Empusidaeis a family of plant-mimicking mantises[1](seeMantodea), consisting of 10 genera, in two subfamilies.[2]Unlike many other mantis families, the Empusidae are amonophyleticlineage.[1][3][4]Empusidae mantises are ambush predators,[4]with mouthparts adapted to feeding on other insects and small animals.[3]The majority of Empusidae species are distributed throughout Africa, but they are also found in Southeast Asia and in the southern parts of Europe.[5]
| Empusidae | |
|---|---|
| |
| Empusa pennata | |
Scientific classification
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Mantodea |
| Family: | Empusidae Burmeister, 1838 |
Natural history
editThe Empusidae speciesGongylus gongylodes(Linné,1758)[1]was the first mantis species ever to be described. SinceGongylusmantises have been fascinating entomologists and have been bred in captivity for a long time, their behavior and breeding preferences are well known, such as a defensive behavior of displaying a hissing noise by rubbing the anterior edges of its serrated fore wings to thefemurof the hind legs.[1]
Morphology
editThe about 28 species of empusid mantis[2]are all relatively large and bizarre looking. Theprothoraxis always surrounded by a crest and the femur of the middle and hind legs often have flap-like appendages. Thepronotumis characteristically elongated and the abdomen is often lobed.[5]Members of the Mantoideasuperfamilypossess a cyclopean ear, an organ situated on themetathorax,which has been proven to be an adaptation to bat predation. The presence of this adaptation has been dated to originate in the earlyEocene.[6]
Phylogeny
editThe Empusidae belong to the superfamily Hymenopoidea, together with theHymenopodidae.[6]Phylogenetic studies place the Empusidae as a sister group to the Hymenopodidae. The Empusidae and Hymenopodidae are, in turn, placed as sister groups to all other ambush mantises.[4]
The latest phylogeny was revised by Svenson et al. 2015.[1]TheMantodea Species Filecurrently includes two subfamilies:[2]
Blepharodinae
edit- BlepharodesBolivar, 1890
- BlepharopsisRehn, 1902
Empusinae
editThis subfamily is divided into two tribes:
Empusini
edit- subtribe Empusina
- DilatempusaRoy, 2004
- EmpusaIlliger, 1798
- GongylusThunberg, 1815
- HypsicoryphaKrauss, 1892
- subtribe Idolomorphina
- ChopardempusaPaulian, 1958
- HemiempusaSaussure & Zehntner, 1895
- IdolomorphaBurmeister, 1838
Idolomorphini
edit- IdolomantisUvarov, 1940
Historical findings
editIn 2017-2018, a rock carving of an Empusidae with raptorial forearms was revealed in the Teimareh rock art site in theKhomeyn County,Iran.An engraved, insect-like image has a 14-cm length and 11-cm width with two circles at its sides which probably dates 40,000–4,000 years back. This motif is analogous to the famous 'squatter man'petroglyphencountered at several locations around the world.[7][8][9][10]
Images
edit-
-
I. diabolica -
I. lateralis
See also
editReferences
edit- ^abcdeSvenson, Gavin J., et al. "Of flowers and twigs: phylogenetic revision of the plant‐mimicking praying mantises (Mantodea: Empusidae and Hymenopodidae) with a new suprageneric classification." Systematic Entomology 40.4 (2015)
- ^abcMantodea Species File, 2023.http://mantodea.speciesfile.org/Common/basic/Taxa.aspx?TaxonNameID=1182268Retrieved 11 January 2023.
- ^abKhokhar, Jawaid A., and N. M. Soomro. "A Comparative Study of Structural Adaptations of Mouthparts in Mantodea From Sindh." Pakistan J. Zool 41.1 (2009): 21-27.
- ^abcSvenson, Gavin J., and Michael F. Whiting. "Phylogeny of Mantodea based on molecular data: evolution of a charismatic predator." Systematic Entomology 29.3 (2004): 359-370.
- ^abEhrmann, Reinhard. Mantodea Gottesanbeterinnen der Welt. Natur und Tier, 2002.
- ^abGrimaldi, David and Michael S. Engel. Evolution of the Insects. Cambridge University Press, 2005.
- ^Kolnegari, Mahmood; Naserifard, Mohammad; Hazrati, Mandana;Shelomi, Matan(2020-03-13)."Squatting (squatter) mantis man: A prehistoric praying mantis petroglyph in Iran".Journal of Orthoptera Research.29(1): 41–44.doi:10.3897/jor.29.39400.ISSN1937-2426.
- ^"Ancient mantis-man petroglyph discovered in Iran".ScienceDaily.Retrieved2020-09-01.
- ^"Ancient mantis-man petroglyph discovered in Iran".phys.org.Retrieved2020-09-01.
- ^"'Mantis-man' describes puzzling petroglyph found in Iran ".Tehran Times.2020-03-17.Retrieved2020-09-01.