title: A taxonomic revision of Otomantis Bolivar, 1890 (Mantodea: Hymenopodidae, Acromantinae) with description of five new species.
abstract: The African genus Otomantis Bolivar, 1890, is taxonomically treated via the re-description of its species on the basis of new morphological features (pronotum and male genitalia). Five new species, O. centralis sp. n. from D. R. of Congo and Angola, O. gracilis sp. n. from D. R. of Congo, O. trimacula sp. n. from Zambia and Malawi, O. bolivari sp. n. from Kenya and Tanzania and O. minima sp. n. from South Africa are described. The taxonomic position of the syntypes of O. capirica Giglio-Tos is revised. A lectotype is designated for the female of O. capirica. The female of O. rendalli (Kirby) and the male of O. aurita (Saussure & Zehntner) are described for the first time. Also provided are many new localities for all nominal species.  A key to the species of Otomantis is included for both male and female, each key fully illustrated. Finally, observations on species distributions and relationships are presented.
authors.affiliation: University of Catania, Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences, Section of Animal Biology, Via Androne 81, Catania 95124, Italy.; Email: lombafra@unict.it.
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Lombardo
authors.affiliation: The Natural History Museum, London, Scientific Associate, Department of Entomology, Cromwell Road, SW7 5BD, London, UK.; Email: m.stiewe@nhm.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Martin B D
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Stiewe
authors.affiliation: University of Catania, Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences, Section of Animal Biology, Via Androne 81, Catania 95124, Italy.; Email: unknown.
authors.forename: Salvatrice
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ippolito
authors.affiliation: University of Catania, Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences, Section of Animal Biology, Via Androne 81, Catania 95124, Italy.; Email: unknown.
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Marletta
mesh_terms: D017954:Africa South of the Sahara; D000818:Animals; D003710:Demography; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D020050:Mantodea / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000145:classification* / Q000502:physiology; D013045:Species Specificity