Where two giants meet: the first records of Sphodromantis viridis in Sicily and Greece and the spread in Europe of Hierodula tenuidentata (Insecta Mantoidea) show new crossroads of mantids in the Mediterranean

Abstract

The first presence records of the Giant African Mantis Sphodromantis viridis(Forskål, 1775) (Insecta Mantoidea) are reported for Sicily and Greece, with new evidences on the human-mediated spreading of this species in the Mediterranean area. In Greece, Sphodromantis viridismeets the distribution of the Giant Asian Mantis Hierodula tenuidentata (Saussure, 1869), andthese two mantids have been recorded together in the same locality. Some single records fromFrance and Corsica also open the possible expansion of this species in more northern regions.These different spreading dynamics, taking place in the Mediterranean area, in a fast-evolvingscenario, are here discussed.

Revisiting the non-native insect fauna of Greece: Current trends and an updated checklist

“…The cryptogenic silverfish Ctenolepisma longicaudata Escherich, 1905 has been known as a household pest commonly found in attics, cupboards and drawers, first being reported in the country by Mendes (1980). Mantodea are represented in Greece by two alien species, the recently reported giant African mantis Sphodromantis viridis Forsskål, 1775 and the giant Asian mantis Hierodula tenuidentata Saussure, 1869 (Romanowski et al 2019;Battiston et al 2020). Although mantids are considered highly predacious, the ecological impacts of these species on native biodiversity have yet to be studied.…”

First records of three exotic giant mantid species on the Croatian coast

“…Until now, small Croatian Mantodea fauna consisted of seven species belonging to five genera (Ameles Burmeister, 1838, Empusa Illiger, 1798, Geomantis Pantel, 1896, Iris Saussure, 1891and Mantis Linnaeus, 1758 (Rebrina et al 2014), but the giant African mantis (Sphodromantis viridis (Forskål, 1775)), the Indochina mantis (Hierodula patellifera Serville, 1839), and the giant Asian mantis (Hierodula tenuidentata Saussure, 1869) are expected to spread into the country soon. S. viridis is widespread in the sub-Saharan region and is known to be very adaptable to different kinds of environments, including anthropized ones (Battiston et al 2020a). In Europe, it was known only from Southern Spain (Bolívar 1876, Gangwere and Morales Agacino 1970) until it was recorded in Mallorca (Canyelles and Alomar 2006) and in Central Spain (Cabanillas 2017) and eventually Portugal (Marabuto et al 2014, Oliveira andFerreira 2019), France (Battiston et al 2020a), Italy (Battiston et al 2017(Battiston et al , 2019(Battiston et al , 2020a, and Greece (Battiston et al 2020a).…”

“…S. viridis is widespread in the sub-Saharan region and is known to be very adaptable to different kinds of environments, including anthropized ones (Battiston et al 2020a). In Europe, it was known only from Southern Spain (Bolívar 1876, Gangwere and Morales Agacino 1970) until it was recorded in Mallorca (Canyelles and Alomar 2006) and in Central Spain (Cabanillas 2017) and eventually Portugal (Marabuto et al 2014, Oliveira andFerreira 2019), France (Battiston et al 2020a), Italy (Battiston et al 2017(Battiston et al , 2019(Battiston et al , 2020a, and Greece (Battiston et al 2020a). On the other hand, H. patellifera and H. tenuidentata are native to Asia.…”

“…On the other hand, H. patellifera and H. tenuidentata are native to Asia. The first European records of the former species date back to 2013 in Southern France (Moulin 2020) and 2015 in Italy (Battiston et al 2020a); the earliest European record of the latter was from Crimea (Werner 1916), where it was rediscovered 100 years later. It is now widespread along the entire coast of the peninsula, from where it started its expansion northwards in other parts of Ukraine (Pushkar and Kavurka 2016).…”

Alientoma, a Dynamic Database for Alien Insects in Greece and Its Use by Citizen Scientists in Mapping Alien Species

“…In Greece, citizen scientists and researchers have joined forces multiple times, reporting on the presence and distribution of alien insects. Nature enthusiasts have provided evidence for the first sightings of alien species in the country, such as the giant mantises Hierodula tenuidentata Saussure, 1869 [47]; Sphodromantis viridis Forsskål, 1775 [48]; the lantana plume moth Lantanophaga pusillidactylus (Walker, 1864) [49]; the feather-legged fly Trichopoda pennipes (Fabricius, 1781) [50]; and the broad-headed bug Nemausus sordidatus (Stål, 1858) [51]. Additionally, citizen science records have depicted the expansions in the range of and updated distributions of alien insects such as Leptoglossus occidentalis Heidemann, 1910, reaching Crete [52] seven years after its initial discovery on the Greek mainland [53] as well as the box-tree moth Cydalima perspectalis (Walker, 1859) [54], where public participation unveiled the infestation of native box-tree stands [8].…”