Rock Crawlers in Baltic Amber (Notoptera: Mantophasmatodea)

Abstract

A fourth species of rock crawler (Notoptera: Mantophasmatodea: Mantophasmatidae) is described and figured from an individual preserved in middle Eocene (Lutetian) Baltic amber. Adicophasma grylloblattoides Arillo and Engel, new species, is distinguished from its close relative, A. spinosum Engel and Grimaldi (reinstated), by the reduced pedicel, absence of spines on the maxillae, absence of mesofemoral spination, and proportions of the thoracic segments. The fossil shares with A. spinosum the presence of profemoral spination (confirmed by a new photograph of the holotype) and absence of the dorsal profemoral carina, characters that differentiate Adicophasma from the monotypic Raptophasma; it shares with all Baltic amber Notoptera the absence of the setal fan on the arolium. As noted by previous authors, the former order Mantophasmatodea is related to modern Grylloblattodea, whereas Mesozoic and Paleozoic grylloblattodeans represent a stem group to both. As such, Grylloblattodea and Mantophasmatodea are considered suborders of a single order, Notoptera Crampton (sensu novum), following the recommendation of Engel and Grimaldi (2004). The names for three rock crawlers are emended in order that the specific epithet may match the gender of the generic name: A. spinosum, Mantophasma zephyrum Zompro et al., and Tanzaniophasma subsolanum (Zompro et al.) (nomina emendata). Raptophasmatinae and Ensiferophasmatidae are new synonyms of Mantophasmatidae, while Tanzaniophasmatidae and Austrophasmatidae are newly demoted in rank to a subfamily and tribe of Mantophasmatidae, respectively. A hierarchical classification of Polyneoptera is appended.

Biodiversity, ecology, and behavior of the recently discovered insect order Mantophasmatodea

“…Different common names are used in the literature, including gladiator [37,38], rock crawler [39], and heelwalker (e.g., [25,30,40,41]). Because 'heelwalker' reflects the typical Mantophasmatodea phenotype, we prefer this designation.…”

“…Because 'heelwalker' reflects the typical Mantophasmatodea phenotype, we prefer this designation. Both sexes of all known species, including fossil species [38,39,42] are apterous, which yields a nymph-like appearance. This appearance might be one reason that the Mantophasmatodea specimens were Figure 1 Distribution for Mantophasmatodea in Southern Africa (modified from [31]).…”

“…Mantophasmatodean fossils were discovered in Baltic amber [38,39,43] which indicates a wide distribution in the past. Jurassic fossil findings (165 mya) in China confirm this hypothesis [42].…”

Postembryonic development of the unique antenna of Mantophasmatodea (Insecta)

“…Engel and Grimaldi (2004, Fig. 3) and Arillo and Engel (2006, Figs. 1 and 2) show the antenna of Adicophasma spinosa and Adicophasma grylloblattoides respectively and count 16 annuli in total in A. grylloblattoides.…”

“…To date eight described and four undescribed species have been recorded from South Africa (Picker et al, 2002;Klass et al, 2003a, b;Damgaard et al, 2008), seven species have been described from Namibia (Klass et al, 2002(Klass et al, , 2003aZompro et al, , 2003Zompro, 2005;Zompro and Adis, 2006), and one from Tanzania (Klass et al, 2002). In addition, four fossil species from Baltic amber and one from the Jurassic belong to the order (Zompro, 2001;Engel and Grimaldi, 2004;Arillo and Engel, 2006;Zompro, 2008a;Huang et al, 2008).…”