''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 ha ...

. 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 "unispe ...

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

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

Mantodea 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 ha ...

, 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 traits, including their metallic coloration and the enlarged spine on their front legs. They also have many plesiomorphic 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) on e ...

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 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, west of Sulawesi, and ea ...

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 mos ...

, and the Malay Peninsula. 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'' Giglio-Tos, 1917 * '' Metallyticus pallipes'' Giglio-Tos, 1917 * '' Metallyticus semiaeneus'' Westwood, 1889 * '' Metallyticus splendidus'' Westwood, 1835 * '' Metallyticus violaceus'' (Burmeister, 1838)

References

External links

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