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
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 Balticamber (Raptophasma kerneggeri).
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 classification of Mantophasmatodea in Arillo & Engel (2006)[5] recognizes numerous genera, including fossils, in a single family Manophasmatidae:
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]
^This genus is sometimes placed in its own family, Ensiferophasmatidae.
^This subfamily is sometimes known as the family Tanzaniophasmatidae.
^This tribe is sometimes known as the family Austrophasmatidae.
References
^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.
^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.
^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.
^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.
^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.
