TEHRAN –Mahmood Kolnegari, an environmental conservationist, has discovered a new praying mantis species, named Sinaiella azadi sp. Nov., in Shazand, Markazi province, in central Iran.

The Mantodea fauna of Iran comprises nine families and at least 40 species. Scientific surveys conducted by Iranian entomologists have recently led to an increased knowledge of the diversity and biology of mantises.

Among the Mantodea species dispersed in Iran, the family Toxoderidae has been regarded as a group of highly cryptic praying mantids with greatly elongated bodies in common. Up to now, six species of this family have been reported from Iran, entirely from the southern half of the country.

The ex-situ investigation led to the identification of this new species from a preserved collection in Armenia. These findings considerably extend the known distribution of the genus Sinaiella Uvarov, 1924 beyond the Arabian Peninsula. 

The newly discovered species was introduced to the world through publishing an article in Zootaxa, a mega journal for zoological taxonomists in the world, on February 27. 

Kolnegari is currently studying as a PhD researcher of Natural Resources and Sustainable Development at the University of Cordoba, Spain. He founded Iran’s Birds and Power Lines Committee and has conducted several conservation projects focusing on vertebrates and their habitats, particularly Iran’s birds of prey in protected areas and landfills and wildfowl in national wetlands.

Iran among 20 countries rich in biodiversity, genetics

There are 11 types of ecosystems in the world, 9 of which are identified in Iran. Moreover, out of 42 types of wetlands, 41 types exist in the country. Therefore, Iran is one of the 20 countries rich in biodiversity and genetics.

Biological and genetic diversity in the country has caused many plants and animals to be native to Iran, currently, there are 2,100 endemic plant species in Iran.

MT/MG