Family AMORPHOSCELIDAE
Compiler and date details
John Balderson, D.C.F. Rentz & Alison M.E. Roach, CSIRO Entomology, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
Introduction
Amorphoscelidae are small (10–30 mm in length) and distinguished by the anterior tibiae lacking an external row of spines or at the most with a row of fine teeth ventromedially. The pronotum is generally short and squarish and the head is frequently adorned with spines or prominences. Females are mainly apterous or brachypterous. The oothecae are generally long and whip-like.
Two subfamilies are generally recognised. The Paraoxypilinae, is essentially endemic to Australia with some spill-over into Papua New Guinea, and has mainly apterous or brachypterous females. Roy (1987) subdivided the the second subfamily, Amorphoscelinae, into Amorphoscelinae and Perlamantinae. One species of Amorphoscelinae has been recorded from Australia but this record is doubtful.
Most descriptions of Australian genera and species are to be found in the works of Beier and Giglio-Tos.
General References
Beier, M. 1929. Einige neue Mantiden aus der Sammlung des Naturhistorischen Museums in Wien. Zoologischer Anzeiger 80: 129-133
Beier, M. 1952. Mantidea aus Ostindonesien. Verhandlungen der Naturforschenden Gesellschaft in Basel 63(2): 296-306
Beier, M. 1965. Über einige Mantiden von der Insel Prince of Wales. Pacific Insects 7: 449-452
Chopard, L. 1949. Super-Ordre des Blattoptéroides. Ordre des Dictyoptères Leach, 1818. Sous-Ordre des Mantodea Burmeister, 1838. pp. 386-402 in Grassé, P.P. (ed.). Traité de Zoologie. Anatomie, Systématique, Biologie. Insectes. Paris : Masson & Cie Vol. 9.
Giglio-Tos, E. 1913. Orthoptera: Fam. Mantidae: Subfam. Perlamantiae. Genera Insectorum 144: 1-13
Giglio-Tos, E. 1915. Mantidi Esotici. Generi e specie nuove. Bollettino della Società Entomologica Italiana 46(1914): 31-108
Hinton, H.E. 1939. Notes on Australian Mantidae (Orthoptera). Annals and Magazine of Natural History 4: 282-289
Milledge, G.A. 1990. Revision of the genus Nesoxypilus Beier (Mantodea: Amorphoscelidae: Paraoxypilinae). Memoirs of the National Museum of Victoria, Melbourne 50(2): 347-355
Roy, R. 1987. General observations on the systematics of Mantodea. pp. 483-488 in Baccetti, B.M. (ed.). Evolutionary Biology of Orthopteroid Insects. Chichester : Ellis Horwood Ltd 612 pp.
Saussure, H. de 1870. Additions au système des Mantides. Mitteilungen der Schweizerischen Entomologischen Gesellschaft / Bulletin of the Société Entomologique Suisse 3: 221-244
Saussure, H. de 1872. Mélanges Orthoptérologiques. Fasc. 4. Mémoires de la Société de Physique et d'Histoire Naturelle de Genève 23: 1-160
Sjöstedt, Y. 1918. Results of Dr E. Mjöberg's Swedish scientific expeditions to Australia 1910–1913. 17. Mantidae and Phasmidae. Arkiv för Zoologi 11(19): 1-60, pl. 1-4
Stål, C. 1871. Orthoptera quaedam africana. Öfversigt af Kongelige Vetenskaps-Akademiens Förhandlingar, Stockholm 3: 375-401
Stål, C. 1877. Systema Mantodeorum. Bihang till Kungliga Svenska Vetenskaps-Akademiens Handlingar 4(10): 1-91
Tindale, N.B. 1923. Review of Australian Mantidae. Records of the South Australian Museum (Adelaide) 2: 425-457
Werner, F. 1933. Prof. Dr. E. Handschin Studienreise auf den Sundainseln und in Nordaustralien 1930–32. Einige teilweise neue asiatische und australische Mantodeen. Revue Suisse de Zoologie 40: 441-447
History of changes
| Published | As part of group | Action Date | Action Type | Compiler(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12-Feb-2010 | (import) |