Intersexuality in the holotype of Photina gracilis (Mantodea: Mantidae: Photininae) and its taxonomic implications

• Main Author: Antonio A. Agudelo R.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Pensoft Publishers 2014-08-01
• Series: Zoologia (Curitiba)
• Subjects: Coptopteryx; Nematomorpha; parasitism; Photina; praying mantises
• Online Access: http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1984-46702014000400014&lng=en&tlng=en

Parasitism by horsehair worms (Nematomorpha) in Mantodea is well known, but only a few cases of intersexuality were reported in the literature. In the present study, intersexuality of the holotype of Photina gracilis Giglio-Tos, 1915 is documented as a possible consequence of nematomorph parasitism. Photina gracilis and Photina laevis Giglio-Tos, 1915 are established as new subjective junior synonyms of Photina vitrea (Burmeister, 1838). The female holotype of Mantis (Cardioptera) gymnopyga Burmeister, 1838, which was associated and synonymized with P. vitrea, is recognized as a member of the genus Coptopteryx and the combination Coptopteryx gymnopyga (Burmeister, 1838) is revalidated. The substitute name Photina gymnopyga (Burmeister, 1838), instead of Mantis (Photina) vitrea Burmeister, 1838 (nec Mantis vitrea Stoll, 1813), is discarded and established as a new synonym of Coptopteryx gymnopyga. The name vitrea Burmeister, 1838 must be maintained until ruling by the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature.