Soothsayer: Journal of Mantodea Research: Volume 7 Issue 1 Paperback – March 22, 2026

The Emperor’s Insects: Revisiting the Mantodea of Jules-César Savigny from Napoleon’s Campaign in Egypt and Ottoman Syria: The Mantodea figures published in the Description de l’Égypte under Jules-César Savigny are reviewed, emphasizing their artistic execution and subsequent taxonomic interpretation. Each engraving depicting mantises is analyzed for their assigned correspondence to known species by historical authors. Two New Species of Brunneria Saussure, 1869 (Mantodea: Coptopterygidae) with Novel Diagnostic Characters and a Key to the Species: Documentation of the first specimen-based records of Mantodea from Aruba is provided with description of two new species of Brunneria: xerophila n. sp. from Aruba and prominens n. sp. from northeastern Brazil. Additional material referable to orinocensis allows for a redescription of that species and the first description of its female. A revised dichotomous key for both sexes of Brunneria is provided, incorporating diagnostic characters previously overlooked or underutilized in species identification. Short Communications in Mantodea Research No. 1: Distributional Note on Opsomantis palawanicus Anderson, 2024: A new photographic record of Opsomantis palawanicus Anderson, 2024 from Busuanga Island is documented. This record, together with an additional previously unavailable observation from Palawan Island, refines the known distribution of the species beyond its original type locality. These data indicate that palawanicus is not precinctive to Palawan Island sensu stricto, but more broadly distributed across the northern Palawan faunal region. Synthetic Species: The Emerging Threat of AI-Generated Biodiversity: The risk of AI-generated imagery in taxonomy, including fabricated species and false distribution data, is examined. A formal prohibition of its use in taxonomic practice by the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature is advocated. Read more