• DOI:10.17875/GUP2013-711
• Corpus ID: 82950163

The phylogenetic system of Mantodea (Insecta: Dictyoptera)

@inproceedings{Wieland2013ThePS,
  title={The phylogenetic system of Mantodea (Insecta: Dictyoptera)},
  author={Frank Wieland},
  year={2013}
}

• F. Wieland
• Published 2013
• Biology

For the first time a large morphological
dataset, comprising 152 morphological characters for 122 taxa of
all recognized families of the group, has been used to reconstruct
the phylogeny of the praying mantises (Mantodea). The intraordinal
relationships found were only partially similar to the results of
earlier molecular studies, in many cases they differed
considerably. Only a third of the families (Acanthopidae,
Empusidae, Eremiaphilidae, Thespidae, and Toxoderidae) and
subfamilies (Amorphoscelinae, Angelinae, Chroicopterinae,
Empusinae, Haaniinae, Hymenopodinae, Oxypilinae, Paraoxypilinae,
Perlamantinae, Toxoderinae, and Tropidomantinae) studied were
recovered monophyletic. The remaining families and subfamilies
recognized by traditional taxonomy were found to be para- or
polyphyletic. Chaeteessa was recovered to be the sistergroup
of all remaining Mantodea. The second dichotomy of the phylogenetic
tree was found between Metallyticus and the remaining
mantises, followed by Mantoida. These phylogenetic
relationships at the base of the phylogenetic tree of Mantodea were
previously not found. The present study was able to show that many
morphological characters, e.g. the head processes, enlarged lateral
lobes of the pronotum, lobes on the legs and on the abdomen,
evolved convergently several times during the evolution of the
group. This corroborates the findings of the molecular studies
which indicate that characteristic ecomorphs evolved independently
in Mantodea. Apart from the discussion of the individual
morphological characters, several characteristic character
complexes were reconsidered and discussed in detail. The
metathoracic hearing organ ("cyclopean ear") may have evolved
several times. The study of first instar nymphs of
Metallyticus led to the finding that discoidal spines are
present in this genus and even persist in adult specimens. A
detailed study of the raptorial legs of Chaeteessa showed
that the tibial spur is not missing primarily but my have been
secondarily reduced. Both results contradict doctrines that have
been postulated for about 150 years. The study of digging devices
of female Mantodea from arid habitats indicated that these
structures evolved at least four times independently, most likely
as an adaptation to living in desert-like habitats.