''Ameles spallanzania'',

common name In biology, a common name of a taxon or organism (also known as a vernacular name, English name, colloquial name, country name, popular name, or farmer's name) is a name that is based on the normal language of everyday life; and is often contrast ...

European dwarf mantis, is a species of praying mantis.

Etymology

The species name ''spallanzania'' honors the Italian naturalist Lazzaro Spallanzani.

Description

''Ameles spallanzania'' can reach a length of . Their colour may be brown, green, ocher or grey. The eyes are slightly pointed, antennae are threadlike, the pronotum is short and squared and the broad abdomen of the females is commonly curled upwards. This very small mantid (hence the common name) is characterized by an evident sexual dimorphism. The males are winged and have a quite slender body, while females show stubby bodies and are unable to fly, as they possess only small wing vestiges ( brachypterous).Roberto Battiston & Carlo Galliani
On the life-cycle of ''Ameles spallanzania'' (Rossi, 1792) (Insecta, Mantodea).
Atti Soc. it. Sci. nat. Museo civ. Stor. nat. Milano, 152, I, S. 25-35. January 2011

Biology

This thermophile species shows adaptable life-cycle strategies in different latitudes, as hatching earlier, more than one generation per year or overwintering nymphs or oothecae. Adults can be found from late spring to late summer, depending on the latitude. Nymphs usually hatch in July and the ootheca is commonly laid in September. Similarly to the common ''

Mantis religiosa The European mantis (''Mantis religiosa'') is a large hemimetabolic insect in the family of the Mantidae ('mantids'), which is the largest family of the order Mantodea (mantises). Their common name praying mantis is derived from the distinctive ...

'' the females may cannibalise the males whilst mating.

Distribution

This species can be found in the Mediterranean area, from Morocco to Greece and from southern Europe to northern Africa (Albania, Algeria, Dalmatia, France, Greece, Italy, Malta, Libya, Morocco, Portugal, Spain, Tunisia).Fauna Europaea
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Habitat

These mantids prefer sparse low vegetation in warm, dry places.

Bibliography

* David D. Yager & Gavin J. Svenson: Patterns of praying mantis auditory system evolution based on morphological, molecular, neurophysiological, and behavioural data. Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 94, S. 541–568, 2008 * Gavin J. Svenson & Michael F. Whiting
Reconstructing the origins of praying mantises (Dictyoptera, Mantodea): the roles of Gondwanan vicariance and morphological convergence.
Cladistics, 25, S. 468–514, 2009, S. 484 doi:10.1111/j.1096-0031.2009.00263. * Roberto Battiston & P. Fontana: A contribution to the knowledge of the genus Ameles Burmeister, 1838, with the description of a new species from Jordan (Insecta Mantodea). Atti della Accademia Roveretana degli Agiati, Serie 8 B, Classe di Scienze, Matematiche, Fisiche e Naturali, 5B, S. 173-197, 2005 * Cogo A. & Battiston R., 2007 – Nuovi dati sulla distribuzione di ameles spallanzania (Rossi, 1792) in Italia. (Insecta Mantodea, Amelinae). Natura Vicentina,11: 23-29 * Battiston R., Picciau L., Fontana P. & Marshall J., 2010 –The Mantids of the Euro Mediterranean Area. World Biodiversity association, Verona * Agabiti, Barbara; Salvatrice, Ippolito; Lomabardo, Francesco, 2010: The Mediterranean species of the genus Ameles Burmeister, 1838 Insecta, Mantodea Amelinae, with a biogeographic and phylogenetic evaluation. Boletin de la SEA 47 (31 Dec): 1-20. * Salemi M., Tomasinelli F., Le mantidi religiose e gli insetti stecco, De Vecchi Editore, 2006, .

References

External links

Amici Insoliti
{{Taxonbar, from=Q1282221

spallanzania ''Spallanzania'' is a genus of fly, flies in the family (biology), family Tachinidae. Species *''Spallanzania colludens, S. colludens'' Reinhard, 1958 *''Spallanzania finitima, S. finitima'' (Snow, 1895) *''Spallanzania floridana, S. floridana' ...

Mantodea of Europe Insects described in 1792 Taxa named by Pietro Rossi