New Species of Praying Mantis Discovered in Rwanda Hunts Other Insects like a Tiger

Scientists have discovered an entirely new species of praying mantis, the bush tiger mantis, which makes its home in the mountainous Ryungwe National Park in Rwanda. A predator through and through, the new species gets its name due to the fact that it shares similarities in hunting practices with one of the world's largest big cats.

The bush tiger mantis, Dystacta tigrifrutex, was first found during a survey of insects at the national park on a cool, rainy night. That's when scientists spotted a winged male, which flew toward one of the light traps being used to attract insects. They then saw a female mantis in the leaf litter, not possessing wings.

In this case, though, the researchers were extraordinarily lucky. After placing the female mantis in captivity, the insect laid an egg case. The scientists were then later able to see the emerging nymphs; this, in particular, allowed them to get a better view of the complete life cycle of this species.

"We knew this mantis was special after completing nearly eight months of work to identify all the specimens found during the three week expedition," said Riley Tedrow, one of the researchers, in a news 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."

It's likely that this species is rare, as well. The scientists believe that the praying mantis species only lives within Nyungwe National Park. If so, it's more important than ever to preserve the park in order to ensure the continuation of this insect species.

Currently, the scientists plan to return to the national park in June in order to survey more mantises where they found the bush tiger. They also hope to survey other locations in the park, hopefully to return with more new species in order to continue their journey of discovery.

The findings are published in the journal ZooKeys.