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| Arria muscoamicta Unnahachote & Shcherbakov, in Unnahachote, Shcherbakov et Pinkaew, 2021. photos by W. Pathomwattananuruk & W. Khaikaew. |
Abstract
Arria muscoamicta Unnahachote & Shcherbakov, sp. nov. is described based on a male from central Thailand. This is the first record of Arria Stål, 1877 from the country. The new species is closely allied to A. leigongshanensis (Ge & Shen, 2008) from China, differing by the absence of prozonal tubercles, the elongated pronotum, nine tibial anteroventral spines, and the truncated hindwings. The new species is a moss-camouflaging mantis living at high altitude. The taxonomic problems of the genus are briefly discussed.
Keywords: Camouflage, predatory insect, Southeast Asia, taxonomy
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| Arria muscoamicta sp. nov. in life aspect A adult male (the holotype), dorsal view B adult male (the holotype), lateral view C male nymph. A, B W. Pathomwattananuruk, published with permission C W. Khaikaew, published with permission. |
Systematic accounts
Order Mantodea Burmeister, 1838
Family Haaniidae Giglio-Tos, 1915
Subfamily Haaniinae Giglio-Tos, 1915
Tribe Arriini Giglio-Tos, 1919
Genus Arria Stål, 1877
Arria muscoamicta Unnahachote & Shcherbakov, sp. nov.
Differential diagnosis:
A. muscoamicta sp. nov. is similar to the type species of Arria, A. cinctipes, in foreleg armament and shape of the prothorax and wings; it fits the current concept of the genus Arria (but see Discussion).
Arria muscoamicta sp. nov. can be distinguished from the most similar species, A. leigongshanensis, by the following characters: 1) pronotum distinctly longer; MzL/PzL = 1.97 [vs MzL/PzL = 1.24], 2) prozone without distinct pair of conical spines posteriorly [vs with distinct pair of conical spines posteriorly, anteriad of supracoxal sulcus], 3) foretibia have nine anteroventral spines [vs 11–13 anteroventral spines], 4) apical lobe of hindwing almost truncated [vs more or less parabolic].
Arria muscoamicta sp. nov. can also be easily distinguished from A. cinctipes by the following characters: 1) six tibial posteroventral spines [vs seven tibial posteroventral spines], 2) lack of a pair of small conical tubercles in prozone posteriorly [presence of a pair of small conical tubercles in prozone posteriorly]; from A. meghalayensis by six tibial posteroventral spines [vs seven tibial posteroventral spines]; from A. oreophilus by following characters: 1) present of conical tubercles on dorsal surface of pronotum [vs lack of conical tubercles, relatively smooth in male], 2) forewing not narrows distally [vs forewing narrows distally]; from A. sticta and A. pallida by the apex of hindwing more or less truncate [vs pointed apex].
Etymology: The name of the species means “clothed by moss” in Latin and refers to the moss-like colouration and morphology of the adults and especially the nymphs.
Thornthan Unnahachote, Evgeny Shcherbakov and Nantasak Pinkaew. 2021. First Record of the Genus Arria (Mantodea, Haaniidae, Arriini) from Thailand, with the Description of A New Species of Moss-dwelling Praying Mantis. ZooKeys. 1028: 49-60. DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.1028.62347
