Confirmation of reproductive success of Rivetina baetica ( Rambur , 1838 ) ( Mantodea ) , a thermophilous species , in continental areas of Central Spain

The presence of a population of Rivetina baetica baetica, a typically littoral taxon endemic to the southernmost regions of Spain and Portugal, was studied for two consecutive reproductive periods in a continental steppe area of Central Spain. Reproduction was successful, representing a considerable range expansion from previous records. Additionally, we revised the entomological collection of the Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (MNCN, Madrid) and available bibliographic records. We recover the only record of R. baetica published from Portugal raising the number of known species in the current Portuguese checklist to 12. Our observations demonstrate that the species is able to survive low winter temperatures at La Mancha Plateau (Ciudad Real).

The Iberian Peninsula, situated within the Mediterranean biodiversity hot-spot (Myers et al., 2000), presents a characteristic fauna influenced by both the African and the Euro-Siberian regions.As a consequence a relatively large set of species present in northern Africa also inhabit the warmest areas of the Iberian Peninsula, particularly along the Mediterranean coast (Recuero et al., 2007;Pleguezuelos et al., 2008).This is the case of some species of praying mantises (Mantodea), particularly Sphodromantis viridis (Forsskål, 1775) and Rivetina baetica (Rambur, 1838) (La Greca & Lombardo, 1982;Battiston et al., 2012;Marabuto et al., 2014).
Rivetina Berland & Chopard, 1922 (Mantidae: Miomantinae) includes more than 30 species, most of them distributed on the Western Palaearctic, from Southern Europe and North-western Africa to Pakistan and Tajikistan, but also expanding along the Atlantic coast in western Africa to Senegal (Wieland, 2013;Caesar et al., 2015;Otte et al., 2015).The Middle East harbours the largest diversity of species of Rivetina, while only one species is present in Africa and the Western Mediterranean region (La Greca & Lombardo, 1982).The distribution of the species of Rivetina is often limited to xerothermic environments.Most species present morphological adaptations to these environments, including constant brown or pale colorations (never green), opaque and rugose cuticular surfaces, extra-sclerotized portions of the 7th abdominal segment in females (used to facilitate excavation for egg deposition) and underground oothecae deposition.In Asia the genus is represented in steppes and sub-desert areas, in Northern Africa it occupies a broad area along the Mediterranean and Atlantic coasts, including deep inland populations (Chad), while its range in Europe is limited to discontinuous xerothermic environments, including dune systems, near the coast (La Greca & Lombardo, 1982).
In this article we provide the first records and document the reproductive success of R. b. baetica in La Mancha, a markedly continental area in Central Spain (Fig. 2).We also revise the Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (MNCN) entomological collection in order to confirm previous localities and to check for the antiquity of the available records.Furthermore, we recover the only record of R. baetica published from Portugal raising the number of known species in the current Portuguese checklist, and provide a new record north of the Ebro River in Barcelona expanding its known distribution.
We monitored 27 small lakes and marshes through La Mancha region, from April 2014 to August 2015, to follow up populations of endemic to, or endangered arthropods in Castilla -La Mancha.This study was part of a broader monitoring study of salt marshes and gypsum flats of La Mancha region, within the Life Project: La Mancha Wetlands (LIFE+10 NAT/ES/000563), aimed to restore the Lygeum spartum (L.) Kunth grasslands and salt flats by reclaiming Mediterranean salt  During the forementioned period, we observed and monitored a population of R. b. baetica at the Natural Reserve of the lakes and salt marshes of Alcázar de San Juan, in the Province of Ciudad Real, near the protected salt lake of Las Yeguas (Fig. 3).
Published information on the Iberian populations of R. baetica was checked following the revision of La Greca & Lombardo (1982).In orther to determine the antiquity of the published records, and to obtain new data on its geographic range we revised the entomological collection of the MNCN.
The population of R. b. baetica observed near the salt lake of Las Yeguas (Fig. 3), survived for at least the winters of 2013 and 2014, since early nymphal stages were found in May 2014, and late nymphal stages in late June 2015.The presence of the shedding near the adult specimen, and the last nymphal stage specimens, suggests that the adult stage is achieved between June and July at this locality.All the specimens were found in a limited habitat patch, Suaeda vera prairies (Fig. 3), surrounded by the salt crust of the lake and ploughed fields.
The low arbustive vegetation cover, characteristic of the Suaeda vera prairies, allowing for a direct and strong insolation, represents a typically favourable habitat for R. b. baetica (Fernandes, 1960;La Greca & Lombardo, 1982;Gómez et al., 1991).Because of the strong sexual dimorphism shown by R. baetica, presenting females with reduced wings inadequate for flying, and its spawning behaviour, depositing the ootheca  underground, it is highly unlikely that its presence in La Mancha was the result of accidental transportation.

Fig. 2 .
Fig. 2.-Map of the Iberian Peninsula showing known localities for Rivetina baetica baetica.Black dots represent data from collections (MNCN), bibliographic records, and unpublished individual observations.The yellow dot corresponds to the population located at Las Yeguas (Alcázar de San Juan, Ciudad Real).The open circle indicates a bibliographic provincial record without precise locality (Province of Huelva).Dotted line represents the limit between the Thermomediterranean and Mesomediterranean bioclimatic zones in the Iberian Peninsula (Rivas-Martínez, 1983-Martínez, , 1987)).