The Mediterranean species of the genus Ameles Burmeister, 1838 Insecta, Mantodea Amelinae, with a biogeographic and and phylogenetic evaluation
The Mediterranean species of the genus Ameles Burmeister, 1838 Insecta, Mantodea Amelinae, with a biogeographic and and phylogenetic evaluation
Agabiti, B.; Salvatrice, I.; Lomabardo, F.
Boletin de la SEA 47 (31 Dec): 1-20
2010
The Mediterranean species of the genus Ameles Burmeister are revised. Ameles paradecolorsp. n., from the Iberian Peninsula, and Ameles insularis sp. n., from the island of Mallorca, are described. A. africana Bolivar and A. modesta Bolivar are new synonyms of Ameles spallanzania Rossi; A. cypria Uvarov is a new synonym of A. heldreichi Brunner. Neotypes are designed for the following species: A. spallanzania (Rossi) and A. aegyptiaca Werner. In total 13 Mediterranean species are recognized. Each species is presented with a diagnosis, full description, distribution data and a comprehensive bibliography. A key to both males and females is provided. A cladistic analysis, using twenty-one morphological characters, revealed the monophyly of the genus, where two major clades are identified: the "spallanzania" and "picteti' species groups. Finally, biogeographic remarks based on our phylogenetic hypothesis are also provided.