Mantophasmatidae

Mantophasmatidae
Temporal range: Callovian–Present
Mantophasma zephyra Zompro et al., 2002
Scientific classification Edit this classification
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]

Overview

[edit]

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

[edit]

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

Classification

[edit]

The classification of Mantophasmatodea in Arillo & Engel (2006)[5] recognizes numerous genera, including fossils, in a single family Manophasmatidae:

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

[edit]

Notes

[edit]
  1. ^ This genus is sometimes placed in its own family, Ensiferophasmatidae.
  2. ^ This subfamily is sometimes known as the family Tanzaniophasmatidae.
  3. ^ This tribe is sometimes known as the family Austrophasmatidae.

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Klass, K.-D.; Zompro, O.; Kristensen, N.P.; Adis, J. (2002). "Mantophasmatodea: a new insect order with extant members in the afrotropics". Science. 296: 1456–1459. doi:10.1126/science.1069397.
  2. ^ Adis, J.; Zompro, O.; Moombolah-Goagoses, E.; Marais, E. (November 2002). "Gladiators: A new order of insect" (PDF). Scientific American. Vol. 287, no. 5. pp. 60–65. Retrieved 16 August 2024.
  3. ^ a b Terry, M.D.; Whiting, M.F. (2005). "Mantophasmatodea and phylogeny of the lower neopterous insects". Cladistics. 21 (3): 240–257. doi:10.1111/j.1096-0031.2005.00062.x.
  4. ^ a b Cameron, S. L.; Barker, S. C.; Whiting, M. F. (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. ^ a b Arillo, A.; Engel, M.S. (2006). "Rock crawlers in Baltic amber (Notoptera: Mantophasmatodea)". American Museum Novitates. 3539: 1–10.
  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. ^ a b 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. ^ a b Zompro, O. (2005). "Inter- and intra-ordinal relationships of the Mantophasmatodea, with comments on the phylogeny of polyneopteran orders (Insecta: Polyneoptera)". Mitteilungen aus dem Geologisch-Paläontologischen Institut der Universität Hamburg. 89: 85–116.
  13. ^ Eberhard, M.J.B.; Picker, M.D.; Klass, K.D. (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.
[edit]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Mantophasmatidae.
Wikispecies has information related to Mantophasmatidae.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Mantophasmatidae&oldid=1240666854"