Taxonomic Revision of Musonia Stål, 1877 (Mantodea: Thespidae)

The Neotropical mantis genus Musonia Stål, 1877 (Thespidae) is revised on the basis of comparative morphological study of type material, museum specimens, historical literature, and recently collected material from Central America, northern South America, and the Caribbean. Six species are recognized as valid. A new species, Musonia compacta n. sp., is described from Aruba, representing only the second formally documented mantis species from that island and providing further evidence for an endemic Aruban mantodean fauna. Musonia femorata Saussure & Zehntner, 1894 is removed from synonymy with M. surinama and reinstated as a valid species (stat. rev.) based upon consistent morphometric differences and a distinct biogeographic distribution associated with the Caribbean slope of Central America. The synonymies of Mionyx fuscescens Chopard, 1911 and Mionyx lineatus Chopard, 1911 under M. surinama are reviewed and supported. Diagnostic characters, measurements, distributional data, an identification key, illustrations, and a chorological analysis are provided for all recognized species.