ABSTRACT
Background: Blepharopsis mendica (Fabricius, 1775) is a large mantid species found from the Canary Islands across North Africa, the Middle East, and Pakistan. Research on this species has been limited, especially in Iran, despite the country's potential significance for studying its biology and distribution. Adults of this species are easily recognizable by their marble-white pattern and rhomboidal leaf-like pronotum. They are sit-and-wait predators that inhabit various open environments. Methods: Field observations were conducted across various regions of the Egyptian Flower mantis (Blepharopsis mendica) global distribution, with a focus on Morocco, Tunisia, and Iran. Distribution data for B. mendicawere gathered from fieldwork, museum collections, online biodiversity databases, and publications, totaling 593 occurrence points. Ecological niche modeling was performed using environmental data, and various models were evaluated for suitability. Phylogeographic analyses involved DNA sequencing and construction of a haplotype network to examine genetic relationships between populations. Divergence time estimation and biogeographical range expansion models were applied to explore historical distribution shifts of the species across different regions. The study provided comprehensive insights into the biology, distribution, and genetic history of B. mendica. Results: We provide information on the life cycle, ootheca, defense behavior, habitat, and biogeography of the Egyptian Flower mantis Blepharopsis mendica. This mantid is an overwintering univoltine species with nymphs emerging in summer and becoming adults in spring. In the wild, females start oviposition in April and can lay their first ootheca within a week after mating. The species is distributed from the Canary Islands to Pakistan in the dry belt. Thus, its distribution is associated with xeric areas or desert and semi-desert habitats. Phylogeographic analyses revealed three major genetic lineages, (i) in the Maghreb, (ii) from Egypt via Arabia to Iran (with internal substructures), and (iii) likely in Pakistan; the estimated onset of differentiation into these lineages is of Pleistocene age. Defense behavior involves flying away or extending wings broadly and lifting forelegs. Performing laboratory breeding, we documented life cycle and color changes from first instar to adulthood. Due to overwintering, the last larval instar needs considerably longer than the others. At 25 °C (±2), average adult life span was 118 days (±6 SD) for females (range: 100-124) and 46 days (±5 SD) for males (range: 39-55), with a significant difference among sexes. On average, oothecae contained 32.3 eggs (±10.1 SD) and the mean incubation period was 36.8 days (±2.9 SD). We did not find evidence of parthenogenesis. In general, the biology of B. mendica shows a variety of adaptations to its often extreme and little predictable type of habitat.
Subject(s)
Mantodea , Animals , Female , Male , Ecology , Ecosystem , Insecta , Mantodea/chemistry , TunisiaABSTRACT
The biology and distribution patterns of the Sahelian mantid species Nilomantisfloweri are still insufficiently known. For the first time, records are confirmed of this species from Iran and the distribution map of its native range is updated. Records are compiled from the Sahel zone of North Africa, the Arabian Peninsula, and Iran. Detailed information on its biology, oothecal characteristics, male genitalia variation, and intraspecific molecular diversity in the mitochondrial gene cytochrome c oxidase are provided, and ecological niche modelling was used to gain insight into the overall species distribution and understand its climatic niche limits. Genetic analysis revealed only one haplotype shared between Iran and Oman. The Iranian populations likely represent two distinct clusters, both more related to the diverse Oman haplotypes than to each other. Based on new data, N.floweri appears to be mostly associated with coastal areas in southwestern Asia, with the vast majority of records found along the Red Sea, Persian Gulf, and Oman Gulf coasts. This distribution contrasts markedly with N.floweri records in the Sahel, where most collections have been reported in the transitional zone between the southern Sahara and arid thorn savannah, far off the coast. This study contributes to a comprehensive understanding of this still enigmatic mantid species.
