A male and female of what turned out to be a new species of praying mantis were collected in a thick montane forest during a survey of the insects inNyungwe National Park.
The new insect has been named the Bush tiger mantis (Dystacta tigrifrutex) due to the similarities in hunting practices with one of the world’s favorite big cats.
Soon after the female was placed in captivity, she laid an egg case, called an ootheca, and the entomologists were later able to see the emerging nymphs.
These events allowed the team to describe in one go the male, female, nymphal stages and a large portion of the biology of the Bush tiger mantis.
Using 21 measurements taken from the new species’ bodies, coloring and more, the entomologists concluded that specimens were from the genus Dystacta, which, until now, had one species: Dystacta alticeps.read more
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