Memoirs of the Museum of Victoria 56(1): 1-63 (1997)
REVISION OF THE TRIBE ARCHIMANTINI
(MANTODEA: MANTIDAE: MANTINAE)
G. A. MlLLEDGE
Museum of Victoria. 71 Victoria Crescent. Abbotsford. Vic. 3067. Australia
Abstract
Milledge. Ci.A., 1997. Revision of the tribe Archimantini (Mantodea: Mantidae: Mantinae).
Memoirs oj the Museum oj Victoria 56:1-63.
The Australo-Papuan tribe Archimantini is redefined. The genera Psmthmantis Saussure
and Rhocloinani is G'\gl\o-Tos are excluded. The genus. l;/.v//-<>/wam/.s Sjostcdt is recognised as
valid and included. One new genus. C'ortlivlomantis. and four new species. Anhimantis
gracilis. I. villain, Austovaics papuu and Cortlniomanlis hah/cr.som. arc described. Anhi-
mantis minor Giglio-Tos is a new synonym of A.sohrina Saussure. Aiisiromantis gracilis
Sjostedt a new synonym of A.alhomarginata Sjostedt and Coenomantis melanoptera (Tin-
dale) a new synonym of C '.kraussiana (Saussure). Archiinaniis inermis Werner is transferred
to the neotropical $snu$Aflgiia Serville. The subspecies Anhimantis laiistyla gigantca Beier
is rejected as invalid. Keys to genera and species are provided. Information on biology is
recorded, distributions given and relationships discussed.
Introduction
The Archimantini includes medium to large,
elongate mantids restricted to Australia (14
species) and Papua New Guinea ( 1 species). All
inhabit shrubs and/or tall grasses where they are
well camouflaged. They do not appear to be
abundant in nature but many species can be
encountered without much difficulty by search-
ing in appropriate habitats. Species diversity is
greatest in the tropical north of Australia, how-
ever several species occur in Victoria where the
southern limit of the group is reached. There
are no records of the Archimantini from
Tasmania.
Giglio-Tos (1917) proposed the Archimanti-
nae to include several Australian genera of the
Mantidae, characterised by the first and fourth
discoidal spines being not shorter than the sec-
ond, wings reduced in the female and the facial
shield wider than high. He divided the Archi-
mantinae into two groups: the Archimantes,
having the cerci compressed and the first dis-
coidal spine longer than the second, containing
the genera Archiinaniis, Coenomantis and Rheo-
mantis (-Archimantis); and the Pseudomantes.
having the ccrci cylindrical and the first discoi-
dal spine of equal length to the seend. containing
Pseudomantis and Rhodomantis. Beier (1935)
rejected this, including the Archimantinae
within the Mantinae. However Beier (1964)
later created the tribe Archimantini which was
essentially equivalent to Giglio-Tos' Archiman-
tinae and included the genera Architnantis.
Austrovates, Coenomantis, Nullabora, Pseudo-
mantis and Rhoclomantis. In this work the
Archimantini is considered as equivalent to
Giglio-Tos' Archimantes, characterised by the
first discoidal spine being longer than the second
(fig. 6) and including the genera Architnantis,
Austromanlis, Austrovates, Coenomantis, Cor-
thylomantis, and Nullabora. The genus Ausiio-
mantis was synonym ised with Pseudomantis by
Beier( 1 935) but is here considered a valid genus.
Pseudomantis and Rhodomantis, which have the
seend discoidal spine as long or longer than the
first, are removed to Beier's Mantini.
The tribe Archimantini thus contains six gen-
era, one of which is new, and 1 5 species of which
four are new. The largest genus is Architnantis,
containing nine species of which two are new. Of
the nine species and one subspecies listed for
this genus by Balderson ( 1 984) seven species are
recognised as valid. A. minor Giglio-Tos is syn-
onymised with A.sobrina and A.latistyla gigan-
tea Beier is considered a variant and accorded
no taxonomic status. The holotype male of
A. inermis Werner has been examined and deter-
mined to belong to the neotropical genus Angela
Serville. It was probably ascribed to Australia in
error. Five of the remaining six genera are con-
sidered monotypic. while the sixth. Austrovates,
contains two species of which one is new.
Methods and terminology follow those of Mil-
ledge (1990) except that the following abbrevi-
ations are used in the descriptions of male
genitalia: aa — anterior apodeme of right
BioStor
