Li Xinran, Huang Diying
State Key Laboratory of Palaeobiology and Stratigraphy, Center for Excellence in Life and Paleoenvironment, Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008, China.
Insects. 2022 Aug 15;13(8):732. doi: 10.3390/insects13080732.
Vršanský and Bechly, 2015 (Manipulatoridae, Corydioidea) is a purported predatory cockroach from Cretaceous Myanmar amber, based on a single male. It is distinctive by the nimble head, elongate pronotum and legs, and particularly by the extraordinarily long maxillary palpi. In the present study, we redescribe based on six new fossils including males and females, and comment on the original description. The closely related gen. & sp. nov. is proposed on the basis of five fossils, including males and females. It differs from in weaker spination of the legs, including the type-C forefemoral spination instead of the type-A of . Some undetermined adults and nymphs are also described. We discuss the ethology of Manipulatoridae and speculate that they might feed on flowers. They are unlikely to be specialized predators since they lack necessary weaponry for capturing prey; in contrast, their unique morphotype appears to be suitable for efficient foraging and locomotion amid flowering twigs. The possibility of being kleptoparasites of the spider-web is also discussed. In addition, regenerated four-segmented tarsi are found from the new species.
弗尔尚斯基和贝赫利在2015年（螳螂蜚蠊科，穴螽总科）报道了一种来自白垩纪缅甸琥珀的所谓捕食性蟑螂，仅基于一只雄性标本。它的独特之处在于灵活的头部、细长的前胸和腿部，尤其是异常长的下颚须。在本研究中，我们基于包括雄性和雌性在内的六个新化石重新描述了它，并对原始描述进行了评论。基于包括雄性和雌性在内的五个化石提出了新的近缘属及新物种。它与原物种的不同之处在于腿部的刺较弱，包括前股节的C型刺而非原物种的A型刺。还描述了一些未确定的成虫和若虫。我们讨论了螳螂蜚蠊科的行为学，并推测它们可能以花为食。它们不太可能是专门的捕食者，因为它们缺乏捕获猎物所需的武器；相反，它们独特的形态似乎适合在开花的嫩枝间高效觅食和移动。还讨论了它们成为蜘蛛网盗窃寄生者的可能性。此外，在新物种中发现了再生的四节跗节。
