Scientists have discovered a new species of praying mantis in Rwanda, Africa and have named it the "bush tiger mantis" for its particularly vicious hunting style.
According to LiveScience.com, the females have no wings and hunt their prey viciously like a tiger, hence the scientific name Dystacta tigrifrutex. Riley Tedrow, a Case Western Reserve University evolutionary biology student, led the research team that found the mantis in the Nyungwe National Park.
The team published their work in the journal ZooKeys.
"The new species is amazing, because the fairly small female prowls through the underbrush searching for prey, while the male flies appear to live higher in the vegetation," Tedrow told LiveScience.com.
In just one trip, the scientists were fortunate enough to obtain a female and her case, also known as an ootheca. The team analyzed the adult mantis and the nymphs in one three-week study session.
"The new praying mantis species was found in the high altitude rain forest region of southwestern Rwanda and probably only lives within Nyungwe National Park, which adds significant justification for protecting the park to ensure species like this can continue to exist," Dr. Gavin Svenson, curator of invertebrate zoology at The Cleveland Museum of Natural History, said in a press release.
The researchers requested with the authorities the park be placed under protection so nothing could happen to the newly discovered species. The team is reportedly planning a follow-up trip in June to take a closer look at the bush tiger mantis' habitat size.
"We knew this mantis was special after completing nearly eight months of work to identify all the specimens found during the three week expedition," Riley said in the release. "The new species is amazing because the fairly small female prowls through the underbrush searching for prey while the male flies and appears to live higher in the vegetation."
