Genus

Anisoptera Schneider, 1843: 32. Type species: Mantispa notha Erichson, 1839: 170 (now in Anchieta), by monotypy. Junior homonym of Anisoptera Berthold, 1827: 409 (in Orthoptera) and Anisoptera Herrich-Schäffer, 1840: 57, 69 (in Hymenoptera). Replaced by Platymantispa Rehn, 1939 and Anisopterana Strand, 1942. Synonymized with Anchieta by Penny (1982 b): 216.

Anchieta Navás, 1909: 483. Type species: Anchieta nobilis Navás, 1909: 484 (= Anchieta fumosella (Westwood, 1867: 504)), by monotypy.

Platymantispa Rehn, 1939: 82. Name replacement for Anisoptera Schneider, 1843.

Anisopterana Strand, 1942: 389. Unnecessary name replacement for Anisoptera Schneider, 1843, previously replaced by Rehn (1939 a).

Anchieta Bechyné, 1954: 176 (in Coleoptera). Junior homonym of Anchieta Navás, 1909.

Further description.

Gerstaecker (1888): 117; Enderlein (1910): 375 (as Anisoptera); Navás (1912): 201; Penny (1982 b): 417; Penny and da Costa (1983): 610.

Taxonomy.

Gerstaecker (1888): 117 (Anisoptera = Trichoscelia); Enderlein (1910): 376 (Anchieta = Trichoscelia); Navás (1912): 201 (Anchieta valid genus); Banks (1913): 205, 206 (Anchieta and Trichoscelia = Anisoptera).

Key to species.

Banks (1913): 207–208 (Westwood’s species); Penny (1982 a): 418; Penny and da Costa (1983): 611.

List of species.

Penny (1977): 37 (as Trichoscelia).

Diagnosis.

Compound eyes are relatively small, generally ½ the interocular distance at toruli level. The pronotum is as long as wide, unlike the other genera it presents only a slight outgrowth on the posterior margin. The forecoxa is slightly expanded at the apex, the trochanter is unique due to the presence of a blunt process on the anterior surface. The forefemur is setose; on the closing surface, the tubercle-shaped processes are noticeably thickened, with a spine-shaped sub-basal process on the posteroventral row. The anteroventral row is more reduced than in Plega, although like this, it presents the basal, primary, spine-shaped process. The foretibia is glabrous. On the hind leg, the tibia is generally markedly expanded. The pterostigma of the forewing is rectangular, and the rarp 2 is straight to gently curved; the hind wing is often noticeably shorter and narrower than the forewing, with the gradate series of crossveins absent or reduced to a single crossvein, and the first branch of the CuA is simple or forked. On the abdomen, the tergites of segments III – VII often present posteroventral keeled processes in both sexes. As in Mucroberotha, sternites VIII and IX of the male are fused, the sternite IX forms a wide canal, and the ectoproct presents a posteroventral patch of conical and thickened setae. The gonostyli X are short and recurved, and the gonocoxites XI have a flattened medial lobe. On the spermatheca, the distal section is expanded and sac-like.

Description.

Head. Diamond-shaped in frontal view, smooth to rugose, region of vertex domed over compound eyes, paraocular area concave; coronal suture discrete. Antenna moniliform, flagellomeres discoidal on most of the flagellum. Compound eye hemispheric, as wide as 0.5–0.7 of the interocular distance at toruli. Thorax. Pronotum nearly as long as wide, with a groove adjacent to lateral and distal margins; posterior margin with slightly raised, entire surface with abundant, thickened setae arising flush the pronotal surface; postfurcasternum quadrangular, paired. Mesonotum wider than long, with abundant long, thickened setae, metanotum ~ 3 × as wide as long, glabrous. Foreleg. Coxa as long as femur, cylindrical, slightly distally expanded, densely setose. Trochanter semi-triangular, with a blunt process on anterior surface. Femur robust, densely setose; closing surface covered with fine and sinuous trichoid setae; posteroventral row processes fully developed, slightly carinated on distal ½, composed of thickened tubercle-shaped specializations with conical Stitz organs; proximally with a more developed, spine-shaped, sub-basal process; adjacent rows of thickened setae with globular base reduced to distal ¾ of the closing surface to a single apical seta; anteroventral row of processes reduced to the proximal region and apex, composed of tubercle-shaped integumentary specializations; basal primary process present, curved; adjacent row of thickened setae with globular base present in distal 4 / 5. Tibia nearly as long as femur, glabrous, curved, ventrally keel, with a row of prostrate setae; anterior surface with a patch of clavate setae at apex. Basitarsus with long lanceolate process surpassing distal margin of third tarsomere, equipped with a plug-shaped Stitz organ at apex; basal ½ with a row of prostrate setae on ventral surface, and patch of clavate setae on anterior surface; second tarsomere articulated in basal ½ of basitarsus on anterior surface, longer than third and fourth tarsomeres together; pretarsal claws simple. Mid- and hind leg. Mid-leg with thin to slightly widened tibia; hind leg thin to noticeably expanded, and laterally flattened, oar-shaped or fusiform. Wings. Forewing oval, trichosors present along wing margin, except at base; costal space medially narrow to slightly widened, humeral vein simple or forked, subcostal veinlets simple; pterostigma rectangular; Sc vein abruptly bent posteriad at proximal margin of pterostigma to merge with the RA; radial space with two crossveins; rarp 2 straight to gently curved; RP base located near separation of M and R, M fork near such separation; 1 r-m between RP base and M fork forming a small trapezoidal cell; RP with single gradate series present; CuP basally angled, approaching A 1. Hind wing oval, notably smaller and narrower than forewing; costal space narrow and reduced, C and Sc fused at proximal 1 / 3 of wing length; Sc vein abruptly curved posteriad at proximal margin of pterostigma to merge the RA; pterostigma elongated, narrow to slightly widened distally; radial space widened with single crossvein, straight to sinuous; RP with gradate series absent or reduced to a single crossvein. M forked at or slightly beyond R fork; Cu deeply forked, CuA ending at posterior margin at level of 1 ra-rp, distally simple or forked, first branch simple or forked; intracubital vein generally reclined; CuP distally anteriorly curved or bent near posterior wing, pectinate. Cubitoanal space without crossveins. Abdomen. Tergites III and IV, or III – VI, or III-VII with poorly developed to prominent, posteromedial, keeled processes, present in both sexes.

Male genitalia. Sternites VIII and IX fused, with fusion line weakly marked or absent; Sternite IX U-shaped, transversely curved to form a wide canal. Gonocoxites IX short and sinuous, or almost completely reduced, with or without apical processes. Ectoproct ovoid, with a posteroventral patch of conical, thickened setae. Gonocoxites X unpaired, forming a triangular or hourglass-shaped sclerite, concave or canaliculate on ventral surface, anterior portion spatulate, straight or dorsally bent; posterior apex with paired dorsal and lateral processes, articulated to gonostyli X and gonapophyses X, respectively; gonostyli X with thickened, concave base, set with curved lateral processes; the rest of the structure whip-like, short, recurved, with apex posteriorly curved, sometimes forming a loop. Gonapophyses X paired, rod-shaped, straight, thin, forming a V-shaped structure, joined by membranes; posterior apex with surrounding membrane set with minute granules. Gonocoxites XI thin, U-shaped, medial lobe dorsoventrally flattened, weakly sclerotized. Hypandrium internum concave, keeled, with two lateral fins.

Female genitalia. Sternite VII (gonocoxites VII) trapezoidal or rectangular, sometimes as medially joined, lateral trapezoidal plates. Tergite VIII narrower medially than laterally, enclosing the spiracle of the segment VIII. Gonocoxites VIII forming a narrow, concave plate; gonapophyses VIII medial part canal-shaped, with or without a tubular process; lateral part as an enlarged plate, hidden under tergite IX + ectoproct, sometimes dorsally fused to form a covering. Tergite IX + ectoproct triangular, elongated. Gonocoxites IX long, straight and narrow; gonapophyses sometimes present as tiny sclerites located basally on inner surface of gonocoxites IX. Bursa copulatrix funnel-shaped, unsclerotized, short to long. Spermatheca short and irregularly entangled or long and spiral-shaped, proximal section short to long and thin; medial section thicker than proximal section, entangled or coiled; distal section expanded, wider than medial section, sac-shaped; fertilization canal duct long, thin, spiral-shaped; fertilization canal short to elongated, J-shaped, covered with microfilaments.

Included species.

1. A. apiculasaeva Thouvenot, 2009 (Brazil, French Guiana)

2. A. bellus (Westwood, 1867) (Brazil, Colombia, French Guiana, Suriname)

= A. eurydella (Westwood, 1867), new synonym

3. A. fasciatellus (Westwood, 1867) (Colombia, Panama)

4. A. fumosellus (Westwood, 1867) (Brazil)

= Anchieta nobilis Navás, 1909

5. A. nebulosus Ardila-Camacho & Machado, sp. nov. (Brazil)

6. A. nothus (Erichson, 1830) (Brazil)

7. A. partheniellus (Westwood, 1867) (Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Suriname, Venezuela)

8. A. remipes (Gerstaecker, 1888) (Colombia)

9. A. romani (Esben-Petersen, 1817) (Brazil, Peru)

10. A. sophiae Ardila-Camacho & Contreras-Ramos, sp. nov. (French Guiana)

11. A. tinctus Ardila-Camacho & Contreras-Ramos, sp. nov. (Costa Rica)

Biology.

Summarized in Ardila-Camacho et al. (2021 b).

Etymology.

Genus named in honor of the Jesuit missionary San José de Anchieta, evangelizer in Brazil between 1553 and 1597. Masculine gender as the name was erected after a man by Navás (1909).