''Metallyticus'' is a genus of

praying mantis Mantises are an order (Mantodea) of insects that contains over 2,400 species in about 460 genera in 33 families. The largest family is the Mantidae ("mantids"). Mantises are distributed worldwide in temperate and tropical habitats. They hav ...

. It is the only genus in the

monotypic In biology, a monotypic taxon is a taxonomic group (taxon) that contains only one immediately subordinate taxon. A monotypic species is one that does not include subspecies or smaller, infraspecific taxa. In the case of genera, the term "unispec ...

family Metallyticidae. They are mostly found in South-East Asia. The species of the genus are dark, somewhat flattened and

cockroach Cockroaches (or roaches) are a Paraphyly, paraphyletic group of insects belonging to Blattodea, containing all members of the group except termites. About 30 cockroach species out of 4,600 are associated with human habitats. Some species are we ...

-like, and often with a cuticle that is reflective and metallic in appearance. The

phylogenetic In biology, phylogenetics (; from Greek φυλή/ φῦλον [] "tribe, clan, race", and wikt:γενετικός, γενετικός [] "origin, source, birth") is the study of the evolutionary history and relationships among or within groups o ...

position of Metallyticidae relative to other mantis families has been studied using both morphological and

molecular A molecule is a group of two or more atoms held together by attractive forces known as chemical bonds; depending on context, the term may or may not include ions which satisfy this criterion. In quantum physics, organic chemistry, and bioch ...

characters, but consensus on its placement has not been achieved. Along with the genera ''

Chaeteessa ''Chaeteessa'' is a genus of mantis. It is the only extant member the family Chaeteessidae, which is the most primitive lineage of living mantises. It contains six species found in South America: Species *''Chaeteessa burmeisteri'' *''Chaetee ...

'' and ''

Mantoida ''Mantoida'' is a genus of praying mantises in the family Mantoididae. The species of this genus are native to Mexico, Central America, and South America. Species The following species are recognised in the genus ''Mantoida'' : *'' Mantoida ar ...

'', ''Metallyticus'' is considered a member of the

basal Basal or basilar is a term meaning ''base'', ''bottom'', or ''minimum''. Science * Basal (anatomy), an anatomical term of location for features associated with the base of an organism or structure * Basal (medicine), a minimal level that is nec ...

Mantodea Mantises are an Order (biology), order (Mantodea) of insects that contains List of mantis genera and species, over 2,400 species in about 460 genera in 33 families. The largest family is the Mantidae ("mantids"). Mantises are distributed wor ...

, though some scientists consider the application of this term to extant species to be misleading.Krell, Frank T.; Cranston, Peter S. (2004). "Which side of the tree is more basal?". ''Systematic Entomology''. 29 (3): 279–281. doi:10.1111/j.0307-6970.2004.00262.x Metallyticidae species have several

autapomorphic In phylogenetics, an autapomorphy is a distinctive feature, known as a derived trait, that is unique to a given taxon. That is, it is found only in one taxon, but not found in any others or outgroup taxa, not even those most closely related to th ...

traits, including their metallic coloration and the enlarged

spine Spine or spinal may refer to: Science Biology * Vertebral column, also known as the backbone * Dendritic spine, a small membranous protrusion from a neuron's dendrite * Thorns, spines, and prickles, needle-like structures in plants * Spine (zoolo ...

on their front legs. They also have many

plesiomorphic In phylogenetics, a plesiomorphy ("near form") and symplesiomorphy are synonyms for an ancestral character shared by all members of a clade, which does not distinguish the clade from other clades. Plesiomorphy, symplesiomorphy, apomorphy, an ...

traits, including a relatively short

pronotum The prothorax is the foremost of the three segments in the thorax of an insect, and bears the first pair of legs. Its principal sclerites (exoskeletal plates) are the pronotum ( dorsal), the prosternum ( ventral), and the propleuron ( lateral) o ...

and full wings in both sexes. Of the five species, '' M. splendidus'' and '' M. violaceus'' are the most abundant. Most specimens for scientific study have been found in Sumatra,

Borneo Borneo (; id, Kalimantan) is the List of islands by area, third-largest island in the world and the largest in Asia. At the geographic centre of Maritime Southeast Asia, in relation to major Indonesian islands, it is located north of Java Isl ...

Java Java (; id, Jawa, ; jv, ꦗꦮ; su, ) is one of the Greater Sunda Islands in Indonesia. It is bordered by the Indian Ocean to the south and the Java Sea to the north. With a population of 151.6 million people, Java is the world's mo ...

, and the

Malay Peninsula The Malay Peninsula ( Malay: ''Semenanjung Tanah Melayu'') is a peninsula in Mainland Southeast Asia. The landmass runs approximately north–south, and at its terminus, it is the southernmost point of the Asian continental mainland. The are ...

. Species in this family are distinct from other mantises in their method of prey capture; ''Metallyticus'' species typically dart to capture prey, remaining close to the ground, rather than waiting to ambush. These species are usually found in or under bark of decaying trees.

Species

* ''

Metallyticus fallax ''Metallyticus fallax'' is a species of praying mantis found in Southeast Asia. It has an iridescent appearance.Metallyticus pallipes ''Metallyticus'' is a genus of praying mantis. It is the only genus in the monotypic family Metallyticidae. They are mostly found in South-East Asia. The species of the genus are dark, somewhat flattened and cockroach-like, and often with a cut ...

'' Giglio-Tos, 1917 * ''

Metallyticus semiaeneus ''Metallyticus'' is a genus of praying mantis. It is the only genus in the monotypic family Metallyticidae. They are mostly found in South-East Asia. The species of the genus are dark, somewhat flattened and cockroach-like, and often with a cuti ...

'' Westwood, 1889 * ''

Metallyticus splendidus ''Metallyticus splendidus'' (informally known as the iridescent bark mantis) is a rare species of praying mantis found in Southeast Asia. It has an iridescent appearance. Description ''M. splendidus'' was originally described by J. O. Westwood ...

'' Westwood, 1835 * ''

Metallyticus violaceus ''Metallyticus'' is a genus of praying mantis. It is the only genus in the monotypic family Metallyticidae. They are mostly found in South-East Asia. The species of the genus are dark, somewhat flattened and cockroach-like, and often with a cuti ...

'' (Burmeister, 1838)

References

External links

*
Tree of Life - MetallyticidaeMantodea Species File (Version 5.0/5.0)
{{Mantodea Insects of Southeast Asia