Metaphotina akaraje Ferraz, 2025
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publication ID |
https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5646.3.3 |
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publication LSID |
lsid:zoobank.org:pub:820FBFE2-4867-4FFF-B1D4-AE16942C9D49 |
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persistent identifier |
https://treatment.plazi.org/id/5B308C1F-FFF6-1759-3781-AA6EFDB8AD83 |
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treatment provided by |
Plazi |
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scientific name |
Metaphotina akaraje Ferraz |
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Metaphotina akaraje Ferraz , Rivera & Souza-Dias sp. nov.
( Figs. 16–18 View FIGURE 16 View FIGURE 17 View FIGURE 18 ; 19C, F, I View FIGURE 19 ; 20C View FIGURE 20 ; 21C, F View FIGURE 21 ; 22E, F View FIGURE 22 ; 23E, F View FIGURE 23 )
Diagnosis. Male vertex flat, without central longitudinal depression ( Fig. 16C View FIGURE 16 ); mesothoracic wings hyaline; metathoracic wings with a spot in the anal field. L4A with sharp curvature towards the sdp ’s spiniform projection ( Fig. 17B View FIGURE 17 ); posterior bending of the left phallomere with an evenly curved left margin ( Fig. 17A View FIGURE 17 ).
Female vertex with a small bump, ps excavated ( Fig. 16D View FIGURE 16 ); mesothoracic wings tapering distally; cxvl bilobed; CG8 lozenge, sbu short, rounded; CG8 with two tubercles distally rounded emerging under it, overlapped by a gp8 membrane ( Fig. 17E View FIGURE 17 ).
Description of the male holotype. Head ( Fig. 16C View FIGURE 16 ) ratio width/length = 1.94. Vertex flat. Moderate-sized ocelli, round, almost as wide as the scape and wider than the pedicel; distance between lateral ocelli and central ocellus smaller than the distance between lateral ocelli. Lower frons ratio width/length = 2.62. Antennae long.
Thorax ( Figs. 16A, F View FIGURE 16 ) with prozona and metazona leveled, not forming a distinct slope in lateral view. Ratio of pronotum length/supracoxal dilation width = 2.14; ratio of pronotum length/minimum pronotum width = 4.13; ratio of metazona/prozona = 1.85. Ratio of prothoracic coxa length/pronotum length = 0.80. Ratio of prothoracic femur length/width = 3.04; ratio of prothoracic femur length/prothoracic coxa length = 1.23. Prothoracic femur AvS alternating sizes, arranged as IiiIiIiIiIiII(R)/IiiIiIiIiIII(L), and PvS as II_I_I_I. Prothoracic tibia with dorsal margin straight.Spination formula: F=3DS/13(R)–12(L)AvS/5PvS; T=11AvS/14PvS.The discoidal area of the mesothoracic wing pair hyaline; membrane of the metathoracic wing with a slightly darkened spot in the anal field.
Abdomen slender, cylindrical. On genitalia ( Figs. 17A‒C View FIGURE 17 ), ventral phallomere L4A with left margin strongly curved towards the spinous projection of the sdp, with a sharp curve on the left margin and another sharp curve at the base of the spiniform projection of the sdp. Left phallomere L4B almost smooth, except for a section below the afa and loa with numerous long, bristle-like spines surrounded by smaller scattered ones, posterior bend of the left phallomere smooth, not concave; afa wrinkled, with a roughened sclerotized surface. Right phallomere with the lobe of the fda well projected, with spine-like bristles distally, contact region of the fda with the pia with a sharp fold where the fda strongly bends over itself, pva and pia strongly developed, not overlapping.
Description of female. Head ( Fig. 16D View FIGURE 16 ) ratio width/length = 1.45. Ocelli rounded and almost equidistant with lateral ocelli inconspicuously closer to central ocelli than between each other, small, positioned in small acute projections in the head. Vertex elevated above the imaginary line connecting the top of the compound eyes. ps excavated, job following the concavity of the vertex after ps. Lower frons ratio width/length = 2.36. Antennae short.
Thorax ( Figs. 16B, G View FIGURE 16 ) in lateral view with prozona appearing slightly higher than the metazona, forming a distinct slope. Ratio of the pronotum length/supracoxal dilatation width = 1.72; ratio of pronotum length/minimum pronotum width = 2.88; ratio of metazona/prozona = 1.32. Prothoracic coxae approximately the same length as the pronotum, ratio of coxa length/pronotum length = 0.99, dorsal and ventral margins of prothoracic legs sparsely pilose. Prothoracic femora ratio length/width = 2.75, ratio of femur length/prothoracic coxa length = 1.14; spination formula: F=3DS/12AvS/5PvS; T= 13AvS/13(R)–14(L)PvS; AvS arrangement IiIiiIiIiiiI(R)/IiiIIIiiiiii(L), and PvS II_I_I_I. Prothoracic tibia with a somewhat straight dorsal margin. Wings very short. Metathoracic wings opaque and heavily pigmented; costal, discoidal and proximal half of the anal field membrane and veins colors orange and light red; distal half of the anal field black, longitudinal veins alternating between faded pale and black, with white crossveins.
Abdomen ( Fig. 16B View FIGURE 16 ) ovoid, robust. Genitalia ( Figs. 17D, E View FIGURE 17 ) having a CG8 lozenge with sbu as a sharp small projection towards the sbp, CG8 with two small tubercles proximally emerging over the lozenge shape, proximal margin with pentagonal sclerotized expansion; sbp with proximal region well-sclerotized, smooth; CX8 sclerotized towards its inner margin; agsl smooth, sclerotized; gp8 strongly sclerotized proximally, with some bristles laterally at proximal region; cxal curved, sclerotized; cxdl membranous; cxvl broad, bilobed, with few bristles on the lower part; gl9 broad with a small bump at the medial region.
Intraspecific variation. The specimens exhibit a golden coloration, particularly noticeable in the wing venation, with reddish hues on the body (markedly the female) or faded pale tones of yellow-ochre, however, these visible colorations may be artifacts resulting from preservation conditions. Body length (measured from the head to the tip of the abdomen) ranges from 15.14 to 22.10 mm. The examined specimens display varying degrees of body pilosity. For instance, one paratype [MZ004] possesses short, delicate setae on the pronotal surface, a feature absent in other examined specimens. Additionally, three all male specimens share the same type of setae along the dorsal margin of the prothoracic femora, though densities vary. Notably, the holotype shows a conspicuous row of setae on the dorsal surface of the left prothoracic femur, whereas the right femur lacks this feature. This uneven distribution of pilosity is likely another artifact of preservation. It is reasonable to infer that living individuals of this species probably exhibit conspicuous body pilosity similar to thatdescribed for Acontista eximia (Pascoe, 1889) . Male sdp and accessory projection of the ventral phallomere overlaps and bend to varying extents, with the sdp consistently curved dorsally. Additionally, the hook at the tip of the main process varies in the level of development. The number and distribution of spine-like bristles on the structures L4B and loa of the left phallomere also differ among individuals ( Fig. 18 View FIGURE 18 ). Spination formula: F = 3DS/11–13AvS/5PvS; T = 11–12AvS/13–14PvS.
Differential diagnosis. The males of M. akaraje sp. nov. have a flattened vertex, differing from M. bimaculata , and lack the longitudinal depression seen in M. austri ( Fig. 16C View FIGURE 16 ). However, males share the same wing patterning as M. bimaculata . The left margin of the ventral phallomere curves sharply toward the sdp, resembling M. austri ( Fig. 18 View FIGURE 18 , top row). The posterior curvature of the left phallomere is smooth and continuous ( Fig. 18 View FIGURE 18 , bottom row), again similar to M. austri , though its convexity is less pronounced or even absent. Females of M. akaraje sp. nov. exhibit a convex vertex similar to M. bimaculata , but the new species differs by having a deeper ps and a small median bump ( Fig. 16D, 16E View FIGURE 16 ), somewhat resembling the vertex observed in females of Raptrix (see illustrations in Lombardo & Marletta 2004). The mesothoracic wings taper distally, as in M. austri , but less markedly, while the discoidal field is broader compared to M. bimaculata . Wing coloration follows the genus pattern; however, unlike M. austri , the hindwing anal veins are predominantly darkened. Female CG8 morphology differs significantly from other species: in M. akaraje sp. nov., the CG8 is lozenge-shaped ( Fig. 17D View FIGURE 17 ), whereas it is distinctly hexagonal in M. bimaculata and M. austri . The sbu is smaller and more rounded than in M. bimaculata but slightly more prominent than in M. austri ( Figs. 6D View FIGURE 6 , 14D View FIGURE 14 ). Additionally, the CG8 of the new species features two posteriorly emerging lateral tubercles, a trait not observed in related species ( Fig. 17D View FIGURE 17 ). Furthermore, the cxdl in females of M. akaraje sp. nov. is membranous, resembling M. austri , while it is conspicuously sclerotized in M. bimaculata ( Fig. 6E View FIGURE 6 ).
Measurements and ratios. See Supplementary material 2.
Distribution. BRAZIL (Bahia)
Etymology. The specific epithet, formulated in the genitive case, refers to “acarajé,” a traditional food from Bahia, where the type locality of the new species is found. In the Candomblé religion, acarajé is commonly offered in worship rituals to the Orixá Oyá or Iansã, a deity associated with winds, storms, and lightning. The name seems particularly fitting as praying mantises are commonly known as “Louva-a-deus” in Brazil, literally translating to “worshiper of God”.
Type locality. Caetité , Bahia, Brazil .
Remarks. M. akaraje sp. nov. is the second smallest known member of Acontistidae , after M. austri , and one of the smallest praying mantises recorded in the Neotropical region. It is currently known from only four specimens, collected at just two localities within the semi-arid region of Bahia, specifically in southern Caatinga biome. Consequently, our understanding of its true geographical range and ecological requirements remains tentative and incomplete. Given its occurrence in the Caatinga, an ecological association with this biome—similar to that observed for M. austri —appears highly plausible. This highlights a critical need for further investigation, particularly considering the threatened status of the Caatinga biome and the rarity of praying mantis species linked to it.Although morphologically distinct from its congeners, M. akaraje sp. nov. exhibits several intriguing intermediate traits, potentially indicating genetic admixture between M. bimaculata and M. austri . While this hypothesis is speculative, future studies involving fresh specimens, additional collection sites, and molecular data are essential for clarifying these interrelationships.
Material examined. HOLOTYPE, BRAZIL, BAHIA: 1♂ BRASIL–BA[hia]- Caetité/ C. Uran. Lagoa Real– INB/ 8-16 / I / 2000 / Nessimian & Baptista/ Horto | Acontista sp. / Saussure, 1869 | Holótipo | MNRJ-ENT14-343; MNRJ. ALLOTYPE, BRAZIL, BAHIA: 1♀ BRASIL–BA[hia]-Caetité/ C. Uran. Lagoa Real–INB/ 8-16 / I / 2000 / Nessimian & Baptista/ Area 3 Dia | Acontista sp. / Saussure, 1869 | Alótipo; MNRJ. PARATYPES, BRAZIL, BAHIA: 1♂ Ano/ 1908/ Bahia / Villa Nova | Acontista ♂ / bimaculata Saus. / Pinto F. det. 25. | ♂ | 374 | Parátipo; MZUSP. 1♂ BRASIL, Bahia / 28-VIII.1994 | Ordem: Mantodea / Família: Acanthopidae / Det. Agudelo A. A. 2010 | 42 | INPA-MAN/ 000898 | Parátipo; INPA.
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