MANTODEA

Herhold, Hollister W, Davis, Steven R, Degrey, Samuel P & Grimaldi, David A, 2023, COMPARATIVE ANATOMY OF THE INSECT TRACHEAL SYSTEM PART 1: INTRODUCTION, APTERYGOTES, PALEOPTERA, POLYNEOPTERA, Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 459 (1), pp. 1-184 : 1-184

ORDER MANTODEA

The tracheal system of mantises in part has been examined in detail since the discovery of the ventrally located “cyclopean” ear by Yager and Hoy (1986). More recent investigations have used micro-CT based methods ( Wipfler et al., 2012); however, a complete mapping of mantis respiratory systems has been lacking. Two specimens are included here: the common Chinese mantis Tenodera sinensis and the popular “Devil’s flower mantis,” Idolomantis diabolica . Tenodera is described here in detail but the somewhat more complex Idolomantis is covered only broadly; 3D models are included in the supplementary digital data for further research.

The morphology of H-DCT and H-VCT deserves special note here. Nominally, branching patterns starting at spiracle are judged to be more stable, as spiracles are used as the landmarks for assessing homology (as discussed above). The tissues supplied in the mantis prothorax and head, however, indicate a dorsal/ventral swap of H-DCT and H-VCT. For H-VCT in all other taxa, T1-AL branches ventrally from H-VCT in the prothorax. In Mantodea , however, this branch (H-VCT) begins dorsally at T2-S, and then flips position with the other cephalic trachea at the anterior end of the pronotum and retains the condition of T1-AL extending ventrally. The length of the prothorax in mantises likely plays a role in this dorsal-ventral reversal, but the reasons are unclear. An alternative interpretation is that one of these trunks is T2-CT and splits into H-DCT and H-VCT in the prothorax, in conjunction with dorsal-ventral connections in the head. However, this would also imply that T1-PL splits from T2-CT, a condition not encountered in any specimen.

Looking toward the posterior end of the thorax, T3-DLT is unusual in that it skips a connection to A1-S, extending from T3-S posteriad to A2-S via A2-DB; A2-DLT continues posteriad as with other taxa. Also curious is T2-PWL branching from T2-PL and connecting with T2-AL. This is similar to what is seen in T 3 in Orthoptera but appears to be present here in the midleg. The mesothorax is shorter anteriorposteriorly in Orthoptera , so perhaps this condition is either difficult to discern or simply not present. Another modified branching pattern is T3-VL branching from directly from A1-VC rather than VLT. While the origin (VLT) of T3-VL here is unusual, its extension into the leg and overall pattern appears homologous with T3-VL elsewhere.