Calling behaviour in the female praying mantis, Hierodula patellifera

Abstract. Virgin mantis females, Hierodula patellifera (Serville) (Dictyoptera: Mantidae), exhibit a characteristic calling posture. When holding the body below a branch or leaf, the female curls the abdomen ventrally, flexing it away from the wings and exposing its dorsal surface. The curling is accompanied by pumping movements. The average age at which females start adopting this calling posture is 14 days after adult moult, and it is related to their nutritional stage. Once initiated, females exhibit the posture everyday until they mate. After mating, the behaviour is completely suppressed. Males are attracted by virgin females adopting the calling posture but are not attracted to mated females. The characteristics of the posture and the responsive behaviour of the males indicate that this female calling involves the release of sex pheromones.     

云南华小翅螳属一新种(螳螂目:螳科)

记述采自云南大理苍山的螳螂1新种,即云南华小翅螳Sinomiopteryx yunnanensis sp.nov.,模式标本保存于大理学院生命科学与化学学院。     

Innate aversion to ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) and ant mimics: experimental findings from mantises (Mantodea)

Field data suggest that ants may be important predators of mantises which, in turn, may be important predators of jumping spiders (Salticidae). Using a tropical fauna from the Philippines as a case study, the reactions of mantises to ants, myrmecomorphic salticids (i.e. jumping spiders that resemble ants) and ordinary salticids (i.e. jumping spiders that do not resemble ants) were investigated in the laboratory. Three mantis species ( Loxomantis sp., Orthodera sp., and Statilia sp.) were tested with ten ant species, five species of Myrmarachne (i.e. myrmecomorphic salticids), and 23 ordinary salticid species. Two categories of the myrmecomorphic salticids were recognized: (1) 'typical Myrmarachne ' (four species with a strong resemblance to ants) and (2) Myrmarachne bakeri (a species with less strong resemblance to ants). Ants readily killed mantises in the laboratory, confirming that, for the mantises studied, ants are dangerous. In alternate-day testing, the mantises routinely preyed on the ordinary salticids, but avoided ants. The mantises reacted to myrmecomorphic salticids similarly to how they reacted to ants (i.e. myrmecomorphic salticids appear to be, for mantises, Batesian mimics of ants). Although myrmecomorphic salticids were rarely eaten, M . bakeri was eaten more often than typical Myrmarachne . Because the mantises had no prior experience with ants, ant mimics or ordinary salticids, our findings suggest that mantises have an innate aversion to attacking ants and that this aversion is generalized to myrmecomorphic salticids even in the absence of prior experience with ants. © 2006 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society , 2006, 88 , 23–32.     

云南省螳螂三新种记述

本文报道采自我国云南省的螳螂3新种,即张氏斧螳Hierodula zhangi,sp.nov.、短背斧螳H.brachynota,sp.nov.和云南省螳E.yunnanensis,sp.nov.。     

中国宽额广腹螳螂属一新种（螳螂目：螳螂科）

宽额广腹螳螂属Hierodulella隶属于广腹螳螂族Hierodulae,是Giglio-Tos 1912年建立的,与广腹螳螂属Hierodula近缘。主要识别特征是额盾片宽度较高为大,前胸背板扩大部两侧边缘明显弯曲,横沟之后急剧变狭,沟后区后端具2隆起,前翅前缘域网孔较大。全世界已记述3种,均分布于印尼松巴哇岛,龙月岛、苏拉威西岛等地。本文记述广腹螳螂属1新种。模式标本保存于南京林业大学昆虫标本室。     

云南省石纹螳属一新种（螳螂目：螳科）

本文记述采自云南西双版纳的石纹螳属一新种,云南石纹螳Ｈｕｍｂｅｒｔｉｅｌｌａ ｙｕｎｎａｎｅｎｓｉｓ ｓｐ．ｎｏｖ．,本种与老挝石纹螳Ｈｕｍｂｅｒｔｉｅｌｌａ ｌａｏｓａｎａ Ｂｅｉｅｒ近似,但额盾片具一条连续的黑色横带,前胸背板近后缘处具２个较明显的瘤状突起,前足胫节具１１枚内列刺而与后者相区别。     

秦岭山区静螳属一新种(螳螂目:螳科)

记述采自陕西的静螳属Statilia Stal,18771新种：杨氏静螳Statilia yangi Niu,Hou et Zheng,sp．nov．。该新种近似黄褐静螳S．flavobrunnea Zhang et Li,1983和顶带静螳S．occipivittata Yang,1997,但后翅前缘红褐色：雄外生殖器形状不同。     

Taxonomy and synonymy of Phyllothelys Wood-Mason (Dictyoptera: Mantodea)

The different species successively described in the genera Phyllothelys Wood-Mason and Kishinouyeum ôuchi independently created, but undistinguishable, are critically reviewed.