Microphotina viridescens
Creators: name: Rivera, Julio
name: Hausherr, Nicolas
name: Lanna, Leonardo Moutinho
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2025
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Mantodea
Photinaidae
Microphotina
Microphotina viridescens

description: Microphotina viridescens (Chopard, 1912)
Figs. 1, 2A–D, 3A–G, 4D, 5A–B, D, 6A–G
Photina viridescens Chopard, 1912: 324 [original description, m].
Microphotina viridescens (Chopard, 1912): François & Roy, 2015: 394 [rescued from synonymy with M. vitripennis, taxonomy, morphology, distribution, photo of holotype, male genitalia]; Rivera & Svenson, 2020: 101 [checklist, taxonomy]; Moulin & Roy, 2020: 37 [checklist, DNA barcoding data]; Schwarz et al., 2020: 31 [comparison to M. panguanensis Schwarz, 2020, in key to species]; Lanna et al., 2023: 88 [checklist, taxonomy, in key to species, distribution]; Moulin, 2025: 160 [checklist, taxonomy, male genitalia, in key to FG species].
Material examined. All material from French Guiana. 1 male, 1 female with egg case, Roura, Réserve naturelle régionale Trésor, 4.61042 -52.2790, elev. 250m, 25.XI.2022 (AEMG — N. Hausherr leg.); 1 female with egg case, Roura, Réserve naturelle régionale Trésor, 4.61042 -52.2790, elev. 250m, 26.XI.2022 (AEMG — N. Hausherr leg.); 1 male, Roura, near Fourgassier, ca. 4 km NW Réserve naturelle régionale Trésor, 4.6379 -52.3021, 114m, 25.XI.2022 (E. Serres leg.); 1 male, Roura, nr. Fourgassier, 4km NW Réserve naturelle régionale Trésor, 4.6379 -52.3021, 114m, 26.XI.2022 (E. Serres leg.); 1 female, Kourou, end of Dégrad Saramaka road, elev. 9m, 5.0143 -52.6989, 25.VII.2022 (E. Loeb leg). We also examined one male and one female reared from each of the two egg cases collected. They are labeled as the progenitor females as indicated above.
Distribution. Widespread in FG, with records from Cacao, Kourou, Mana, Maripasoula, Montsinéry-Tonnegrande, Regina, Roura, Saint-Georges, and Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni communes.
Description, Female. Coloration (Fig. 1A–D) of living individuals uniformly leaf green, except for a whitish strip extending between the proximal half of the forewing’s costal area and the base of the pronotal metazona, and a large yellowish-orange region over abdominal terga 1–4 (concealed by the wings when at rest). In drypreserved specimens, body coloration, including the abdomen, fading to pale green to yellowish, with whitish regions becoming less conspicuous. Measurements in Table 1.
aApproximated; body length measurements may vary due to the non-rigid nature of the abdomen.
bAs measured from the proximal bend of the tibia to the metatarsal insertion.
cSpecimen portrayed in Fig. 1C
dSpecimen portrayed in Fig. 1D
Head (Fig. 1E) distinctly wider than long, pentagonal in shape. Juxtaocular bulges moderately developed and elevated as much as the vertex, extending above an imaginary line connecting the top of the compound eyes. Compound eyes kidney-shaped with rounded lateral margins, ocelli minute. Lower frons narrow, approximately 5.5–6 times wider than long. Antennae filiform and slightly longer than the pronotum, flagellomeres of the basal third green but darkening towards the distal third, becoming primarily dark brown.
Pronotum (Fig. 1F) moderately robust, its surface smooth, longitudinal carina inconspicuous, only faintly indicated across the supracoxal sulcus. Lateral margins of the pronotum bearing small triangular denticles, the same absent along the supracoxal dilation. Ratio metazona/prozona = 2.47–2.54 (average ≈ 2.5). Anterior margin of prozona rounded, lateral margins almost parallel.
Prothoracic legs relatively robust. Forecoxae surface smooth, inner aspect with short and scattered pilosity (especially concentrated on the basal third), anterior and posterior margins with small serrulations, apical lobes strongly divergent. Foreleg spination formula: F=4DS/14AvS/5–6PvS; T=14–16AvS/19PvS. Forefemora (Fig. 1G– H) with tibial spur groove at its proximal third. The third DS the longest, second DS slightly longer than the fourth, and first DS very small, almost indistinct. Forefemoral AvS equidistant, similar in size, except for the shorter 11th and 13th, and four basalmost AvS arranged in two rows. Forefemoral typically with 5 PvS, exceptionally 6 (Fig. 1H). Distance between 1st and 2nd PvS is shortest among any other contiguous pair within the same series. Each genicular lobe bearing a small spine. Foretibiae dorsal margin mostly straight, PvS and AvS declined, increasing in size distally, PvS smaller than AvS. All foreleg spines pale green with dark tips.
Meso- and metathoracic legs narrow (Fig. 1C–D), midtibiae shorter than corresponding femora.
Mesothoracic wing membrane green and opaque, veins slightly darker than surrounding membrane, creating a contrasting reticulated pattern. Stigma elongated and green, matching the color (=concolorous) of the veins. Costal area whitish proximally, progressively turning green distally, bearing irregular reticulation. Metathoracic wings opaque, costal area yellowish green, discoidal area yellow except for a narrow green distal portion, anal area orange (Figs. 1A‒D). Wings typically reaching just beyond the distal margin of tergum 5 In resting position (variable depending on the degree of abdominal distention).
Abdomen fusiform, lacking lobes or projections. Supraanal plate triangular with a rounded apex. Cerci setulose, longer than the supraanal and subgenital plates, comprising 11 visible cercomeres (first visible cercomere consisting of a few fused segments), last cercomere conical with rounded tip, longer than wide. Genitalia (Fig. 1I) with apical lobe (gpal8) of gonapophysis 8 (gp8) bearing long setae. The aulax (al), a longitudinal dorsal groove located in the middle of gp8 accommodating the rachis of gp9, elongated, its internal ridge extending forward to form a trapezoidal protrusion ending in a narrow, curved lobe; in lateral view, the tip of gp8 appearing wrench-like (Fig. 1J). Apex of gonoplac 9 (gl9) truncated and shallowly notched. Gonapophysis 9 (gp9) pointy, with the rachis and mesal gonapophyseal sclerite 9 (GPm9) well-sclerotized, the latter being narrow and straight. The accessory gland supporting lobe (agsl) membranous, accessory gland sclerite (AG) moderately sclerotized. Coxae 8 (CX8) elongated. The ventrolateral coxal lobelet (cxvl) well-developed, laterally projected and forked.
Ootheca (Fig. 2A–D) semi-spherical, outer wall thin and smooth, caramel brown in color (unhatched egg cases may have a greenish tinge); no visible traces of external coating on the outer wall. The proximal end of the ootheca fully or partially encircling the attaching substrate; in this case, the petiole of a leaf or its midvein. At the fixation point, the emergence area forming an angle of 100–120 degrees relative to the substrate; as a result, the ventral surface of the ootheca exposed. The emergence area itself convex and distally raised (better observed in the lateral view), forming a ridge with a slightly curved apex. The emergence area encompassing 18–20 openings (the same are sealed with a whitish, spongious material in freshly laid specimens). Inside the ootheca, approximately 62– 75 eggs observed, the eggs in contact with the inner wall, as indicated by the rounded scars left at their point of contact. Measurements (mm): length (from tip to fixation point): 10.98–11.13; width: 7.18–7.2; length of emergence area: 11.11–11.33; max. girth: 23.17–24.2; width of emergence area: 1.42–1.62.
Remarks on male morphology. The examined males of M. viridescens match the redescription provided by François & Roy (2015). However, we find it pertinent to clarify two aspects that we consider ambiguous in François & Roy’s (2015) treatment of this species: (i) the chromatic characteristics of the male wings and (ii) the anatomical details of the left phallomere’s posterior process (paa).
The male holotype of M. viridescens (Fig. 3A) is peculiar because its wings possess a yellowish green, tessellated pattern, a unique feature not observed in males of any other member of the Photinainae. Concerning this attribute, François & Roy (2015, p. 394) wrote (translated from French): i) “Wide elytra [...] more or less translucent with pale green veins, the costal and radial veins of the same color as the apex, which is of a deeper green shade ”; ii) “Wings [...] with a similar coloration pattern, the apex being more or less greenish, as observed in the holotype ”; and iii) “The male holotype is distinguished from all others by its less translucent flight organs with more extensive opaque borders …” Based on our analysis of specimens, we find that the text by François & Roy (2015) is ambiguous in characterizing the wing pigmentation, as it suggests that this characteristic is more accentuated in the holotype, thus implying that the same trait is present in other males but to a lesser extent. Unfortunately, François & Roy (2015) only portrayed the male holotype, and thus this character could not be corroborated in other specimens reported within the same publication.
To clarify this issue, we consulted with N. Moulin, who informed us that male specimens of this species reported by François & Roy (2015) and deposited at the MNHN have, like the specimens we examined, typical male Microphotina wings, i.e., hyaline and unpigmented (Fig. 3B). This confirms that the holotype of M. viridescens corresponds to an anomalous individual in which wing pigmentation attributes, commonly observed in females, may have been expressed, possibly in response to the activity of an internal parasite, as speculated by François & Roy (2015). There are other reported cases of intersexual specimens designated as holotypes in the taxonomic history of Neotropical Mantodea. For example, Lombardo & Umbriaco (2011) discovered that Parastagmatoptera abnormis Beier, 1963 was a parasite-induced intersexual individual of P. flavoguttata (Audinet-Serville, 1839) (Mantidae), while Agudelo (2014) reported a similar case in the “female” holotype of Photina gracilis Giglio-Tos, 1915, which turned out to be a remarkable case of a fully feminized male of Photina vitrea (Burmeister, 1838) (Photinaidae). In the previous cases, the presence of horsehair worms (Nematomorpha) inside the abdominal cavities of the examined type specimens was confirmed through direct observation or dissections. The presence of such a parasite inside the abdomen of the holotype of M. viridescens is pending confirmation.
The conformation of the phallomeres of M. viridescens, the features of the distal margin of the subgenital plate, and the slight asymmetry of the styli (observed in some specimens), are all recognizable in our examined material. The left phallomere’s posterior process (paa) was not clearly represented in François & Roy (2015: 394, Fig 10) and thus we picture and describe it here in greater detail (Figs. 3C–D). Overall, the genital complex of M. viridescens conforms with the “ Type 3” morphology of Rivera & Svenson (2020). The left phallomere has the afa reduced to a narrow, sclerotized region that is wider in its distal half and is anteriorly accompanied by a well-developed, membranous lobe. The paa is well-developed and robust, hammerhead-like, with an irregular distal margin (Fig. 3D). The ventral phallomere is guttiform with elongated and narrow bl, its tip curved and strongly sclerotized, and right lateral margin with a small, sclerotized region (better observed in the ventral view) (Fig. 3E). The right phallomere has a large patch of setiform spines (Figs. 3F–G). Consistent with François & Roy (2015), the subgenital plate is even (not notched) in between the styli; the latter may be slightly asymmetrical in terms of size and shape in some specimens.
Our observations confirmed that the ventral phallomere’s paa of M. viridescens is hammerhead-like, as in M. panguanensis Schwarz et al., 2020 and M. cristalino Lanna et al., 2023, sharing more similarities with the latter. In M. viridescens the paa ventral margin is also irregular but to a lesser extent than the condition observed in M. cristalino (Lanna et al., 2023), while the afa lacks the proximal swelling observed in the latter species. Furthermore, the paa of M. viridula Roy, 2019 is also hammerhead-like (Fig. 3H) and not simple as originally depicted in Roy (2019: 64, Fig. 4B–D), thus evidencing its close affinities with the aforementioned species. In light of the new information, we updated the key to Microphotina spp. (males) as follows:
description: Published as part of Rivera, Julio, Hausherr, Nicolas & Lanna, Leonardo Moutinho, 2025, Discovery and formal description of the female of Microphotina Beier, 1935 (Mantodea: Photinaidae), with an updated key to species and remarks on the role of Citizen Science in advancing Mantodea biodiversity studies, pp. 231-248 in Zootaxa 5621 (2) on pages 233-237, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5621.2.4, http://zenodo.org/record/15262552