Insect or Invertebrates Identification - DONE

[Klipspringer]

I have another Mantid
Grootkolk 30.1.2017 in the wash-basin, it was tiny, you can compare with the glas of red wine beside



IMGL1263 (800x553).jpg sorry not a macro

I don't know if you can do something with that

nan

you get 10/10 points in the cuteness category for this nymph

But in the category presentation of identification features you score very low - 2/10 points

It does not have an upturned abdomen like the typical Mantindae and I think the head has the Hoplocorypha-like shape

It may be Hoplocorypha nana (that's the real name, no joke) a stick mantis

Can you try and make a crop photo with the head larger, maybe blurred, but to check the shape/form

[Richprins]

Klippies!

[nan]

I have another Mantid
Grootkolk 30.1.2017 in the wash-basin, it was tiny, you can compare with the glas of red wine beside



IMGL1263 (800x553).jpg sorry not a macro

I don't know if you can do something with that

nan

you get 10/10 points in the cuteness category for this nymph

But in the category presentation of identification features you score very low - 2/10 points

It does not have an upturned abdomen like the typical Mantindae and I think the head has the Hoplocorypha-like shape

It may be Hoplocorypha nana (that's the real name, no joke) a stick mantis

Can you try and make a crop photo with the head larger, maybe blurred, but to check the shape/form

thank you, will try to crop a bit the two pictures, the second pic is the same "nana"

[ExFmem]

2018 KTP

[nan]

like that, it's very blurry

same Mantid, still blurry

very blurry

[Klipspringer]

Ground Mantid Ligariella sp. male

In Ligariella the prothorax/pronotum is distinctly less than twice as long as wide.

Recorded:

L. bicornuta Kaltenbach
Namibia (Ovambo)

L. gracilis
Namibia.
http://mantodea.myspecies.info/sites/ma ... _Bragg.jpg


L. trigonalis
Western Cape, Eastern Cape, Free State, Northern Cape and Northwestern Province, to Botswana and Namibia.
https://specimens.mantodearesearch.com/specimens/937

[Klipspringer]

According to Kaltenbach, the inner distal spines of the fore femora are at least by half longer and stronger than the other sines in this row in the males of L. gracilis and L. trigonalis.

Differential diagnosis:
L. gracilis:
In both sexes, the frontal cones are long and protruding from the upper margin of the vertex.
Pronotum 1.8 to 2.0 times as long as wide at the supracoxal dilation in the male (1.5 to 1.7 times in the female).

L. trigonalis:
The vertex is straight to slightly convex.
The frontal tubercles do not protrude from the upper margin of the vertex in the female, whereas in the male, the tubercles protrude slightly.
Pronotum 1.2 to 1.4 times as long as wide at the supracoxal dilation.


https://www.zobodat.at/pdf/ANNA_98B_0193-0346.pdf

We have L. trigonalis - the tubercles are inline with the eyes.
Superfamily Chroicopteroidea. Family Chroicopteridae. Subfamily Chroicopterinae. Tribe Chroicopterini


The beautiful dude can go directly to the AW mantis book, we don't need an expert for confirmation


Strong sexual dimorphism in this species, the female has reduced wings and a broad abdomen, check page 42, fig 35 in Kaltenbach 1998
http://verlag.nhm-wien.ac.at/pdfs/100B_ ... enbach.pdf

[Klipspringer]

like that, it's very blurry

IMGL1279 (1024x704).jpg

IMGL1263.JPG

Blurry yeah but very good to check on the head shape - well done

It looks similar to this Hoplocorypha (triangle-like extensions = lateral tubercles)

head.jpg (68.61 KiB) Viewed 364 times

Here a figure from Kaltenbach 1996

Hoplocoryphella grandis - Kaltenbach 1998.jpg (31.34 KiB) Viewed 361 times

That makes it a species in the family Hoplocoryphidae

From South Africa are recorded:
Hoplocorypha brevicollis (Free State)
Hoplocorypha macra (Vegetation in drier areas of Northern Cape, Western Cape, Eastern Cape, KwaZulu Natal, Mpumalanga, Gauteng, Limpopo, Gauteng, North West)
Hoplocorypha nana (KwaZulu Natal, Mpumalanga, Limpopo, Northern Cape)
Hoplocorypha saussurii
Hoplocoryphella grandis (In dry grasses and other vegetation in Northern Cape, North West, Limpopo, Mpumalanga, KwaZulu Natal and Eastern Cape)

Records for Hoplocorypha nana from Kaltenbach:
Namibia: Hermersdorf close to Windhuk; Okahandja to Waterberg
South Africa: Twee Rivieren, Kalahari Gemsbok Park; Messina (Limpopo); Nelspruit (Mpumalanga)
also recorded from Malawi and East Africa


You can post it to the AW mantis book viewtopic.php?f=247&t=3220

as:

African Stick Mantis Hoplocorypha cf nana
Male nymph
Superfamily Hoplocoryphoidea. Family Hoplocoryphidae

Adult size (Male): Body length 26 mm; pronotum 9 x 1.5 mm; forewings (tegmina) 12 x 2 mm.
Hoplocorypha mantids are excellent mimics of dry stalks, and when prowling the sand they move in a way resembling a stick waving in the breeze.
The head capsule of Hoplocorypha and Hoplocoryphella spp carries prominent bulging and pointed elevations between the compound eye and the corresponding parietal furrow on either side. These elevations have been named 'Nebenaugenhöcker' (Beier, Kaltenbach, Ehrmann) or 'lateral tubercles' (Roy). The function of the lateral tubercles has been discussed by Edmunds. In dorsal view, they enhance the concealment of the neck contour thus making it more difficult for predators to recognize the mantid as such (and therefore as potential prey) by its characteristic head-pronotum outline.

Links:
https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/ite ... 9/mode/1up
http://mantodea.speciesfile.org/Common/ ... ID=1185656
https://www.zobodat.at/pdf/ANNA_98B_0193-0346.pdf

[Klipspringer]

I am pretty sure that the mantis ExFmem has posted as Hoplocoryphella grandis is the same species as the little one here seen by nan.

Hammerhead Mantid Hoplocoryphella grandis
Superfamily Holocoryphoidea. Family Hoplocoryphidae

Description
About 60 mm in length. Head hammer-shaped with small protrusions on the posterior (rear) portion of the head.
Females have reduced wings and don't fly.







Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park













Links:
http://mantodea.speciesfile.org/Common/ ... ID=1185673

I don't know on what criteria this identification has been done but assume it was due to the figure from Kaltenbach.

Upon closer inspection of the related species, it turns out that the lateral tubercles are present in all members of the family.

Thus we have to go - once more - with distribution.

Hoplocoryphella grandis records:
Zebediela (is a group of villages in Capricorn District Municipality of Limpopo Province)
Lydenburg (Mpumalanga)
Chobe, Botswana
--> not anywhere near KTP

Hoplocorypha macra records:
Eastern Cape: Port Elizabeth, East London
Free State: Smithfield Orangia
KZN: Mfongosi, Colenso
North West: Vryburg
Western Cape: Matroosberg Ceres Division; Eerste River (suburb of Cape Town), Cold Bokkeveld Ceres district
Northern Cape: Okiep (close to Springbok Namaqualand)
Mpumalanga: Skukuza
Limpopo: Grootdraai (Capricorn District), Groot Letaba, Polokwane, Moorddrift
Gauteng: Pretoria, Irene
Namibia: Nuragas, Otjikoto, Otjiwarongo, Ongandjera, Kamanyab, Okahandja

Hoplocorypha nana records:
Limpopo: Musina, Thabina, Haenertsburg, Soutpansberg
Kruger National Park
Mpumalanga: Nelspruit
Northern Cape: Twee Rivieren (several records!)

Hoplocorypha saussurii records
Mpumalanga: Waterval Boven
Rooipoort (??? perhaps Northern Cape Kimberly area)
North West: Rietfontein Kloof
Gauteng: Susterstroom
Limpopo: Kransberg (Waterberg)
Namibia: Kungveld


Size differences according to Kaltenbach:
Hoplocorypha male body length: 26-40 mm (female 38-70 mm)
Hoplocoryphella male body length: 55-60 mm (female 75-92 mm)

[Klipspringer]

The lateral tubercles can bee seen here in several Hoplocorypha species

http://www.biodiversityexplorer.info/ma ... /index.htm

and here:

Here another one of these, any ideas which species it is?

© BluTuna
Male, Kruger National Park, Shingwedzi (May 2014)

For me, it's a Hoplocorypha due to small size!