Microphotinini, Rivera & Svenson, 2016

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, Zootaxa 5621 (2), pp. 231-248 : 241-243

Key to genera of Microphotinini (females)

1. Metazona/prozona ratio ≤ 2.6. Whitish stripe on the sides of the pronotum subtly visible near the base. Forewings with contrasting reticulation (veins stand out against the membrane). Abdominal pleural membranes pale pink. Cerci about twice as long as supraanal plate, conical, fully green or yellowish............................................ Microphotina

- Metazona/prozona ratio ≥ 3. Whitish stripe on the sides of the pronotum reaching as far as the supracoxal dilatation. Forewings with concolorous membrane and veins. Abdominal pleural membranes strikingly white. Cercus length about three times that of supraanal plate, flattened, largely pigmented in a dark purplish................................... Chromatophotina

The current evidence suggests that Microphotina is paraphyletic ( Rivera & Svenson 2016; Lanna et al. 2023). Our analysis of M. viridescens revealed it possesses a reduced afa (left phallomere) and a hammerhead-like paa (ventral phallomere), traits shared with M. viridula , M. panguanensis , and M. cristalino , evidencing their close relationship ( Lanna et al. 2023). Identified as Microphotina sensu lato in Lanna et al. (2023), this group stands apart from its sister clade M. vitripennis (sensu stricto) + Chromatophotina spp. , as revealed by Rivera & Svenson (2016), and provides additional support to the hypothesis the species sharing reduced afa and hammerhead-like paa may warrant reclassification under a new genus, distinct from Microphotina s. str. A detailed morphological analysis of the female of M. vitripennis will be necessary to resolve the paraphyly of Microphotina for further refinement of the systematic of Microphotinini .

Natural History. In Roura, specimens were captured in two different sites. One male was found in the area called the zone basse savane, in the middle of RNRT. This male specimen was attracted to our light trap in an open area (savannah), but it most likely flew in from the neighboring forest. Additional male specimens were collected in an open area surrounded by primary forest near RNRT’s reception area. Males flew to the light trap between 11:00 p.m. and 2:00 a.m. All of the female specimens obtained at RNRT were also observed or collected in the reception area, specifically in the vicinity of the parking lot and in the picnic area. The female obtained at Kourou was found on a tree at the edge of a degraded forest. All the M. viridescens females were spotted well above ground level (4–6 meters high). Dislodging the females from their perches using a net equipped with a 5-meter-long pole proved to be challenging because, upon disturbance, they pressed their bodies firmly against the leaf on which they were perching to enhance crypsis ( Fig. 5A ). Surprisingly, three of the four females examined were found on the same tree at RNRT, all within a radius of about 5 meters. Furthermore, two females were guarding one egg case each.

While in captivity, females wandered their enclosure during the night, only to return to guard their egg cases, motionless, during the day. Hatching occurred almost simultaneously, with nymphs emerging sequentially from the proximal region toward the apex of the ootheca ( Fig. 6A ). The nymphs emerged from the ootheca while hanging in a head-down position from a relatively short hatching thread that connects the tip of the abdomen to the ootheca ( Kenchington 1969). After descending a few millimeters, they underwent the first ecdysis, remaining suspended, as protonymphs (first instar, sensu Scherrer & Aguiar 2022), until fully extending their legs. Soon after completing hatching, the protonymphs exhibited high mobility and acquired a distinct color pattern ( Fig. 6B ). The head had a pale green vertex, a dark stripe crossing the ocellar region, and the rostrum is of a pale cyan color. The body was of a pale dark green shade laterally and ventrally but broadly dark along the dorsum of the thorax and abdomen. The forelegs were pale dark green, as were the mid and hindlegs, except for the apex of their metatarsi and their corresponding tarsomeres, which were very dark. Deuteronymphs (second instar onward, sensu Scherrer & Aguiar 2022) ( Figs. 6C–G ) became uniformly green, had reduced mobility, and adopted the cryptic strategy of the adults, pressing their bodies against the abaxial surface of leaves. Interestingly, the whitish strip on the side of the body was visible in both sexes during the last nymphal stage, but only females retained this character as adults ( Fig. 6F–G ). Rearing proved challenging, and high mortality occurred throughout development, especially during the first two instars. The observed oothecae produced 20–30 individuals (hatching success ≈ 27–48%). Full development under the provided conditions took 92 days for the first specimen (a female) and up to 120 days for the last specimen (a male), with males and females undergoing 6 and 7 nymphal instars, respectively.

Similarly, the female of M. viridescens fixes her oothecae to narrow and cylindrical substrates, such as petioles and leaf midveins, fern rachises, stems, and branches. The ovipositing strategy, a marked globular shape and brown coloration, are all consistent characters across Photinainae . In their natural environment, these physical attributes give the oothecae a strong resemblance to the spheroidal galls that certain insects form on these plant structures. This resemblance likely provides a survival benefit to the developing embryos.

The discovery of M. viridescens well above ground level supports the hypothesis of Lanna et al. (2023) that the habitat of Microphotina lies within higher levels of vegetation. Finding multiple females on a single tree, close to each other, some even guarding their egg cases, is particularly noteworthy. Assuming this is the natural behavior of M. viridescens , such aggregation could be explained by two, not mutually exclusive, scenarios: i) Individuals remain close to their natal territory throughout development, adulthood, and reproduction; ii) Individuals have a strong preference for certain tree species as ovipositing and breeding grounds, leading them to aggregate on those with suitable characteristics (e.g., foliage density, prey abundance). Our observations of captive specimens showed that individuals become markedly sedentary after reaching the second instar. However, the mechanism promoting aggregations, especially given the high risk of cannibalism under natural conditions, requires further explanation. One hypothesis is that females have adaptations enabling higher tolerance among individuals that reduce the risk of cannibalism. To support this hypothesis, we would expect to observe specific behavioral or physiological traits that mitigate such risk. In any case, our observation of the distribution and reproductive behavior of the female of M. viridescens suggests a potential specialization for specific microhabitats within the forest’s upper-level foliage, both in well-conserved and disturbed areas.

Our first observation of egg case guarding in Microphotina sheds light on the prevalence of this behavior within the Photinaidae ( Fig. 5D–E ). Egg case guarding is characterized by the female mantis staying close to her ootheca and actively defending it from potential threats. This behavior usually persists throughout the incubation period and ends shortly before or after the eggs hatch. In some instances, the female remains near her nymphs during their initial aggregation phase ( Schwarz 2017). Since Polak’s (1933) first description of this behavior in Mantodea , it has been observed in various species, though inconsistently ( Schwarz 2017). In Photinaidae , this behaviour has been reported in Cardioptera Burmeister, 1838 ( Cardiopterinae ), Photina and Chromatophotina ( Terra 1992, 1996; Rivera 2010a) ( Photinainae ). The observed behavior under breeding conditions, combining daytime egg case guarding with nocturnal wandering, likely reflects a balance between parental care and foraging needs. This is the first report of this behavior in the Photinaidae .

Figures

FIGURE 5. A) Female of Microphotina viridescens under a leaf, adopting the typical cryptic posture of the Photinaidae (photo by N. Hausherr). B) A different female specimen, showing the extent of the whitish strip between the proximal section of the costal area and the base of the metazona (photo by N. Hausherr). C) Chromatophotina awajun Rivera, 2010 (from Tarapoto, Peru), showing a more extensive and intensely expressed white stripe on the pronotum and mesothoracic wing (iNatObs: 187846650, photo by Diego Deza, license CC-BY-NC). D) Female of M. viridescens guarding her ootheca (photo by N. Hausherr). E) Chromatophotina cofan Rivera, 2010 (from Pastaza, Ecuador) guarding her ootheca (iNatObs: 53791526, photo by Ferhat Gundogdu, license CC0).

FIGURE 6. Nymphal development in Microphotina viridescens. A) Hatching batch of protonymphs soon after their first molt (an emerging pronymph can be observed in the far back of the ootheca). B) Protonymph (nymph 1). C) Deuteronymph 1 (nymph 2). D) Deuteronymph 2 (nymph 3). E) Deuteronymph 3 (nymph 4, female). F) Deuteronymph 6 (nymph 7, subadult female). G) Deuteronymph 5 (nymph 6, subadult male).