Mantophasmatidae

Mantophasmatidae is a family of carnivorous wingless insects within the order Notoptera, which was discovered in Africa in 2001.[1][2] Originally, the group was regarded as an order in its own right, and named Mantophasmatodea, but, using recent evidence indicating a sister group relationship with Grylloblattidae (formerly classified in the order Grylloblattodea),[3][4] Arillo and Engel have combined the two groups into a single order, Notoptera.[5]

Mantophasmatidae
Temporal range: Callovian–Present
Mantophasma zephyra Zompro et al., 2002
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Notoptera
Suborder: Mantophasmatodea
Family: Mantophasmatidae
Subfamilies, tribes

see text

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 a relict population, 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 mantids 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 zephyrum) and Tanzania (M. subsolanum), 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 zephyrum 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 in the Zoologische Staatssammlung München
  • Basal and incertae sedis
    • Genus †Raptophasma Zompro, 2001
    • Genus †Adicophasma Engel & Grimaldi, 2004
    • Genus †Juramantophasma Huang et al, 2008.[11] (Daohugou Bed, Mid to Late Jurassic)
    • Genus †Ensiferophasma Zompro, 2005 (may not belong to Mantophasmatodea)
  • Subfamily Tanzaniophasmatinae
    • Genus Tanzaniophasma Klass, Picker, Damgaard, van Noort, Tojo, 2003
      • Species Tanzaniophasma subsolana (Zompro, Klass, Kristensen, & Adis 2002)
  • Subfamily Mantophasmatinae
    • Tribe Tyrannophasmatini
      • Genus Praedatophasma Zompro & Adis, 2002
        • Species Praedatophasma maraisi Zompro & Adis, 2002
      • Genus Tyrannophasma Zompro, 2003
        • Species Tyrannophasma gladiator Zompro, 2003
    • Tribe Mantophasmatini Zompro, Klass, Kristensen, Adis, 2002 (paraphyletic?)
      • Genus Mantophasma Zompro, Klass, Kristensen, Adis, 2002
        • Species Mantophasma gamsbergense Zompro & Adis, 2006
        • Species Mantophasma kudubergense Zompro & Adis, 2006
        • Species Mantophasma omatakoense Zompro & Adis, 2006
        • Species Mantophasma zephyra Zompro, Klass, Kristensen, & Adis 2002
      • Genus Pachyphasma Wipfler, Pohl, & Predel, 2012
        • Species Pachyphasma brandbergense Wipfler, Pohl, & Predel, 2012
      • Genus Sclerophasma Klass, Picker, Damgaard, van Noort, Tojo, 2003
        • Species Sclerophasma paresisense Klass, Picker, Damgaard, van Noort, & Tojo 2003
    • Tribe Austrophasmatini Klass, Picker, Damgaard, van Noort, Tojo, 2003
      • Genus Austrophasma Klass, Picker, Damgaard, van Noort, Tojo, 2003
        • Species Austrophasma caledonense Klass, Picker, Damgaard, van Noort & Tojo, 2003
        • Species Austrophasma gansbaaiense Klass, Picker, Damgaard, van Noort & Tojo, 2003
        • Species Austrophasma rawsonvillense Klass, Picker, Damgaard, van Noort & Tojo, 2003
      • Genus Hemilobophasma Klass, Picker, Damgaard, van Noort, Tojo, 2003
        • Species Hemilobophasma montaguense Klass, Picker, Damgaard, van Noort & Tojo, 2003
      • Genus Karoophasma Klass, Picker, Damgaard, van Noort, Tojo, 2003
        • Species Karoophasma biedouwense Klass, Picker, Damgaard, van Noort & Tojo, 2003
        • Species Karoophasma botterkloofense Klass, Picker, Damgaard, van Noort & Tojo, 2003
      • Genus Kuboesphasma Wipfler, Theska & Predel, 2018
        • Species Kuboesphasma compactum Wipfler, Theska & Predel, 2018
      • Genus Lobatophasma Klass, Picker, Damgaard, van Noort, Tojo, 2003 (formerly Lobophasma)
        • Species Lobatophasma redelinghuysense Klass, Picker, Damgaard, van Noort & Tojo, 2003
      • Genus Minutophasma Wipfler, Theska & Predel, 2018
        • Species Minutophasma richtersveldense Wipfler, Theska & Predel, 2018
      • Genus Namaquaphasma Klass, Picker, Damgaard, van Noort, Tojo, 2003
        • Species Namaquaphasma ookiepense Klass, Picker, Damgaard, van Noort, Tojo, 2003
      • Genus Striatophasma Wipfler, Pohl & Predel, 2012
        • Species Striatophasma naukluftense Wipfler, Pohl & Predel, 2012
      • Genus Viridiphasma Eberhard, Picker, Klass, 2011[12]
        • Species Viridiphasma clanwilliamense Picker, Klass, 2011

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.[9]

gollark: Precisely as planned.
gollark: Don't fight for justice; fight for maximization of paperclips.
gollark: As I said, my computer science class lacks any women despite them presumably having not been treated as incompetent at CS at some point. Unless it was some years ago, since CS is mandatory here when younger for bad reasons.
gollark: Excellent.
gollark: Do you want access to the GTech™ Orbital Contratheistic Defense Array™?

See also

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. Terry, M.D., and M.F. Whiting. 2005. Mantophasmatodea and phylogeny of the lower neopterous insects. Cladistics 21(3): 240–257.
  4. 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
  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: 269–279.
  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. 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.
  10. Randall, J. A. (2014). "Vibrational Communication: Spiders to Kangaroo Rats". Biocommunication of Animals: 103–133.
  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.
  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.
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