Mantophasmatidae

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Mantophasmatidae
Temporal range: Callovian–Present
Mantophasma zephyra Zompro et al 2002.jpg
Mantophasma zephyra Zompro et al., 2002
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Superorder: Notoptera
Order: Mantophasmatodea
Zompro et al., 2002
Family: Mantophasmatidae
Zompro et al., 2002
Subfamilies, tribes

see text

Mantophasmatidae is a family of carnivorous wingless insects within the monotypic order Mantophasmatodea, which was discovered in Africa in 2001. [1] [2] Recent evidence indicates a sister group relationship with Grylloblattidae (classified in the order Grylloblattodea), [3] [4] and Arillo and Engel have combined the two groups into a single order, Notoptera, with Grylloblattodea and Mantophasmatodea ranked as suborders. [5]

Contents

Overview

The most common vernacular name for this order is gladiators, although they also are called rock crawlers, heelwalkers, mantophasmids, and colloquially, mantos. [6] Their modern centre of endemism is western South Africa and Namibia (Brandberg Massif), [7] although the modern relict population of Tanzaniophasma subsolana in Tanzania and Eocene fossils suggest a wider ancient distribution.

Mantophasmatodea are wingless even as adults, making them relatively difficult to identify. They resemble a cross between praying mantises and phasmids, and molecular evidence indicates that they are most closely related to the equally enigmatic group Grylloblattodea. [3] [4] Initially, the gladiators were described from old museum specimens that originally were found in Namibia ( Mantophasma zephyra ) and Tanzania ( M. subsolana ), and from a 45-million-year-old specimen of Baltic amber ( Raptophasma kerneggeri ).

Live specimens were found in Namibia by an international expedition in early 2002; Tyrannophasma gladiator was found on the Brandberg Massif, and Mantophasma zephyra was found on the Erongoberg Massif. [8]

Since then, a number of new genera and species have been discovered, the most recent being two new genera, Kuboesphasma and Minutophasma , each with a single species, described from Richtersveld in South Africa in 2018. [9]

Biology

Mantophasmatids are wingless carnivores. During courtship, they communicate using vibrations transmitted through the ground or substrate. [10]

Classification

The most recent classification [9] recognizes numerous genera, including fossils:

Unidentified mantophasmid species in the Zoologische Staatssammlung Munchen Gladiator.jpg
Unidentified mantophasmid species in the Zoologische Staatssammlung München

Some taxonomists assign full family status to the subfamilies and tribes, and sub-ordinal status to the family. In total, there are 21 extant species described as of 2018. [9]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Notoptera</span> Superorder of wingless insects

The wingless insect superorder Notoptera, a group first proposed in 1915, had been largely unrecognized since its original conception, until resurrected in 2004. As now defined, the superorder comprises five families, three of them known only from fossils, two known from both fossil and living representatives, and fewer than 60 known species in total.

Oliver Zompro is a German biologist who is credited with the discovery in 2002 of a new suborder of carnivorous African insects, Mantophasmatodea or "gladiators", which was originally considered to be a new insect order but was later relegated to subordinal status.

Tanzaniophasma is a genus of insects in the family Mantophasmatidae. It is a monotypic genus consisting of the species Tanzaniophasma subsolana, which is endemic to Tanzania.

Tyrannophasma is a genus of insects in the family Mantophasmatidae. It is a monotypic genus consisting of the species Tyrannophasma gladiator, which is endemic to the Brandberg Massif of central Namibia.

Sclerophasma is a genus of insects in the family Mantophasmatidae. It is a monotypic genus consisting of the species Sclerophasma paresisense.

Hemilobophasma is a genus of insects in the family Mantophasmatidae. It is a monotypic genus consisting of the species Hemilobophasma montaguense, which is endemic to Western Cape Province, South Africa. Its type locality is an area near Montagu.

<i>Kuboesphasma</i> Genus of insects

Kuboesphasma is a genus of insects in the family Mantophasmatidae. It is a monotypic genus consisting of the species Kuboesphasma compactum.

Lobatophasma is a genus of insects in the family Mantophasmatidae. It is a monotypic genus consisting of the species Lobatophasma redelinghuysense, which is endemic to Western Cape Province, South Africa.

Namaquaphasma is a genus of insects in the family Mantophasmatidae. It is a monotypic genus consisting of the species Namaquaphasma ookiepense, which is endemic to Northern Cape Province, South Africa. Its type locality is Ookiep.

<i>Mantophasma</i> Genus of insects

Mantophasma is a genus of insects in the family Mantophasmatidae. It contains 4 species, all of which are endemic to Namibia.

Austrophasma is a genus of insects in the family Mantophasmatidae. It contains 3 species that are endemic to Western Cape Province, South Africa.

Karoophasma is a genus of insects in the family Mantophasmatidae. It contains 2 species that are endemic to western South Africa.

Mantophasma gamsbergense is a species of insect in the family Mantophasmatidae. It is endemic to Namibia.

Mantophasma kudubergense is a species of insect in the family Mantophasmatidae. It is endemic to Namibia.

Mantophasma omatakoense is a species of insect in the family Mantophasmatidae. It is endemic to Namibia.

Austrophasma caledonense is a species of insect in the family Mantophasmatidae. It is endemic to western South Africa, where it is known only from near Caledon and from the Kogelberg in Western Cape Province.

Austrophasma gansbaaiense is a species of insect in the family Mantophasmatidae. It is endemic to western South Africa, where it is only known from near Gansbaai in Western Cape Province.

Austrophasma rawsonvillense is a species of insect in the family Mantophasmatidae. It is endemic to western South Africa, where it is found in a restricted area near Rawsonville, Tweefontein, and Gansbaai, Western Cape Province.

Karoophasma biedouwense is a species of insect in the family Mantophasmatidae. It is endemic to the Biedouw Valley of Western Cape Province, South Africa, in a restricted area that includes the settlements of Biedouw, Driefontein, and Wolfdrif.

Karoophasma botterkloofense is a species of insect in the family Mantophasmatidae. It is endemic to Northern Cape Province, South Africa, in a restricted area that encompasses the Botterkloof Pass and the settlement Calvinia.

References

  1. ↑ K.-D. Klass, O. Zompro, N.P. Kristensen, J. Adis. Mantophasmatodea: a new insect order with extant members in the afrotropics Science, 296 (2002), pp. 1456–1459
  2. ↑ Adis, J., O. Zompro, E. Moombolah-Goagoses, and E. Marais. 2002. Gladiators: A new order of insect. Scientific American 287:60-65.
  3. 1 2 Terry, M.D., and M.F. Whiting. 2005. Mantophasmatodea and phylogeny of the lower neopterous insects. Cladistics 21(3): 240–257.
  4. 1 2 S. L. Cameron, S. C. Barker & M. F. Whiting (2006). "Mitochondrial genomics and the new insect order Mantophasmatodea". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution . 38 (1): 274–279. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2005.09.020. PMID   16321547.
  5. ↑ "Arillo, A. & M. Engel (2006) Rock Crawlers in Baltic Amber (Notoptera: Mantophasmatodea). American Museum Novitates 3539:1-10" (PDF).
  6. ↑ "Biodiversity Explorer: Mantophasmatodea". Iziko. Retrieved 30 June 2018.
  7. ↑ Zompro, O.; Adis, J.; Weitschat, W. (2002). "A review of the order Mantophasmatodea (Insecta)". Zoologischer Anzeiger. 241 (3): 269–279. doi:10.1078/0044-5231-00080.
  8. ↑ Zompro, O.; Adis, J.; Bragg, P.E.; Naskrecki, P.; Meakin, K.; Wittneben, M.; Saxe, V. (2003). "A new genus and species of Mantophasmatidae (Insecta: Mantophasmatodea) from the Brandberg Massif, Namibia, with notes on behaviour". Cimbebasia. 19: 13–24.
  9. 1 2 3 Wipfler, B; Theska, T; Predel, R (2018). "Mantophasmatodea from the Richtersveld in South Africa with description of two new genera and species". ZooKeys (746): 137–160. doi: 10.3897/zookeys.746.14885 . PMC   5904538 . PMID   29674900.
  10. ↑ Randall, J. A. (2014). "Vibrational Communication: Spiders to Kangaroo Rats". Biocommunication of Animals: 103–133. doi:10.1007/978-94-007-7414-8_7. ISBN   978-94-007-7413-1.
  11. ↑ Huang, Di-ying; Nel, André; Zompro, Oliver; Waller, Alain (2008-06-11). "Mantophasmatodea now in the Jurassic". Naturwissenschaften. 95 (10): 947–952. doi:10.1007/s00114-008-0412-x. ISSN   0028-1042. PMID   18545982. S2CID   35408984.
  12. ↑ Eberhard, MJB, MD Picker and KD Klass. (2011). Sympatry in Mantophasmatodea, with the description of a new species and phylogenetic considerations. Organisms Diversity & Evolution 11(1): 43-59. doi : 10.1007/s13127-010-0037-8
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