20 PROCEEDINGS OF THE ACADEMY OF [Feb., 



3d Group, Tropidomantes. 



Epsomantis tortricoides (Haan). 



1842. M[antis] (Mantis) tortricoides Haan, in Temminck, Verb. Nat. 

 Gesch. Nederlandsche Over.seesche Bezittingen, Orth., p. 82, pi. XVIII, 

 fig. 4. [c?, Java.] 



Sandakan, British North Borneo, (from C. F, Baker), 1 cf . 



This species has been referred to Platycalymma by Westwood^ 

 and to Ecinophlebia, with a query by Saussure and Zehntner.^ 

 GigHo-Tos^ has erected the genus Epsomantis to include this one 

 species, considering it separable from the Madagascar species of 

 the other two genera by the tegmina having the costal area near 

 the base much broader, nearly equalling half the total tegminal 

 width, the pronotum with prozonal margin dilated and submem- 

 braneous and the cephalic tibiae provided with eight external spines. 

 This latter feature is shown by Haan's figure, but we believe that 

 the number was actually different, as well as features of venation. 

 We are led to suppose that the specimen before us represents 

 the first individual of this extraordinary insect taken since the 

 type. 



In consequence, we would note the folloAving features, some of 

 which we believe to be of generic diagnostic value, in addition to 

 those given by Giglio-Tos. We therefore retain Epsomantis as 

 a valid genus. 



Pronotum with lateral margins microscopically denticulate, dorsal 

 surface with a medio-longitudinal depression, in which, on the 

 shaft, a very delicate and smooth carina is developed. ^ Tegmina 

 with humeral vein with one conspicuous branch distad, median vein 

 paralleling humeral vein to median portion, then strongly diverging 

 from it, discoidal vein with four distinct branches, which them- 

 selves branch near the sutural margin. Cephalic femora with 

 ventro-external margin bearing five spines, in addition to the small 

 genicular spine, with a series of minute spinulae intercalated between 

 these; ventro-internal margin with the following formula of spines, 

 ililililililiil, the long spines all being directed inward, the last being 

 a small genicular spine. The tibiae have fourteen to fifteen external 



6 Rev. Ins. Fam. Mantidarum, p. 40, (1889). 



7 In Grandidier, Hist. Nat. Madagascar, XXIII, Orth., p. 177, (1895). 

 « Bull. Soc. Ent. Italiana, XLVI, p. 47, (1915). 



9 This violates the group character given by Giglio-Tos, "metazona del pro- 

 noto munita di una carena ben distinta che si estende in parte anche suUa pro- 

 zona." We are, however, satisfied that this remarkable species is an aberrant 

 member of the Tropidomantes. 



