Green vestment mantis (Phyllothelys qingjinum) from Malipo, Yunnan, with cross collar on pronotum

NEWS - Green vestment mantis (Phyllothelys qingjinum) from Malipo, Yunnan, China, is described based on geometric morphometric, genetic distance and molecular phylogenetic analyses. The discovery of this new species fills a significant distribution gap for the P. werneri group in southern Yunnan and highlights the need for further exploration in this region.

Phyllothelys Wood-Mason, 1876 (Mantodea, Hymenopodidae) includes 22 species with China being the hotspot containing 15 species in four groups, especially P. werneri which includes 6 species. This suggests a wide distribution across the mountainous region south of the Yangtze River extending from Medog in the west to Taiwan Island in the east.

P. qingjinum has dimensions (mm) with head to abdomen: 52.75-54.95, head to wing: 58.60-62.14, pronotum: 15.30-17.76, prozone: 3.46-3.95, metazone: 11.84-13.88, anterior coxa: 8.39-10.64, anterior femur: 9.36-11.46, anterior tibia: 5.55-7.02, posterior femur: 7.82-9.35, posterior tibia: 6.82-8.54, anterior wing: 32.03-36.79 and posterior wing: 28.70-33.16.

The new species has a distribution in Yunnan. The name is derived from the Chinese word ‘青衿’(Qingjin) which refers to the green cross-collared robe in ancient Hanfu. The term metaphorically refers to the distinctive green color of the dorsal edge of the pronotum of this species when alive.

The researchers compared with other species based on morphometrics with P. qingjinum being distant from the others. P. chuangtsei and P. werneri were each clearly separated from the other species. In contrast, P. jiazhii, P. jianfenglingense and P. dulongense were closer to each other showing considerable overlap.

P. qingjinum differs from the other species based on morphology and the colored patches on the prothoracic legs. The large, closely arranged colored patches in the discoid area of the forewings resemble those of P. jianfenglingense and P. dulongense. However, P. qingjinum shows a relatively prominent supracoxal dilatation with obvious lateral pronotal expansion.

P. chuangtsei shows lateral pronotal expansions developing around the supracoxal dilatation. However, P. qingjinum can be further distinguished by its larger size and the presence of numerous longer and sharper spines on the sdp and apha of the male external genitalia.

Original research

Liu Q, Wu C, Ye B, Liu X (2024). Integrated taxonomy reveals a new praying mantis species of Phyllothelys Wood-Mason, 1876 (Mantodea, Hymenopodidae) from Yunnan, China. Biodiversity Data Journal 12: e132161, DOI:10.3897/BDJ.12.e132161

Dlium theDlium

Javan broadhead planarian (Bipalium javanum)

Cacing palu or Javan broadhead planarian ( Bipalium javanum ) is a species of animal in Geoplanidae, hermaphrodite, living on the ground, predators, often called only hammerhead or broadhead or shovel worms because of wide heads and simple copulatory organs. B. javanum has a slim stature, up to 20 cm long, up to 0.5 cm wide, head wide up to 1 cm or less, small neck, widening in the middle and the back end is rounded, all black and shiny. Javan broadhead planarians walk above ground level by raising their heads and actively looking left, right and looking up using strong neck muscles. Move swiftly, track meander, climb to get through all obstacles or make a new path if the obstacle is too high. Cacing palu track and prey on earthworms and mollusks. They use muscles and sticky secretions to attach themselves to prey to lock in. The head and ends of the body are wrapped around and continue to close the body to stop prey reactions. They produce tetrodotoxins which are very strong...

Swietenia mahagoni and Swietenia macrophylla, the differences

SPECIES HEAD TO HEAD - To date, mahogany ( Swietenia Jacq.) is recorded as having four species: West Indian mahogany or small-leaved mahogany ( Swietenia mahagoni (L.) Jacq.), big-leaf mahogany ( Swietenia macrophylla King), Honduran mahogany ( Swietenia humilis Zucc.) and Swietenia × aubrevilleana Stehlé & Cusin. The debate over the number of taxa in the genus is still not resolved. Some researchers believe that there are only two species: S. mahagoni and S. macrophylla . I agree with that opinion and the two species can only be differentiated by the size of the leaves. All species in this genus have similar morphology except for leaf size. The following is the key to identifying these two species. S. mahagoni has a stalk length of around 37 cm with 5-6 pairs of strands. The strands are about 10 cm long and about 3.5 cm wide. S. macrophylla has a stalk length of up to 45 cm with 4-5 pairs of strands. The strands are up to 31 cm long and up to 8 cm wide. By Aryo Bando...

Thomas Sutikna lives with Homo floresiensis

BLOG - On October 28, 2004, a paper was published in Nature describing the dwarf hominin we know today as Homo floresiensis that has shocked the world. The report changed the geographical landscape of early humans that previously stated that the Pleistocene Asia was only represented by two species, Homo erectus and Homo sapiens . The report titled "A new small-bodied hominin from the Late Pleistocene of Flores, Indonesia" written by Peter Brown and Mike J. Morwood from the University of New England with Thomas Sutikna, Raden Pandji Soejono, Jatmiko, E. Wahyu Saptomo and Rokus Awe Due from the National Archaeology Research Institute (ARKENAS), Indonesia, presents more diversity in the genus Homo. “Immediately, my fever vanished. I couldn’t sleep well that night. I couldn’t wait for sunrise. In the early morning we went to the site, and when we arrived in the cave, I didn’t say a thing because both my mind and heart couldn’t handle this incredible moment. I just went down...

Dlium