Australian Biological Resources Study

Australian Faunal Directory

Mantidae

Mantidae

Mantid, Canberra

Mantid, Canberra

Museums

Regional Maps

Family MANTIDAE


Compiler and date details

2014 - ABRS

John Balderson, D.C.F. Rentz & Alison M.E. Roach, CSIRO Entomology, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia

Introduction

Mantidae are generally large (10–120 mm in length) insects but vary considerably in size and shape. The head is generally broader than high and the eyes and ocelli are generally large and well-developed. The pronotum is usually much longer than wide. Males are macropterous but females may be macropterous or brachypterous. Male genitalia are of major importance in separating genera and species.

Mantidae is the largest family of Mantodea with a worldwide distribution and with many genera and species. Twenty subfamilies were recognised by Beier (1964), of which three (Iridopteryginae, Orthoderinae and Mantinae) are known to occur occur in Australia. Species from three other subfamilies are recorded as occurring in Australia (Thespinae—one species, Compsothespinae—one species and Toxoderinae—one species) but their presence here is extremely doubtful. Roy (1987) discussed the need for a revision of the subfamily definitions.

Although the genera of the family Mantidae have been assigned to subfamilies, they are listed alphabetically in the Catalogue so the text is self indexing. The subfamilies and their included genera are:

Compsothespinae
Compsothespis
Orthoderinae
Orthodera
Orthoderina
Iridopteryginae
Bolbe
Calofulcinia
Ciulfina
Gonatistella
Ima
Kongobatha
Nanomantis
Neomantis
Mantinae
Archimantis
Austrovates
Coenomantis
Deiphobe
Hierodula
Mantis
Notomantis
Nullabora
Pseudomantis
Rhodomantis
Scolodera
Sphodropoda
Statilia
Tenodera
Trachymantis
Thespinae
Thespis
Toxoderinae
Toxoderella

Iridopteryginae are small (10–35 mm in length), delicate mantids with only three discoidal spines on the anterior femur. In Australia, the subfamily is represented by eight genera. Orthoderinae are medium sized (25–40 mm in length), green mantids with the pronotum lacking supra-coxal widening and with lateral margins almost parallel. Both sexes are fully-winged. Two orthoderine genera occur in Australia.

Mantinae are large (35–120 mm in length) and usually have four discoidal spines on the anterior femur. The pronotum narrows anteriorly from its widest point, generally above the insertion of the anterior coxae. Fifteen genera are currently known from the subfamily in Australia.

 

Excluded Taxa

Misidentifications

MANTIDAE: Thespis Serville, 1831 — Milledge, G.A. & Ehrmann, R. 2014. On the identity of Thespis disparilis Westwood, 1889 (Mantodea: Mantidae: Mantinae). Zootaxa 3869(2): 198–200 (the one Australian species removed to Rhodomantis Giglio-Tos, 1917)

 

General References

Balderson, J. 1984. Catalogue of Australian Mantodea. CSIRO Australia. Division of Entomology Technical Paper 23: 1-17

Beier, M. 1964. Blattopteroidea Mantodea. pp. 849-970 in Bronns, H.G. (ed.). Klassen und Ordnungen des Tierreichs. Vol. 5 Arthropoda, Part III Insecta, Book 6, Number 5. Leipzig : Akademische Verlagsgesellschaft Geest & Portig K.-G.

La Greca, M. 1966. Su du specie di Mantodei dell'Australia. Annuario dell'Istituto e Museo di Zoologia dell'Università di Napoli 17: 1-8

La Greca, M. 1969. Su alcuni Mantodei dell'Australia e delle Filippine. Annali del Museo Civico di Storia Naturale "Giacomo Doria", Genova 77: 633-639

Milledge, G.A. 1989. Scolodera pardalotus n.gen., n.sp. (Mantodea, Mantidae), from northern Queensland, Australia. Records of the Australian Museum 41: 107-110

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.

Tindale, N.B. 1923. Review of Australian Mantidae. Records of the South Australian Museum (Adelaide) 2: 425-457

Tindale, N.B. 1924. Review of Australian Mantidae. Part 2. Records of the South Australian Museum (Adelaide) 2: 547-552

Tindale, N.B. 1930. Mantidae in the Australian Museum. Records of the Australian Museum 17: 343-347

Vickery, V.R. & Kevan, D.K.McE. 1983. A monograph of the orthopteroid insects of Canada and adjacent regions. Memoirs. Lyman Entomological Museum and Research Laboratory 13(1): 1-679

 

History of changes

Note that this list may be incomplete for dates prior to September 2013.
Published As part of group Action Date Action Type Compiler(s)
05-Jun-2024 MANTODEA 05-Jun-2024 MODIFIED
17-Nov-2022 MANTODEA 22-Mar-2024 MODIFIED
10-Jul-2014 MANTODEA 05-Jun-2024 MODIFIED Lyn Randall
12-Feb-2010 (import)