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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Mantids (Mantodea) » Thespidae » Bistanta

Genus Bistanta

Mantis 8.2.17 - Bistanta mexicana - male

Please help us to identify this mantis. - Bistanta mexicana - male

Male, Bactromantis mexicana? - Bistanta mexicana - male

Classification

Kingdom Animalia (Animals)

Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)

Subphylum Hexapoda (Hexapods)

Class Insecta (Insects)

Order Mantodea (Mantids)

Family Thespidae

Genus Bistanta

Synonyms and other taxonomic changes

Bistanta Anderson, 2018 (Mantodea Species File)--see remarks

Explanation of Names

Recognized as distinct from Oligonicella in Mantodea Species File--and now (1) member placed in Bistanta.

Numbers

Genus Bistanta is monotypic (Mantodea Species File).

Identification

Note. The description below refers to an earlier version of the taxonomy, but should still be valid for genus Bistanta.

Slender; small conical projections or "bumps" above each eye (not always easily seen, depending on perspective); front tibiae very short; pronotum with portion behind attachment of front legs about twice the length of portion in front (proportions may be distorted in photos, also due to perspective).

Thesprotia & Oligonicella are most similar, differing in proportions of pronotum. Oligonicella is stockier with front and back of pronotum about equal. Thesprotia is very slender and has the rear portion of the pronotum about three to four times longer than the front portion.

Range

Florida, southernmost Texas, and s. Arizona

Remarks

The taxonomy of this group has been rather confused. Previously, species listed under: Bactromantis Kirby, 1904. Type Species: Bactromantis virga Scudder.

However, it was later found that the type specimen of Bactromantis virga represented juvenile Stagmomantis carolina, apparently making genus Bactromantis invalid.

See discussion on Flickr, referencing Anderson (2018). This summary is based on comments there by Evgeny Shcherbakov on 13 March 2021.

Print References

Anderson, Kris. Praying Mantises of the United States and Canada. Independently published (July 19, 2018). 291 pages (1)

Internet References

1896 original description or Bactromantis by Scudder in Canadian Entomologist 28--now considered invalid, see remarks above

Works Cited

1.	Praying Mantises of the United States and Canada Kris Anderson. 2018. Independently published.

Contributed by David J. Ferguson on 17 August, 2010 - 12:48pm
Additional contributions by cotinis, metrioptera
Last updated 3 April, 2021 - 11:13am

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