Coptopteryx Saussure, 1869

Agudelo, Antonio A. & Rivera, Julio, 2015, Some taxonomic and nomenclatural changes in American Mantodea (Insecta, Dictyoptera) — Part I, Zootaxa 3936 (3), pp. 335-356 : 342-343

Coptopteryx Saussure, 1869

Piza (1973) described Coptopteryx gigliotosi Piza, 1973 from Santa Maria, Rio Grande do Sul State, Brazil. The type series includes the holotype and one paratype, both males (deposited at ESALQ). However, Piza (1973) ignored the fact that Werner (1925) had already created the name Coptopteryx gigliotosi Werner, 1925 for a species from northern Argentina . Jantsch & Corseuil (1988) detected this case of homonymy and proposed Coptopteryx ermannoi Jantsch & Corseuil, 1988 as a new replacement name for its primary homonym Coptopteryx gigliotosi Piza, 1973 (non Werner, 1925). According to the ICZN Article 72.7, name-bearing types of nominal species-group taxa denoted by new replacement names (nomina nova) not only are objective synonyms but also share the same name-bearing type. Therefore, the original type specimen of Coptopteryx gigliotosi Piza, 1973 is the same for Coptopteryx ermannoi Jantsch & Corseuil, 1988 . We had the opportunity of studying this type specimen; its strong resemblance to Coptopteryx argentina ( Burmeister, 1838) prompted us to perform comparative analyses of their male genitalia ( Fig. 5 a–d). Accordingly, we contrasted this structure to that of a syntype of C. argentina and found no relevant differences that justify the validity of C. ermannoi , and thus we concluded that both names apply to the same species. Similarly, the analysis of the holotype of yet another species, Paraphotina precaria Piza1966 ( Fig. 5 e), which Terra (1995) subsequently transferred to Coptopteryx , revealed it to be also conspecific to C. argentina . Accordingly, we establish this additional new synonymy. The updated list of synonyms for C. argentina is as follows:

Coptopteryx argentina ( Burmeister, 1838) Mantis argentina Burmeister, 1838

= Coptopteryx affinis Giglio-Tos, 1915

= Coptopteryx gigliotosi Piza, 1960 (non Werner, 1925) n. syn. = Paraphotina precaria Piza, 1966 n. syn.

= Coptopteryx ermannoi Jantsch & Corseuil, 1988 n . syn.

We also examined the female types of Brachypteromantis bonariensis Piza, 1960 ( Fig. 5 f) described from Buenos Aires ( Argentina ), which Terra (1995) transferred to Coptopteryx . We not only confirm the placement of this species within Coptopteryx , as Terra correctly suggested, but also identified it as conspecific with Coptopteryx gayi (Blanchard, 1851) . Consequently, we recognized the following new synonym:

Coptopteryx gayi Blanchard, 1851 Mantis gayi Blanchard, 1851

= Mantis crenaticollis Blanchard, 1851 = Mantis grisea Philippi, 1863

= Coptopteryx rehni Giglio-Tos, 1915 = Coptopteryx minuta Giglio-Tos, 1915 = Brachypteromantis bonariensis Piza, 1960 n. syn.

Figures

FIGURE 5. Syntype ♂ of Mantis argentina (now Coptopteryx argentina) (ZMB): a) left epiphallus (dorsal view); b) hypophallus (dorsal view). Holotype ♂ of Coptopteryx gigliotosi Piza, 1973 (non Werner, 1925) (ESALQ): c) left epiphallus (dorsal view); d) hypophallus (dorsal view, partially broken). Holotype ♀ of Paraphotina precaria (now Coptopteryx argentina) (ESALQ): e) specimen from Brazil, PR, Curitiba (dorsal habitus) and labels. Holotype ♀ of Brachypteromantis bonariensis (now Coptopteryx gayi) (ESALQ): f) specimen from Argentina, Buenos Aires (dorsal habitus) and labels.