I made a key to the Creobroter!

[agent A]

hey all,
so I have made a key to Creobroter species based on the species descriptions I've been able to find
first, here's a diagram showing the different parts you'll need to know

and now for the key. Note, you'll need male and female specimens for this!

Key to Creobroter species:

1. Forecoxa the same length as pronotum………………………………………………………………C. episcopalis

1’. Forecoxa longer than pronotum……………………………………………………………………………………………2

2(1’). 18 spines on anterior of forecoxa……………………………………………………………….C. fuscoareatus

2’. Fewer than 18 spines on anterior of forecoxa……………………………………………………………………….3

3.(2’) Vertex without spine…………………………………………………………………………………………………………4

3’. Vertex with spine………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….5

4(3). Elytra brown………………………………………………………………..………………………………..C. sumatranus

4’. Elytra green……………………………………………………………..…………………………………………….C. insolitus

5(3’). Base of female hindwing green…………………………………………….………………………..C. pictipennis

5’. Base of female hindwing red, brown, or yellow…………………………………………………………………….6

6(5’). Costal margin of female hindwing yellow……………………………………………………………C. apicalis

6’. Costal margin of female hindwing red, clear, or black……………………………………………………………7

7(6’). Male forewing without banding or basal spots……………………………………………….C. celebensis

7’. Male forewing with banding and/or basal spots……………………………………………………………………8

8(7’). Banding on female forewing discoidal spot nearly parallel……………………….………………………9

8’. Banding on female forewing discoidal spot arched……………………………………………………………..11

9(8). Female forewing discoidal spot at middle…………………..………………………….…..…….C. medanus

9’. Female forewing discoidal spot closer to base than middle………………………………………………..10

10(9). Elytra green……………………………………………….…………………………………………………….C. fasciatus

10’. Elytra brown…………………………………………………………….…………………………………….C. granulicollis

11(8’). Elytra brown……………………………………………………………………………………….…………….C. signifer

11’. Elytra green……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….12

12(11’). Spot at base of forewing yellow or orange……………………………….…………………………………13

12’. Spot at base of forewing white………………………………………………………………………………………….14

13(12). Spot at base of forewing yellow, transverse bands on pronotum…….…………..C. meleagris

13’. Spot at base of forewing orange, no transverse bands on pronotum………………..….C. labunae

14(12’). Female hindwing anal area pink, interrupted by smoky band………….…………..C. laevicollis

14’. Female hindwing anal area without above characters………………………………………………………15

15(14’). Male hindwing anal area with smoky patch………………………………………………….…………….16

15’. Male hindwing anal area colorless…………………………………………………………………………………….17

16(15). Plica prima of male with dark coloring………………….……………………………………..C. vitripennis

16’. Plica prima of male colorless………………………………………………….…………………………..C. nebulosa

17(15’). Male hindwing colorless……………………………………………………………………………C. jiangxiensis

17’. Male hindwing with pink at base……………………………………………………………………………………….18

18(17’). Anterior edge of forecoxa with very fine, inconspicuous teeth………………………C. discifera

18’. Anterior edge of forecoxa with large, conspicuous teeth…………………………………………………..19

19(18’). Plica prima of female with 3-branched vein…………………………………….…………C. gemmatus

19’. Plica prima of female with 2-branched vein………………………………………………..………..C. urbanus

References:​

Beier. 1942. Annln naturh. Mus. Wien. 52

Orthoptera. Mantidae. (2019). Germany: De Gruyter.

Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia. (1921). United States: Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia.

Zheng. 1988. Entomotaxonomia 10(1-2):97

 

[agent A]

ok and now for some other information. the species descriptions!
Descriptions:

Creobroter apicalis:

Described from a female specimen. Vertex with spine, forecoxae with 14 anterior spines and longer than pronotum. Female pronotum with serrations along the side. Discoidal spot yellow, in center of elytra, with arched banding. Hindwing pink at base with distinctive yellow on costal area, dark brown or black in anal and discoidal areas.

Creobroter celebensis:

Described from a male specimen. Vertex with spine. Anterior forecoxa with 13 anterior spines and longer than pronotum. Male elytra without spots or banding, green at base and transparent at end.

Creobroter discifera:

Described from both male and female specimens. Vertex with spine. Female pronotum serrated at edges. Forecoxae longer than pronotum, with very fine, fairly inconspicuous dentation. Elytra of female with discoidal spot in center, edges arched. Base of female hindwing red to anterior edge, dark brown anal area. Base of male hindwing pink, rest transparent.

Creobroter episcopalis:

Described from female specimen. Vertex with spine. Forecoxae the same length as pronotum. Pronotum notably granulated. Discoidal spot on elytra in middle with arched bands. Spots at base of elytra with obvious angling towards base of wings.

Creobroter fasciatus:

Described from female specimen. Vertex with spine. Forecoxae longer than pronotum. Discoidal spot closer to base of elytra than center, with nearly parallel banding.

Creobroter fuscoareatus:

Described from female specimen. Vertex with spine. Pronotum very smooth on top with obviously serrate edges. Forecoxae longer than pronotum and with 18 spines on anterior. Discoidal spot on elytra in middle with arched banding. Hindwing without red, but with glossy apical margins and a brown anal area.

Creobroter gemmatus:

Described from both male and female specimens. Vertex with spine. Forecoxae longer than pronotum, with very evident dentation on anterior edge. Discoid spot on female elytra at middle with arched banding. Female hindwing red at base to anterior edge with brown anal area. Base of male hindwing pink, with the rest transparent. Plica prima of female has 3-branched veination.

Creobroter granulicollis:

Described from female specimen. Vertex with spine. Forecoxa longer than pronotum. Elytra brown.

Creobroter insolitus:

Described from female specimen. Vertex without spine. Forecoxa longer than pronotum. Elytra green, with discoidal spot in center with arched banding.

Creobroter jiangxiensis:

Described from male specimen. Vertex with spine. Forecoxa longer than pronotum with pronounced dentition. Male hindwing devoid of color.

Creobroter labunae:

Described from male specimen. Vertex with spine. Forecoxa longer than pronotum. Spot at base of elytra large and orange.

Creobroter laevicollis:

Described from female specimen. Vertex with spine. Forecoxa longer than pronotum. Pronotum smooth on top and along margins. Discoidal spot of elytra yellow and closer to base than middle, with arched banding. Hindwing pink in anal area but this pink is interrupted by a smoky band.

Creobroter medanus:

Described from female specimen. Vertex with spine. Forecoxa longer than pronotum. Elytra brown with red discoidal spot in center with arched banding.

Creobroter meleagris:

Described from both male and female specimens. Vertex with spine. Forecoxa longer than pronotum. Spot at base of elytra large and yellow. Pronotum with transverse light yellowish bands. Discoidal spot on female elytra closer to base than middle, with arched banding. Discoidal spot transparent. Male hindwing pink at base, glossy elsewhere. Female hindwing red at base, smoky color elsewhere.

Creobroter nebulosa:

Described from male specimen. Vertex with spine. Forecoxa longer than pronotum. Elytra green. Spot at base of elytra inconspicuous. Plica prima colorless, and hindwing with smoky blotch in center of anal area.

Creobroter pictipennis:

Described from both male and female specimens. Vertex with spine. Forecoxae longer than pronotum. Top of pronotum smooth, edges serrated. Discoidal spot of elytra in center with arched edges. Female hindwing with distinctive green color at base of hindwing. Reddish band with glossy edges. Male hindwing glossy with smoky batch in center of anal area.

Creobroter signifer:

Described from female specimen. Vertex with spine. Forecoxae longer than pronotum. Elytra brown.

Creobroter sumatranus:

Described from both male and female specimens. Vertex without spine. Forecoxae longer than pronotum. Elytra brown.

Creobroter urbanus:

Described from both male and female specimens. Vertex with spine. Forecoxae longer than pronotum, with very evident dentation on anterior edge. Discoid spot on female elytra at middle with arched banding. Female hindwing red at base to anterior edge with brown anal area. Base of male hindwing pink, with the rest transparent. Plica prima of female has 3-branched veination.

Creobroter vitripennis:

Described from male specimen. Vertex with spine. Forecoxa longer than pronotum. Elytra green. Spot at base of elytra inconspicuous. Plica prima dark, and hindwing with smoky blotch in center of anal area.



Distinctive species:

C. apicalis-female hindwing with yellow costal margin. Not known in any other species.

C. celebensis-No spots or banding on male elytra.

C. episcopalis-forecoxa same length as pronotum, not longer

C. fuscoareatus-18 spines on anterior of forecoxa, a record!

C. pictipennis-green on base of female hindwing. Not seen in other species



Species without spine on vertex:

C. insolitus, C. sumatranus



Species with nearly parallel banding on female elytra:

C. fasciatus, C. medanus



Species with brown elytra:

C. granulicollis, C. medanus, C. signifer, C. sumatranus



Groups:

Fasciatus group- C. fasciatus, C. laevicollis

Gemmatus group-C. discifera, C. gemmatus, C. jiangxiensis, C. urbanus

Meleagris group-C. labunae, C. meleagris

Nebulosa group-C. nebulosa, C. vitripennis

 

[hibiscusmile]

awesome, your to busy Alex!

 

[agent A]

there's a practice example up on my site now
Creo Key

 

[TheWolven]

Wow, that's amazing dude. Good for you!!

 

[happy1892]

Wow, this is great. I have been wanting to know how to tell the Creobroter species apart.

 

[Dimity]

Wow! That must have taken a ton of work and time, great job!

 

[hibiscusmile]

there's a practice example up on my site now
Creo Key

 

[agent A]

keep in mind that this key isn't perfect
there are almost certainly more than 20 species in this genus, and we don't know if everything is a distinct species or a regional variant. the whole group is a mess but I am hoping this will at least help