Angela miranda Saussure 1871
Creators: name: de Luna, Manuel
name: Hernández-Baltazar, Erick
name: Cubillos Macías, Iker
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2024
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Mantodea
Angelidae
Angela
Angela miranda

description: Angela miranda Saussure, 1871
Figs 1, 2, 3
Type material. —
Holotype: MEXICO • ♂; “ Mexique ”; pinned with one tegmina and hindwing extended, damaged (Fig. 3 A), MNHN [examined]. The specimen exhibits the distinctive patterning under discussion, but it is remarkable for having its membrane reddish-pink instead of yellow.
Additional material examined. —
COSTA RICA • 1 ♀; Heredia; pinned with one tegmina and hindwing extended (Fig. 3 C), MNHN. GUATEMALA • 1 ♂; Semuc, Sierra de Santa Cruz, department of Izabal; 1 January 1991; leg. J. Monzón; pinned with wings extended (Fig. 1 B), UVG. MEXICO • 1 ♂; Agua Azul, state of Chiapas; 1 May 1978; leg. E. Barrera; pinned vertically, with tegmina and hindwings folded (Fig. 1 A); one hindwing dissected, spread, and mounted on a card (Fig. 1 C); CNIN - UNAM • 1 ♂; unknown label (Fig. 3 B); MNHN • 1 ♂; unlabeled; pinned with both tegmina and hindwings extended; MHNG.
Diagnosis. —
According to the descriptions, keys, and illustrations of Saussure and Zehntner (1893–1899), Rivera and Svenson (2016, 2020), and de Luna and Hernández-Baltazar (2020), the body of Angela is very slender and stick-like (Figs 1 – 3). This characteristic distinguishes it from most North American mantises, except for the only species of Coptopterygidae in the region as well as most Thespidae. Angela differs from all the North American mantises by its laterally flattened cerci (Figs 1 A, 2, 3 C); this character is also present at the nymphal stage, making it very easy to differentiate it, even from other stick-like mantises. Both sexes are brachypterous, with the females having shorter wings and being flightless (Fig. 3 C) while the males have larger wings (Figs 1 A, B, 2, 3 A, B) and are capable of flight. This differs from Coptopterygidae as the populations of its only North American representative are made up entirely of parthenogenetic brachypterous females. Another difference between the two is found in the antennae, as these are filiform in Angelidae (Figs 1 A, B, 2, 3 B) and thickened in Coptopterygidae. The genus Angela does not have evident juxtaocular bulges (Fig. 1 A), which are found in all Thespidae of the region, and lacks dorsal spines in their foretibiae (Figs 1 A, B, 2, 3 B), which are present in most Thespidae. Another difference is that female Thespidae are apterous.
The coloration and consistent patterning of the hindwings of the male of Angela miranda make it easily distinguishable from those of male congenerics (Figs 1 – 3 A, B): the inner and dorsal margins, as well as the center, are typically opaque and light yellow. This appears to be the most common chromatic form, although some specimens exhibit reddish-colored hindwings, as seen in the holotype of Angela miranda (Fig. 3 A), or in which the yellow is replaced by white. An irregular black spot is present in the distal third of the hindwing connected to the posterior margin. The posterior margin is black and extends all the way up to the apex of the hindwing. Both the spot and dark margins exhibit considerable variability in width.
The hindwing of the female is very similar to that found in males (Fig. 3 B – C), albeit much shorter due to the significantly larger size of the female. This aligns with known patterns of sexual dimorphism within this family and genus. The dorsal margin and center are opaque and light yellow in color (Fig. 3 C). As observed in males, female variants include reddish and white hindwings. However, the female hindwing differs from that of the males in that the inner margin is darker and it features two dark spots, as opposed to one, in the central field. The first spot is situated in the middle of the hindwing, while the other is in the distal third, similar to the male. Additionally, the apex of the hindwing of the female exhibits a reddish tinge (Fig. 3 C).
The proposed junior synonyms for Angela miranda (see discussion below):
= Angela championi Saussure & Zehntner, 1894, syn. nov.
= Angela perpulchra Westwood, 1889, syn. nov.
description: Published as part of de Luna, Manuel, Hernández-Baltazar, Erick & Cubillos Macías, Iker, 2024, The family Angelidae (Insecta, Mantodea) in Mexico and Central America, new records and two new synonyms, pp. 229-232 in Journal of Orthoptera Research 33 (2) on pages 229-232, DOI: 10.3897/jor.33.114799