 145°01.192’ E, 19 FEB 2016, D.C.F. Rentz, Stop 11 (ANIC); 2♂♂ Shroj Rd, Mareeba (off Kennedy Hwy) 438m, 16°59.214’ S 145°30.145’ E, 26 FEB 2019, D.C.F. Rentz, Stop 6 (ANIC); 6♂♂ Mt Mulligan Rd, NW of Dimbulah, 538m, 17°01.379’ S 145°02.9’ E, 14 MAR 2020, D.C.F. Rentz, Stop 7 (ANIC); 1♂ Mt Mulligan Rd, NW of Dimbulah, ca. 10 km NNW of Leadingham Ck Rd at Mt Mulligan Sta. boundary 557m, 17°02.116’ S 145°02.380’ E, 23 FEB 2021, D.C.F. Rentz, Stop 6 (ANIC); 2♂♂ same locality and collector, 15 JAN 2022, Stop 4 (ANIC); 1♀ Mt Mulligan Road, Dimbulah, 17.035 S 145.040 E, 31 JUL 2022, M.G. Connors, D.C.F. Rentz, B. Richardson, & C. Henderson, on Melaleuca (ANIC); 1♂ Braund Rd, ca. 15 km NE Dimbulah, 493m, 16°03.831’ S 145°10.221’ E, 1 AUG 2017, D.C.F. Rentz & B. Richardson, Stop 33 (ANIC); 1♂ nr Five Mile Ck, 443m nr Dimbulah, 17°08 S 145°03 E, 7 SEP 2010, D.C.F. Rentz & B. Richardson, Stop 15, ANIC Image, ANIC Database No. 11 000031 (ANIC); 1♂ Silver Valley Rd (nr Herberton, Kalunga) 939m, 17°24.719’ S 145°21.42’ E, 18 SEP 2019, D.C.F. Rentz, Stop 23 (ANIC); 1♂ Normanton [no date or collector] (QM); 1♂ Talaroo Station, (hot springs) 344m, 18°7.168’ S 143°57.715’ E, 26–29 APR 2017, D.C.F. Rentz & B. Richardson, Stop 24 (ANIC); 1♂ Talaroo Station, Van Lee Rd Study area 5 370m, 18°8.155’ S 143°55.681’ E, 26 APR 2017, D.C.F. Rentz & B. Richardson, Stop 23 (ANIC); 2♂♂ 7 mi. WSW. of Charters Towers, 8 JAN 1965, M.J.D. White, 11498, M.J.D. WHITE Cytol. prep. 2811, Genitalia prep. MG 160 J. Balderson (ANIC); 3♂♂ Burra, 20.44 S 145.11 E, 2 OCT 1977, D.C.F. Rentz & M.J.D. White, Stop 24, M.J.D. WHITE Cytol. prep. C72 (ANIC); 3♂♂ 2 mi. N. of Warrigal Rly. Sta., Pentland distr., 9–10 JAN 1965, M.J.D. White, 11568, M.J.D. WHITE Cytol. prep. 1837, 2834 & 2841 (ANIC); 1♂ 10ml. SSE. of Collinsville, 14 SEP 1950, E.F. Riek (ANIC).
Etymology. Named for the tree on which the species is almost exclusively found in the south of its range, Corymbia leichhardti. A noun in apposition.
Differential diagnosis. Ima corymbia sp. nov. can be distinguished from Ima fusca only by the male genitalia having afa strongly indented on the right side.
Description. As for the generic description in external morphology and colouration. Male genitalia with afa directed posterodextrally, with tip rounded, always well sclerotised, right side with a strong rounded indentation such that the entire structure is weakly bifurcate (Figure 6C–D).
Nymph. Older nymphs are similar in morphology and colour to adults, but lack wings (Figure 9D, F). Very young nymphs are pale with relatively long legs and shorter abdomen.
Ootheca. Small, cryptic; pale buff to salmon pink externally, internally a deeper reddish pink; ovate, strongly flattened, distal end pointed; with two irregular rows of eggs, these laying almost flat but not parallel with each other; external foam layer thin but covering almost entire ootheca; emergence area obscured by foam, each opening with a small scale-like flap (Figure 8). In nature, oothecae are deposited in the very narrow space between layers of bark such that the two broadest sides both attach to the substrate. Even if removed from the tree, a thin layer of bark usually remains glued to the external surface of the ootheca.
Measurements (in mm). Body length, 19.8–23.0 (♀), 18.3–22.5 (♂). Pronotum length, 4.3–5.6 (♀), 4.0–4.7 (♂). Pronotum width, 2.0–2.5 (♀), 1.7–2.0 (♂). Tegmen length, 14.6–15.0 (♀), 13.9–15.5 (♂).
Distribution. Ima corymbia sp. nov. has been collected from dry sclerophyll forest and woodland across a broad range in northern Queensland. Its known range extends from Cooktown in the north to Collinsville in the south, and additionally extends westwards to Normanton (Figure 14, 15F–G).
Remarks. This species appears to be less abundant than Ima fusca, and has almost exclusively been recorded from relatively drier habitats. As with its congener, males are strong fliers and will readily come to lights. Females and nymphs, however, have been collected solely from the trunks of trees; in the south they have been collected only from Leichhardt’s Rustyjacket (Corymbia leichhardti) despite concentrated searches on other tree species. Further north, however, specimens from Dimbulah and Herberton have been collected from Melaleuca and Eucalyptus mediocris trunks, and it is likely that other host plants are utilised across its range.
Ima corymbia sp. nov. also appear to display a strong behavioural avoidance to ants. In White Mountains National Park, despite an abundance of suitable trees, mantises were almost exclusively collected from the very few individual trees that lacked trails of ants on their trunks. It is unknown whether the species displays similar preferences in the northern parts of its range.
Similarly to Ima fusca, Ima corymbia sp. nov. appears to be highly tolerant to both conspecifics and to other species of mantis. It is not unusual to find several juveniles living on a single tree trunk, and in White Mountains National Park we have recorded the species living in close proximity to Gyromantis occidentalis Sjöstedt, 1918.
description: Published as part of Connors, Matthew G., Yeeles, Peter, Lach, Lori & Rentz, David C. F., 2023, A revision of the genus Ima Tindale (Mantodea: Nanomantidae: Fulciniinae) with the description of a new genus, pp. 201-226 in Zootaxa 5380 (3) on pages 210-212, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5380.3.1, http://zenodo.org/record/10224417