Parthenogenesis in mantids
The following was originally just a summary of all published records, based on the records in Mantis Study Group Newsletters. This summary was produced by P.E. Bragg, on 22.10.2021. Within hours of publicising this information on Facebook I was informed of other species which have exhibited parthenogenesis; these are in a separate list below.
Published records
Records of parthenogenesis have been published for eight species of mantids. Names used in the following list have been updated to account for noneclatural changes. Brunneria borealis is always parthenogenetic; the other species on the list below exhibit facultative parthenogenesis (i.e. they are usually sexual).
Brunneria borealis Scudder, 1896 - [recorded by White, 1948]
Hoplocorypha sp.? Genus unconfirmed. [recorded by Meriguet, 1996]
Sinaiella sabulosa Uvarov, 1939 - [recorded by Larsen, 1996 as Miomantis ehrenbergi].
Miomantis savignyi Saussure, 1872 – [recorded by Adair, 1925 & byYager, 1996]
Miomantis paykullii Stål, 1871– the senior synonym of savignyi & pharaonica.
Miomantis pharaonica Saussure, 1898 - [recorded by Larsen, 1996].
Miomantis sp. - [Church (in Bragg, 1996), & Dickie, 1996]
Sphodromanris viridis (Forskal, 1775) - [recorded by Bragg, 1987 & 1989, & Larsen, 1996].
Stagmatoptera hyaloptera (Perty, 1833) - [recorded by Jope, 1996]
Tenodera sinensis Saussure, 1871 - [recorded by Jope, 1996]
Orthoderella major Toledo Piza, 1962 - [recorded by Flechtmann, 1994 as Tithrone major]
References for the published records
Adair, E.W. (1925) On parthenogenesis in Miomantis savignii. Bull. Soc. Ent. Egypte, 8: 104-108.
Bragg, P.E. (1987) A case of parthenogenesis in a mantid. Bull. Amat. ent. Soc., 46(356): 160.
Bragg, P.E. (1989) Parthenogenetic mantid named. Bull. Amat. ent. Soc., 48(367): 242.
Bragg, P.E. (1996) Parthenogenesis again. Mantis Study Group Newsletter, 1: 5.
Church, J. (1996) in Bragg, P.E. (1996) – see above.
Cukier, M. (1979) Parthenogenesis in Coptopteryx viridis (Giglio Tos, 1915). (Dictyoptera, Mantidae). Biol. Bull. Lancaster, 157: 445-452.
Dickie, S. (1996) Parthenogenesis in mantids. Mantis Study Group Newsletter, 1: 5.
Flechtmann, C.A.H. & Rodrigues, S.R. (1994) Biological aspects of Thesprotia macilenta Sauss. and Zhnt. and Tithrone major Piza (Mantodea). Anais Da Sociedade Entomologica do Brasil, 23(3): 479-486.
Jope, M. (1996) Parthenogenesis in Stagmatoptera and Tenodera. Mantis Study Group Newsletter, 2: 5.
Larsen, T. (1996) Parthenogenesis again. Mantis Study Group Newsletter, 2: 5.
Meriguet, B. (1996) Parthenogenesis in mantids. Mantis Study Group Newsletter, 2: 4-5.
Meriguet, B. (1998) Parthenogeneis. Mantis Study Group Newsletter, 10: 2.
White, M.J.D. (1948) Chromosomes of the parthenogenetic mantid Brunneria borealis. Evolution, 2: 90-93.
Yager, D. (1996) Parthenogenesis in Miomantis. Mantis Study Group Newsletter, 2: 3-4.
New records contributed by Facebook users
The following list gives parthenogenesis in mantids which has been observed by users of Facebook but not recorded in a publication. I am ntending to up date the list as I recieve new records. Identification of species in this list should be treated with caution because the recorder may be a pet keeper who is relying on an identification by a dealer who may have provided a name that is no more than a best guess.
Acontista mexicana Saussure & Zehntner, 1871 [contributed by Jay Graves 23.10.2021]
Miomantis sp.? [contributed by Yasmin Daoudi 20.10.2021]