Afromantispa

Afromantispa (лат.) — род хищных насекомых из семейства мантиспид отряда сетчатокрылых. Африка. Включает несколько видов (более 20, ревизия которых не завершена), широко распространённых в Африке и на границе с Палеарктикой, включая Испанию и Аравийский полуостров. Проторакс гранулированный. Антенны с отчётливым желтовато-белым кольцом на 3-м членике. Фасеточные глаза крупные. Род был впервые выделен в 2012 году южноафриканскими энтомологами Л. Сниманом (Louwtjie P. Snyman; Претория, ЮАР), Мервином Манселлом (Mervyn W. Mansell) и Кларком Шольцем (Clarke H. Scholtz) и их немецким коллегой Майклом Олем (Michael Ohl, Берлин, Германия), на основе типового вида Afromantispa tenella. Род включают в состав подсемейства Mantispinae.

Afromantispa tenella (Erichson, 1839)typus Другие виды

Head: Antennae moniliform; colour variable but all with conspicuous yellowish-white band in apical third; scape and pedicel yellow. Posterior vertex concave except for slight convex elevation directly posterior to and between antennal bases; median tubercle projection at posterior margin of vertex, vertex not visible in lateral view. Compound eyes large, each eye slightly broader medially at epistomal suture. Labrum circular. Mandible with dark apices; inner margins dark. Thorax: Pronotum narrow and elongated; prothorax longer than pterothorax; granulated; granules dark; pronotum transversely slightly wrinkled or rugulose; setae present. Maculae slightly raised and inconspicuous; not pigmented in lighter coloured species, pigmented and shiny in darker species. Prozona slightly broader than base. Meso- and metathorax of similar size and distinctly separated by a deep cleft. Wings (Fig. 2b): Wings always hyaline, lacking pigment except for the pterostigma. Pterostigma slightly concave in dorsal view; semi-circular and truncate appearance; pterostigma of most species with reddish appearance. Radial cell 1 and 2 of similar size with radial cell 3 smaller and narrower; a single crossvein from third radial cell to anterior margin (C). Hind wings: Crossvein between Cua and Cup+Aa attenuated or absent; Cua with sharp angle to and from attenuated crossvein to form inverted triangle. Legs: Median line on the anterior surface of the forecoxae never continuous from thorax to femur (Fig. 4a). Mid- and hind legs differ considerably between species. Fore tarsal claw reduced to a single claw lacking arolium; Mid- and hind pretarsal claws pectinate (5 -6 teeth) with the middle tooth elongated giving the claw a sharp triangular appearance; arolium present on mid and hind tarsi. Abdomen/Genitalia: Males with ectoprocts slightly enlarged (Fig. 4j). Pseudopenis visible in lateral and dorsal view. EEG present. No morphological significance regarding the female genitalia.

Widespread throughout Africa. A few species have been collected in the Palaearctic Region sharing borders with Africa such as Spain and the Arabian Peninsula.