Sphodromantisviridis (Forskal, 1775): New for Portugal and new records of the rare and small mantids Apteromantisaptera (Fuente, 1894) and Perlamantisallibertii Guérin-Méneville, 1843 in the country (Mantodea: Mantidae and Amorphoscelidae).

Eduardo Marabuto,Ivo Rodrigues,Sérgio Henriques

doi:10.3897/bdj.2.e1037

Abstract

Several new records are presented on some of the least known mantis species in the Iberian Peninsula. From data collected in Portugal, their analysis has proven to represent an important advancement in the knowledge of this group of insects for the country and the Western Mediterranean area. Twenty new citations provide a better understanding on the distribution of the crepuscular species Perlamantis allibertii, the IUCN red listed Apteromantis aptera and the first Portuguese records of Sphodromantis viridis, extending their western limits of occurrence in Europe. The data thus gathered emphasizes the need to invest in biodiversity assessment for increased knowledge on species distribution and phenology but also for monitoring over time, essential to better ascertaining ecosystem services, the effects of climate change and habitat conservation.

Highlights

Mantids are an recognised group of insects, mostly because of their characteristic raptorial front-legs, posture and worldwide distribution
35 mantis species have been cited for Europe, the Iberian Peninsula stands out as a hotspot for this group diversity with 14 species known for the area (Battiston et al 2010, Ortuño and Martínez-Pérez 2011), apparently only one, Apteromantis aptera (Fuente, 1884), is endemic
Hoping to fill the knowledge gap concerning Iberian Peninsula's mantis fauna and following field-work conducted over the last years, we report here a new species for Portugal, the African mantis, Sphodromantis viridis (Forskal, 1775) based on three independent sightings and seventeen new records on both small and probably overlooked species Apteromantis aptera and Perlamantis allibertii (9 new records)

Summary

Introduction

Mantids are an recognised group of insects, mostly because of their characteristic raptorial front-legs, posture and worldwide distribution. 35 mantis species have been cited for Europe, the Iberian Peninsula stands out as a hotspot for this group diversity with 14 species known for the area (Battiston et al 2010, Ortuño and Martínez-Pérez 2011), apparently only one, Apteromantis aptera (Fuente, 1884), is endemic. This species is the sole representative of the order Mantodea to be protected in the Habitats Directive and the Annex II of the Bern Convention (Peinado 1996), being officially protected under Spanish legislation (Peinado and Mateos 1998). The probable conspecificity of A. spallanzania (Rossi, 1972) and Ameles africana Bolivar, 1914 brings the number down to eight

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Discussion

Conclusion