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| Labradormantis guilbaulti Demers‐Potvin, Larsson, Cournoyer & Béthoux, 2021 DOI: 10.1111/syen.12457 |
Abstract
The extremely derived morphology and behaviour of extant praying mantises combined with a scarce record of fossil relatives introduce significant challenges to tracing their evolution from Palaeozoic stem‐dictyopterans. Extant members of Chaeteessidae, Mantoididae and Metallyticidae could be invaluable to resolving the mantodean tree, yet their inclusion in phylogenetic analyses led to conflicting hypotheses due to their highly disparate respective morphologies. In this contribution, we present Labradormantis guilbaulti gen. et sp.n., a new fossil species described from both fore‐ and hind‐wing imprints discovered in the Redmond Mine locality (Late Cretaceous, Cenomanian, Redmond Formation; Labrador, Canada). The examination of its hind‐wing AA2* supports the hypothesis that this structure, unique to Chaeteessidae among extant mantises, is a true vein and that its occurrence represents a plesiomorphy for Mantodea. A parsimony analysis including newly coded wing‐related characters further established that L. guilbaulti gen. et sp.n. displays a unique combination of plesiomorphic and apomorphic character states that situates it within the extinct family Baissomantidae. This dataset resolved the phylogenetic relationships of early‐diverging extant lineages as (Chaeteessidae (Mantoididae (Metallyticidae, Artimantodea))), and suggested that the Eocene Lithophotina floccosa Cockerell might be a close relative of extant metallyticids. It also indicated a trend towards increased modularity within mantis fore‐wings, in contrast with a trend towards increased morphological integration in their hind‐wings, both of which are potentially associated with improved flight performance for modern mantises. This study emphasizes the importance of fossils for resolving phylogenetic relationships and for introducing transitional phenotypes to infer ancient evolutionary trends of extant derived clades.
Order Mantodea Burmeister, 1838
Family Baissomantidae Gratshev & Zherikhin, 1993
Composition. The family includes the genera Baissomantis (including Baissomantis picta Gratshev & Zherikhin, 1993 and Baissomantis maculata Gratshev & Zherikhin, 1993; see original descriptions and Grimaldi, 2003) and Labradormantis gen.n.
Genus †Labradormantis gen.n.
Type species. †Labradormantis guilbaulti sp.n., designated here.
Etymology. Derived from the continental region of the Canadian province of Newfoundland‐and‐Labrador, where the Redmond no.1 Mine is located.
†Labradormantis guilbaulti sp.n.
Material. Holotype, MPEP1157.6, consisting in two incomplete fore‐wings, each with their clavus lost, along with two fragmentary legs. Paratype, MPEP702.11 (part and counterpart), consisting in two almost complete hind‐wings, the almost complete clavus of a fore‐wing, the metathorax and isolated leg segments. Clavus more complete in the part; metathorax more complete in the counterpart.
Etymology. The specific epithet refers to Jean‐Pierre Guilbault, co‐founder of the MPE, in honour of his contribution to the MPE's first expedition to the Redmond Mine and of his ongoing contributions to the advancement of this museum.
Locality and horizon. Redmond no.1 Mine located at coordinates 54°41′N and 66°45′W, Newfoundland‐and‐Labrador, Canada, 16 km south southeast of Schefferville; Redmond Formation, Late Cretaceous, Cenomanian (93.9–100.5 Ma).
Diagnosis. In fore‐wing, stigma ellipsoidal, slightly curved (as opposed to a forming a strap‐shaped patch, as in Baissomantis). In hind‐wing, intercalary vein in the RP–M area arising basad of the first fork of RA (as opposed to arising apicad of the first fork of RA, as in Baissomantis).
Alexandre V. Demers‐Potvin, Hans C.E. Larsson, Mario Cournoyer and Olivier Béthoux. 2021. Wing Morphology of A New Cretaceous Praying Mantis solves the Phylogenetic Jigsaw of Early‐diverging Extant Lineages. Systematic Entomology. 46(1); 205-223. DOI: 10.1111/syen.12457
