Metallyticus
| Metallyticus | ||||||||||||
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Metallyticus splendidus |
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| Systematics | ||||||||||||
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| Scientific name of the family | ||||||||||||
| Metallyticidae | ||||||||||||
| Chopard , 1949 | ||||||||||||
| Scientific name of the genus | ||||||||||||
| Metallyticus | ||||||||||||
| Westwood , 1835 |
Metallyticus is a genus of fishing horrors , it is the only genus of the (thus monotypical ) family of Metallyticidae . Metallyticus is considered a morphologically original relic group thathas preservednumerous plesiomorphic features of the ancestral group of fishing horrors.
features
They are relatively small fishing rodents with a body length between 13 and 31 millimeters. When viewed from above, the body is oval, dorsoventrally (from top to bottom) somewhat flattened and has a very striking metallic iridescent blue-green color. A comparable coloration does not occur in other catch terror. The relatively small head is carried forward (prognath) with the mouthparts, it has large, hemispherical protruding complex eyes, the ocelles are small and set far apart. The pronotum is less than twice as long as it is wide, the noticeable elongation of the "higher" terrors is not developed. The forelegs, which are transformed into tentacles , as is typical of the order, are relatively massive and stocky, the femur about the same length as the coxae , the tibia shorter than this. The femur is strongly widened proximally on the underside and therefore has a triangular outline. Like the tibia, it has two rows of strong thorns that serve to hold the prey in place. The first spine of the femora is greatly elongated, this is considered a diagnostic feature of the genus and autapomorphy . The wings are carried flat on the back in the resting position, they are longer in the males than in the females and protrude over the tip of the abdomen in them; but both sexes are winged and probably also able to fly. The forewings are transformed into coarse cover wings ( Tegmina ), they are colored metallic iridescent blue-green, red or yellow. The wing veins are considered to be the most pristine among the terrors and resemble that of cockroaches . The hind wings are hyaline or smoky and are shorter than the forewings, but wider than them because of an enlarged anal fan. In the rest position, the rear wing is only folded in lengthways once. Ten tergites are visible in the strongly flattened abdomen. Long, multi-limbed cerci sit at the end of the abdomen .
Biology and way of life
Little is known about the way of life of the Metallyticus species. The only published observations in the field come from the British entomologist Robert Walter Campbell Shelford . Accordingly, the animals live on tree bark, where they hunt cockroaches, possibly specialized; they would often be found in cracks under loose bark. Unlike other catching horrors, the body lies flat on the surface when walking, so the front body is not carried raised. The larvae also show a similar running style, the abdomen is not curved upwards. The animals can run fast and are likely to be more of a hunter than a lurker.
distribution
Metallyticus lives in tropical East Asia, in the oriental fauna region. Most of the finds come from Indonesia (on both sides of the Wallace Line ) and Malaysia, from Borneo , Sumatra , Java and the Malay Peninsula , there are also findings from the southwest coast of India. A dubious indication of the location may also refer to an occurrence in northern India or Pakistan, but this is not certain. The species lives in forests, whereby secondary forests may also be assumed in addition to typical lowland rainforests. The highest sites reached a height of 2000 meters.
Systematics
The genus includes five species:
- Metallyticus fallax Giglio-Tos , 1916
- Metallyticus pallipes Giglio-Tos , 1917
- Metallyticus semiaeneus Westwood , 1889
- Metallyticus splendidus Westwood , 1835 ( type species )
- Metallyticus violaceus Burmeister , 1838
It is taxonomically isolated within the Mantodea, so that it is placed in a separate family Metallyticidae. This forms, together with the genera Mantoidea and Chaeteessa, the "basal" catchers, which are differentiated from the other representatives of the order by numerous plesiomorphic features, most notably by the short, not elongated pronotum. The most likely phylogenetic position of the Metallyticidae is as a sister group to the "higher" fishing horrors. This is indicated by examinations of the male genital appendages or other morphological features. Gene sequences or other molecular data are currently not available.
swell
- Frank Wieland (2008): The genus Metallyticus reviewed (Insecta: Mantodea) . Species, Phylogeny and Evolution 1 (3): 147-170.
Individual evidence
- ^ Klaus D Klass (1997): The external male genitalia and the phylogeny of Blattaria and Mantodea . Bonn Zoological Monographs 42.
- ↑ Klaus-Dieter Klass & Rudolf Meier (2006): A phylogenetical Analysis of Dictyoptera (Insecta) based on morphological characters . Entomological Treatises 63 (1-2): 3-50.
