Otomantis centralis Lombardo & Stiewe & Ippolito & Marletta 2014, sp. n.
Creators: name: Lombardo, Francesco
name: Stiewe, Martin B. D.
name: Ippolito, Salvatrice
name: Marletta, Alessandro
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2014
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Mantodea
Hymenopodidae
Otomantis
Otomantis centralis

description: Otomantis centralis Lombardo & Stiewe sp. n.
(Figs 9B, G; 10B, F, L, N; 11B; 12C–D, M; 13)
Type specimens. Holotype 1♂, D. R. CONGO: Nyangwe, 15/ 30-III-1918, (leg. R. Maynè) (MDAB); Paratypes D. R. CONGO: 1 ♀ Sankuru, Gandajika, 1954 (P. de Francquen) (MABC); REP. POP. CONGO: 1♂ M`be, J.F. Cornic, 3.II.1973, Stiewe genitalia prep. Ot.C. 01, (MNHN). CONGO: 5 ♂ Djoumouna, C. Morin, 16.05.73; 13.03.75; 29.10.75, Roy genitalia prep. 2352; 28.02.76; 25.09.76; (MNHN); Voka, C. Morin, 10.04.74, 1♀ (MNHN); ANGOLA: Centro Entomologico Salazar [N'dalatando], Hosp. Desc., Collected by Ventura, 8.10.72, E 26596, 1♀, (IICT)-(ex collection Huambo, Angola (IIA); Centro Entomologico Salazar [N'dalatando], Hosp. Desc., collected by Ventura, 14.10.72, E 26894, Roy genitalia prep. 2284, 1 ♂, (IICT)-(ex collection Huambo, Angola (IIA)
Diagnosis. Similar to O. capirica, from which it can be distinguished by the male having a stockier prozone and a phalloid apophysis with more divergent apical lobes.
Description male.
General coloration: Body ochre with small dark spots, more numerous on the head and on the pronotum. Maxillar palpi ochre with last two segments darkish inside; mandibles and labial palpi ochre with dark apex. Anterior legs ochre.
Measurements (mm): TL 20.5; HW 4; PL 3.8; ML 2.1; SDW 2.6; MPW 1.4 CL 4.5; FL 5; MFW 2.3; WL 19.5 x 4.5.
Head (Fig. 9B): Transverse, 1.5 times wider than pronotal supracoxal dilation; vertex straight, vertical process of vertex short and bifid; juxta-ocular tubercles conical; eyes oval/ovoid, with a short apical spine. Antennae elongated; frontal shield transverse, pentagonal, 2.84 times wider than high, apex with a distinct projected spike.
Thorax: Pronotum (Fig. 10B, F) rhomboidal, 1.52 times longer than wide; prozone elongated, lateral margins with 4–5 dark tubercles, disc with two acute conical tubercles near the supracoxal sulcus. Disc of metazone with a longitudinal median carina; lateral margins of supracoxal dilation forming an obtuse angle.
Forelegs: Coxae about 1.2 times longer than pronotum, anterior margin with a series of small dark granules, each bearing a seta at the apex, internal apical lobes divergent. Femora flattened, 2.17 times longer than wide, dorsal margin toothed, curved and with widest part at the 2/3 from the base (Fig. 11B) Spination formula F=4ES/ 11IS/4DS and T =10ES/8IS, all spines of femora and tibiae brown with dark apex.
Meso and metathoracic legs: Femora robust, with distal triangular lobe that is bigger in metafemora and more acuminated in mesofemora. Tibiae shorter than femora, with a triangular, basal lobe.
Wings: Hyaline, exceeding the apex of abdomen. Costal field of mesothoracic wings opaque, discoidal area hyaline, with numerous scattered dark spots. Metathoracic wings semi-hyaline and chestnut colored.
Abdomen: Cylindrical, subgenital plate longer than wide, apex not incised.
External genitalia: Ventral phallomere ovoid (Fig. 12M), slightly longer than wide and with a lobe-like distal process (dp) with a large auriculated lamina on its right side and outer margin sinuous. Left phallomere with elongated dorsal lamina (dl) (Fig.12D), slightly widened at the base and gradually narrowing towards the apex; ventral lamina (Fig. 12C, vl) more or less square, with a long arm on the anterior margin. Phalloid apophysis (af) well developed, with two divergent apical processes of which the anterior is considerably more developed.
Female description.
General coloration: Body ochre, with numerous small dark spots. Antennae with scape, pedicel and proximal 1/3 of flagellum ochre, remaining parts dark. Internal surface of coxae and femora black; external spines ochre with dark apex, internal spines dark. Mesothoracic wings opaque and ochre, with numerous small, chestnut colored spots; metathoracic wings semi hyaline and chestnut colored.
Measurements (mm): Tl 21; HW 4.8; PL 5.1; ML 2.6; SDW 3.7; MPW 1.8; CL 5.1; FL 6.8; MFW 1.8; WL 17.
Head (Fig. 9G): Transverse, 1.29 times wider than pronotal supracoxal dilation; vertical process of vertex small and bifid; juxta-ocular tubercles conical and robust, with acuminated apex; frontal shield transverse, with a small spike on upper margin.
Thorax: Pronotum (Fig. 10L, N) similar to male but more robust, 1.37 times longer than wide.
Forelegs: Coxae robust; anterior margin with 5–6 minute dark tubercles, internal surface scattered with dark spots, internal lobes divergent. Femora 3.7 times longer than wide, dorsal margin with a series of small granules. Spination formula F=4ES/11IS/4 DS and T =12ES/10IS.
Meso and metathoracic legs: Femora with distal triangular lobes with rounded apex, lateral margin broadened.
Wings: Mesothoracic wings opaque brown, with numerous dark patches differing in size, costal area with numerous brown cross-veins. Metathoracic wings semi-hyaline and auburn colored, longitudinal veins on discoidal area dark brown.
Abdomen: Enlarged; supra-anal plate triangular in shape with rounded apex.
Distribution. This species occurs in the eastern Congo and northern Angola (Fig. 13).
Etymology. The new species is named after the distribution area Central Africa.
description: Published as part of Lombardo, Francesco, Stiewe, Martin B. D., Ippolito, Salvatrice & Marletta, Alessandro, 2014, A taxonomic revision of Otomantis Bolivar, 1890 (Mantodea: Hymenopodidae, Acromantinae) with description of five new species, pp. 169-193 in Zootaxa 3797 (1) on pages 189-190, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.3797.1.13, http://zenodo.org/record/4915425