European Journal of Taxonomy
1063 (1) - Pages 1-79We present an annotated catalogue compiling all of praying mantises (Mantodea) specimens housed at the Zoological Institute and Museum Greifswald (ZIMG, Germany), mostly from Gerstäcker’s collection. Images of all type specimens and their corresponding labels are also included. In addition, comments about the type status of specimens previously misidentified as types or incorrectly designated are provided. The ZIMG collection of Mantodea comprises a total of 395 specimens, representing 145 species. Among these, 30 specimens serve as type specimens for 20 species, with 29 originating from the historical Gerstäcker collection. Notably, only one of the type specimens is currently missing: the holotype of Acanthops contorta Gerstaecker, 1889, was loaned in the 1990s to an entomologist in Catania (Italy) and has yet to be returned. The non-type material consists of 365 specimens, representing 129 species or subspecies. The catalogue enhances access to specimens and their associated data, particularly from a historically obscure collection such as Gerstäcker's. By doing so, it supports comparative and historical research and provides a reliable foundation for taxonomy, nomenclatural stability, and biodiversity studies.
