Taxonomical study of the genus Anaxarcha Stål in China (Mantodea: Hymenopodidae)

Abstract

Summary The genus Anaxarcha Stål, 1877 (Mantodea: Hymenopodidae: Hymenopodinae), distributed in SE Asia, included 11 species globally, of which seven had been recorded in China. After examining numerous specimens of Anaxarcha, we provide a systematic review of the genus Anaxarcha in China. We propose that the genus Anaxarcha should be divided into two species groups, and describe five new species: A. unicolor n. sp., A. robusta n. sp., A. caiwenae Wu, n. sp., A. zhuyuae Wu, n. sp. and A. multipunctata n. sp. Anaxarcha atrispina Yang, 1999 is proposed as a junior synonym of A. tianmushanensis Zheng, 1985. Anaxarcha zhengi Ren & Wang, 1994 and A. maculata Mao & Yang, 2002 are transferred to the genus Odontomantis, as O. zhengi (Ren & Wang, 1994) n. comb. and O. maculata (Mao & Yang, 2002) n. comb. A key to the species of Anaxarcha in China, life history, necessary illustrations and life images of Anaxarcha species are presented. The distribution of the genus Anaxarcha is discussed and mapped.