Dicromantispa gracilis

Dicromantispa gracilis (Erichson, 1839)

Mantispa gracilis Erichson, 1839: 169. Holotype: female, Brazil (ZMB).

Mantispilla debilis var. nigricornis Stitz, 1913: 19. Holotype: female, Venezuela (ZMB). Mantispilla debilis var. rugicollis Stitz, 1913: 19. Holotype: female, Venezuela (ZMB).

Mantispa trilineata Navás, 1914: 230. Holotype: sex unknown, Brazil (BMNH).

Mantispa bruchi Navás, 1915: 134. Holotype: female, Argentina (type depository dubious). Mantispa calceata Navás, 1917: 401. Holotype (or syntypes): male, Argentina (CN). Mantispa mista Navás, 1923: 196. Holotype: sex unknown, Argentina (MACN).

Mantispa gounellei Navás, 1934: 16. Holotype: female, Brazil (MNHN).

Specimens examined. Colombia: Tolima: Icononzo, Cafrerias, 5.II.2016, attracted to light, D. Gómez (1 ♀ ‒ CAUD); Espinal, 332 m, 21.VI.1961, L. Orozco, shrubbery vegetation (1♂ ‒ CTNI); Chicoral, 400 m, 5.VII.1961, M.A. Arévalo, light trap (1♂ ‒ CTNI). Colombia: Santander: Lebrija, P.B.M., 4.VII.1968 (1♀ ‒ CTNI). New locality records. Colombia: Bolívar: Cartagena de Indias, Ciénaga de la Virgen y Juan Polo, La Boquilla, Isla del Pescador, 10°25’32’’N ‒ 75°30’31’’W, 0 m, 23.VII.2016, A. García and J. Arias (14 ♂, 5 ♀ ‒ CAUD).

Distribution. Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia, Colombia (Antioquia, Bolívar, Caldas, Casanare, Chocó, Cundinamarca, Magdalena, Nariño, Santander, Tolima, Valle del Cauca), Costa Rica, Ecuador, Guyana, Panama, Uruguay, Venezuela (Hoffman 1992; Ohl 2004; Ardila-Camacho & García 2015).

Comments. During a field trip to the Colombian Caribbean coast, at Ciénaga de la Virgen y Juan Polo (La Boquilla, Cartagena) A. García-García and J. Arias-Pineda carried out a collection of insects with a led light trap between 19:00 and 21:00 hours (pers. comm.). The collecting trip was made in a mangrove swamp, at 200 to 500 m from the water on July 26 2016. Shortly after the trap was set, an aggregation of around 80 specimens (males and females) of D. gracilis was observed. The specimens were seen performing erratic flights and walking on the leaves of red mangrove trees (Rhizophora mangle). Numerous clusters of stalked eggs were seen on the adaxial side of the leaves of the same plant species. Since several males and females were collected at that event, it is presumed that the aggregation was related to mating and oviposition behaviors. The specimens were collected during the rainy season.