New species of praying mantis discovered by UC Davis alum

A small discovery is now a big deal in the world of insects, and it's all thanks to a UC Davis alum.

Lohit Garikipati discovered a new species in the praying mantis family. He first spotted the bug a few years ago in Arizona, but it didn't molt into an adult.

"Then, years later, a friend of mine who lives in Arizona now sent me an adult that I realized was the exact same mantis and I hadn't been able to find it for years," Garikipati said.

That friend is Peter Clausen, so Garikipati has named the new species after him: Stagmomantis clauseni, but its common name is the Sonoran tiger mantis.

"One of the things that immediately separates it is the adults have this bright black coloration on their abdomen and it's on the topside," Garikipati said. "So they have tiger stripes, which is why I gave it that name."

Then, there's the way it tells predators to back off.

"Their wings, the adult females have this beautiful red-black coloration on their wings which is really unique," Garikipati said.

Garikipati's discovery has gained national attention, especially in the insect world, but whether you're into bugs or not, he hopes this sparks something in everyone.

On the importance of making a discovery like this, he said, "I think it's sort of a way to revitalize people to get out and explore nature some more."

Garikipati is now a PhD student at the American Museum of Natural History. With his discovery, there are now 28 described native species of mantises in the United States.