Genus MantillicaWestwood, 1889: Rediscovery and review of the Amazonian "ant-mantis" (Mantodea: Thespidae: Oligonicinae)

Abstract

The taxonomy of the Neotropical "ant-mantis" MantillicaWestwood, 1889 is revised and the external morphology is re-described. The genus Mantillica (Thespidae: Oligonicinae: Oligonicini) contains only one currently known species, M.nigricansWestwood, 1889. Mantillica sialideaWestwood, 1889 is transferred to the genus ThrinaconyxSaussure as Thrinaconyx sialidea (Westwood, 1889) comb. n. A description of the female and the male external genitalia of M.nigricans is presented, including some aspects of its ant-mimicry adaptation. Remarkable characteristics of Mantillica include the short pronotum and notable myrmecomorphic features in nymphs and females. This species likely belongs to a Batesian mimic complex that include the aggressive Neoponera apicalis (Latreille) ant models. The known distribution of Mantillica is restricted to the Brazilian Amazon, which suggests M.nigricans as endemic of this region, probably with additional populations in the Amazonian areas of Colombia, Peru and Venezuela. © 2014 The Entomological Society of Japan.