Dicromantispa luederwaldti (Enderlein)

Pires Machado, Renato Jose, Li, Hongyu & Ohl, Michael, 2025, Solving taxonomic and nomenclatural problems among the Neotropical species of the family Mantispidae (Insecta, Neuroptera), Deutsche Entomologische Zeitschrift 72 (1), pp. 57-83 : 57-83

Dicromantispa luederwaldti (Enderlein)

Fig. 13

Mantispa luederwaldti Enderlein, 1910: 353. Holotype: female ( MZPW). Type locality: Brazil: Santa Catarina.

Notes.

The original description mentioned that the species was based on a male holotype from the state of Santa Catarina, southern Brazil ( Enderlein 1910). This species is one of those dubious names from the Neotropical region, which are still kept in Mantispa . Since its description it was only listed in three posterior publications without any taxonomic comment ( Penny 1977; Ohl 2004; Snyman et al. 2018).

After studying the holotype, it became obvious that it is a female (Fig. 13 K, L ) and not a male as claimed in the original description ( Enderlein 1910) and followed by subsequent authors ( Ohl 2004; Snyman et al. 2018). We also conclude that it belongs in Dicromantispa , based on the overall brown body coloration and the pronotum (Fig. 13 H ) with a few scattered setae in lateral view. Furthermore, the holotype presents all major diagnostic characters of D. synapsis Hoffman , like the interrupted longitudinal brown line at the frons (Fig. 13 D, E ), and the presence of a plate covered by microspines anterior to the bursa in the female terminalia ( Hoffman 2002; Machado and Rafael 2010). Dicromantispa synapsis is a relatively common species with records from Brazil, Costa Rica, French Guiana and Panama, but its holotype is actually from the state of Santa Catarina, just like M. luederwaldti . Specimens of this species were actually studied by Penny (1982), Penny and Costa (1983) and Carvalho and Corseuil (1995) but were treated as M. lineaticollis as discussed by Machado and Rafael (2010).

Based on the arguments mentioned above we are herein synonymizing Dicromantispa synapsis Hoffman, 2002 under Dicromantispa luederwaldti ( Enderlein, 1910) (new combination; new synonym).

Figures

Figure 13. Mantispa luederwaldti Enderlein 1910, holotype, female. A. Habitus photo, dorsal view; B. Labels; C. Right fore and hind wings; D, E. Head, frontal and dorsal views; F, G. Forelegs, outer and inner surfaces; H. Prothorax, dorsal view; I, J. Pterothorax, dorsal and lateral views; K, L. Abdomen, lateral and ventral views. Scale bars: 5.0 mm (A, C), 2.0 mm (D – L).