Platycalymma latipennis Westwood 1889
Creators: name: Roy, Roger
name: Svenson, Gavin J.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2011
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Mantodea
Iridopterygidae
Platycalymma
Platycalymma latipennis

description: Platycalymma latipennis Westwood, 1889
Platycalymma latipennis: WESTWOOD, 1889: 40 & pl.10, fig.7.
Tropidomantis (Platycalymma) latipennis: SAUSSURE & ZEHNTNER, 1895: 169, pl. 9, fig. 28. Platycalymma Latipennis: KIRBY, 1904: 228.
Platycalymma latipennis: GIGLIO-TOS, 1927: 138; BEIER, 1935: 58.
Platycalymna latipennis: PAULIAN, 1957: 36 & fig.16 (partim); ROY, 1987: 121. Platycalymma latipennis: EHRMANN, 2002: 283; OTTE & SPEARMAN, 2005: 125.
Examined specimens. Madagascar. Holotype Ƥ—Madagascar (Locality P.l.1) (OUMNH); 1 3—Est., district de Maroantsetra, station forestière de Farankaraina, route de Navana, km 16, 5, vallée d’Antoroka, 100 m, 8/ 18–I– 1964, P. Viette (Locality P.l.2), genitalia prep. 3947 Roy (MNHN); 1 Ƥ—Maroantsetra, Vadon, X– II–35 (Locality P.l.3) (MNHN); 1 3—Baie d’Antongil, Voloina, X, 1970, A. Villiers (Locality P.l.4), genitalia prep. 3950 Roy (MNHN); 1 3—Vohibola, lac Ampitabe, 22–30.X.2005, N. Cliquennois (Locality P.l.5), genitalia prep. 3989 Roy (MNHN).
The holotype female is figured in grayscale in Westwood (1889) and again in color in Saussure & Zehntner
(1895), but unfortunately this specimen now lacks antennae (Fig. 1 C). We conclude that the female figured by Pau-
lian (1957) is doubtfully P. latipennis, as it does not match any specimen we can find, or the female holotype
deposited in the OUMNH. Paulian mentions Diego Suarez for a locality, but this is erroneous since there was never
locality information that specific presented by Westwood. However, we did find one female specimen from Diego
Suarez that Paulian may have illustrated, but this is the female of our new species P. annulicornis. The male of P.
latipennis has never been described.
Diagnosis. The largest species of the genus, P. latipennis has the widest costal region of the forewings as well as
the greatest number external spines on the foretibiae. Most similar to P. annulicornis, but can be distinguished
based on its males having all black antennae while P. annulicornis males have annulate antennae. Both sexes have
13–16 (most often 14–15) external and 11–13 internal tibial spines.
Redescription. Male. (Fig. 1 A) Length measurement from head to tip of abdomen 23–30 mm, of forewings 23–27
mm, of pronotum 5.5–6.3 mm; width of pronotum 2.9–3.3 mm, of head 4.1–4.3 mm, of costal region of forewing
2.6–3.0 mm.
Head (Fig. 4 A): Overall shape of head triangular. Vertex concave medially with area between parietal sutures and eyes convex, forming a smooth juxtaocular bulge. Eyes bulging slightly outside the triangular perimeter of the head; upper margin adjoin the head sharply, creating a slightly obtuse angle with the juxtaocular bulge. The lower margin of the frontal sclerite is slightly concave with a medial indent. The clypeus has a straight lower margin and is slightly transverse. Antennae are all black except for the first two segments.
Pronotum (Fig. 6 A): The length/width ratio is 2.0–2.1 with a narrowing metazone in the posterior third. Metazone is about 1.55 times longer than the prozone. Entirely pale coloration.
Legs: Length measurement of forecoxae 6–6.5 mm, of forefemora 7–7.5 mm, of foretibiae 5.5–6 mm, of mesofemora 7.5 mm, of mesotibiae 5 mm, of metafemora and metatibiae 8 mm. The forelegs are entirely pale. The meso- and metathoracic legs are pale except for the darkened apex of the first segment of tarsi as well as the following segments.
Wings: Forewings almost entirely hyaline with a highly reticulate and strongly broadened costal region, the veins of which are almost parallel to each other near the apical portion. Veins of forewings with light brown pigmentation across the basal two-thirds and greenish across the distal two-thirds. Hindwings are hyaline with veins pigmented as in forewings.
Abdomen (Fig. 7 A): Thin abdomen with subgenital plate smoothly rounded with medium sized styli. Cerci not known.
Genitalia (Fig. 8): Right epiphallus with apophysis hardened and smooth forming a ninety-degree angle. The left epiphallus with strong granulation on the terminus of the titillator and a pseudophallus with pronounced granulation and a terminal digitation oriented at ninety degrees to central axis. Hypophallus with pronounced granulation and a number of small tubercles on the distal margin, forming a discrete region appearing as a convex bulb; the medial region of the left margin with pronounced granulation forming a rough patch that extends proximally where it terminates abruptly after extending beyond the general margin of the hypophallus; region proximal to the termination of granulated region gently sloping proximally.
Redescription. Female. (Figs. 1 B & 1C) Length measurement from head to tip of abdomen 25–27 mm, of forewings 21 mm, of hindwing 19 mm, of pronotum 6.6–6.7 mm; width of pronotum 3.2–3.3 mm, of head 4.8–4.9 mm, of costal region of forewing 3.3–3.5 mm.
Head (Fig. 4 B): Overall shape of head triangular. The vertex as in males, but the juxtaocular bulges are joining the eyes with a more smooth transition. Ocelli are markedly smaller than those found in any of the other species, though still elevated from the plane of the head. Upper margin of medial portion of frontal sclerite nearly flat with small irregularities; lower margin is smoothly concave. The clypeus has a straight lower margin as in males. Antennae pale for the two first segments, then with a small dark spot on the internal side of the third to the eighth segments, spot gets larger until the thirteenth segment when the fourteenth is entirely pale and the fifteenth is dark, then each antennomere alternates from pale with small internal spot and entirely dark until the terminus.
Pronotum (Fig. 6 B): Slightly more elongate than in males with a length/width ratio of 2.2–2.6 and a metazone 1.62 times longer than prozone. Colored as in males with a narrowing metazone in the posterior third.
Legs: Length measurement of forecoxae 7 mm, of forefemora 8.5 mm, of foretibiae 6.5 mm, of mesofemora 8 mm, of mesotibiae 5.5 mm, of metafemora 9 mm, and of metatibiae 8.5 mm. Forelegs pale as in males. Hindlegs with tarsi more pale than in males.
Wings: Forewings with a very broad, opaque, and densely reticulate costal region; discoidal region less opaque compared to costal region. Veins across forewing are pigmented a brown-green. Hindwings are hyaline with veins pigmented brown in the costal region and the distal tip while pale in the remainder of the wing.
Abdomen (Fig. 7 G): Broad with pronounced lateral lobes emanating from the tergites that terminate with acute angles.
description: Published as part of Roy, Roger & Svenson, Gavin J., 2011, Revision of Platycalymma Westwood, 1889, and the synonymy of Ichromantis Paulian, 1957 (Mantodea, Iridopterygidae, Tropidomantinae), pp. 1-25 in Zootaxa 3014 on pages 6-8, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.204672