A revision of Syngalepsus Beier, with the description of two new species from the Central African Republic and Malawi (Mantodea, Tarachodidae)

Abstract

The praying mantis subgenus Syngalepsus Beier, 1954 occurs in sub-Saharan region and represents the least diverse subgenus of Galepsus in Africa (Ehrmann 2002). All species included within the subgenus Syngalepsus are comprehensively revised with a distribution stretching from North of Congo Basin to South Africa. Two new species of Galepsus (Syngalepsus) Beier, 1954 (Mantodea, Tarachodidae) from the Central African Republic (CAR) and Malawi are described. Among several Galepsus specimens collected during scientific expeditions of SANGHA, Biodiversité en Terre Pygmée, in CAR’s Dzanga-Ndoki National Park, a specimen differed by genitalia conformation and other morphological characters. Two specimens collected in Malawi proved to differ by genitalia morphology. Galepsus (Syngalepsus) bucheti sp. n. and Galepsus (Syngalepsus) dudleyi sp. n. are described. An identification key for the six species of the subgenus is provided.