Tenodera fasciata ( Olivier, 1792 )

Connors, Matthew G., 2023, Studies in Australian Mantodea: New synonyms, notes on distributions, and an updated checklist, Zootaxa 5239 (4), pp. 477-499 : 482

Tenodera fasciata ( Olivier, 1792)

All Australian records of this species are referrable to T. blanchardi , considered a subspecies of T. fasciata by Beier (1965). The exact identity and status of T. fasciata is uncertain. The types have been destroyed and the type locality ( Suriname) is certainly incorrect, as no Tenodera species are known from South America. There are few, if any, reliable characters to distinguish T. fasciata from T. blanchardi , and together with T. philippina Beier, 1929 , and T. superstitiosa ( Fabricius, 1781) , the four species form a complex (C.-T. Hsu pers. comm.). Further work is needed to resolve the situation, but for now the name T. blanchardi is retained for the Australian members of this complex.