ONE MORE ALLOCHTHONOUS PRAYING MANTIS IN SERBIAN FAUNA: AMELES SPALLANZANIA (ROSSI, 1792) (MANTODEA: AMELIDAE)
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Dec 11, 2025
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Abstract
The allochthonous mantis Ameles spallanzania (Rossi, 1792), from the family Amelidae, has been recorded for the first time in Serbia, in the urban settlement of Klisa, in the city of Novi Sad. Although the manner of the species’ introduction cannot be determined with certainty, we assume it was imported with ornamental plant nursery stock, considering the immediate proximity of a plant nursery. This is the second species of the genus Ameles Burmeister, 1838 recorded in Serbia, the first non-native representative of its genus (and the second non-native mantis species after the already widespread Hierodula tenuidentata Saussure, 1869), and the fifth mantis species recorded in the fauna of Serbia in total.
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Ilić, K., Tot, I., Vesović, N., & Vujić, M. (2025). ONE MORE ALLOCHTHONOUS PRAYING MANTIS IN SERBIAN FAUNA: AMELES SPALLANZANIA (ROSSI, 1792) (MANTODEA: AMELIDAE). Acta Entomologica Serbica, 30(2). https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17901271
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Copyright: © 2019 The ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF SERBIA Staff. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
References
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Gojšina, V., Marković, V. & Vujić, M. (2024). Three new alien freshwater gastropods found in Serbian waters (Gastropoda, Tateidae and Planorbidae). Spixiana, 46(2), 179-186.
Gojšina, V., Páll-Gergely, B., Vujić, M. & Dedov, I. (2022). First record of the genus Xeropicta Monterosato, 1892 (Gastropoda: Eupulmonata: Geomitridae) in Serbia. Folia Malacologica, 30(1).
Martinović, M., Ćato, S., Lengar, M. & Skejo, J. (2022). First records of three exotic giant mantid species on the Croatian coast. Journal of Orthoptera Research, 31(1), 55-61.
Milenković, M. & Gligorijević, V. (2012). Melanoides tuberculata (Müller, 1774), a new species for the territory of Serbia (Gastropoda: Thiaridae). Biologica Nyssana, 3(1), 43-45.
Nadaždin, B. & Šeat, J. (2022). New data on Perillus bioculatus (Heteroptera: Pentatomidae) in Serbia: Do climate change and a new food source contribute to the true bug expansion? Acta Entomologica Serbica, 27(2), 83-90.
Pavićević, D., Ivković, S. & Horvat, L. (2014). New and rare species of orthopteroid insects in the fauna of Serbia. Fauna Balkana, 3, 103-122.
Petrović-Obradović, O., Smiljanić, D. & Matijević, M. Č. (2020). Ophraella communa (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) has arrived in Serbia. Acta Entomologica Serbica, 25(2), 101-104.
Sevgili, H. & Yılmaz, K. (2022). Contributions of citizen scientists to monitoring alien species: The case study on Giant Asian Mantes, Hierodula tenuidentata and H. patellifera (Mantodea: Mantidae). Zoology in the Middle East, 68(4), 350-358.
Székely, Á., László, M., Mészáros, Á. & Schlitt, B. P. (2025). New sightings reveal establishment and spread of the allochthonous mantid Ameles spallanzania Rossi, 1792 in Hungary (Insecta, Mantodea). Evolutionary Systematics, 9, 99-106.
Šeat, J., Nadaždin, B. & Šćiban, M. (2020). Acrosternum heegeri (Heteroptera: Pentatomidae) in Serbia. Acta Entomologica Serbica, 25(1), 77-81.
Urošević, A., Anđelković, M., Maričić, M., Vučić, T., Šević, M., Tokić, G. & Tomović, L. (2023a). Further introductions and population establishment of Hemidactylus turcicus (Linnaeus, 1758) in Serbia (Squamata: Gekkonidae). Herpetology Notes, 16, 21-24.
Urošević, A., Maričić, M., Šević, M., Vučić, T., Mirč, M., Tomović, L. & Anđelković, M. (2023b). Note on the further spread of the Kotschy’s Gecko (Mediodactylus kotschyi) in Serbia with pholidosis description. Herpetology Notes, 16, 533-537.
Vasilev, Y., Trifonov, T., Naumova, M. & Hristov, G. (2023). First records of Ameles spallanzania (Rossi, 1792) with new data on the distribution of Hierodula tenuidentata Saussure, 1869 in Bulgaria (Insecta: Mantodea: Mantidae). Historia Naturalis Bulgarica, 45(2), 17-23.
Vujić, M. D., Ivković, S., Rekecki, T., Krstić, D., Stanković, V., Đurić, M. & Tot, I. (2021). A first record of the alien mantis species Hierodula tenuidentata (Mantodea: Mantidae) in Serbia. Acta Entomologica Serbica, 26(1), 1-7.
Vujić, M. & Gojšina, V. (2025). Rumina decollata (Linnaeus, 1758), Decollate Snail (Eupulmonata: Achatinidae), in Serbia: First record of a Mediterranean snail in the country. Journal of Conchology, 45, 461-467.
Vujić, M. & Ivković, S. (2023). New records of allochthonous Hierodula tenuidentata Saussure, 1869 (Mantodea: Mantidae) from Southeastern Europe, with evidence of its spread across the Pannonian Plain. Natura Croatica: Periodicum Musei Historiae Naturalis Croatici, 32(1), 69-79.
Vujić, M., Vesović, N., Šević, M., Maričić, M. & Tot, I. (2022). A new greenhouse invader: The first report of the alien ring-legged earwig, Euborellia annulipes (Dermaptera, Anisolabididae) in Serbia, with the first checklist of earwigs of the country. Travaux du Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle “Grigore Antipa”, 65(2), 27-38.
Yılmaz, K. & Sevgili, H. (2025). Detection of the recent arrivals of Ameles spallanzania and Miomantis paykullii in various European countries through citizen science contributions. Journal of Orthoptera Research, 34(2), 175-180.
Žikić, V., Petrović-Obradović, O., Stanković, S. S., Milošević, M. I., Šćiban, M. & Protić, Lj. (2025). Allochthonous insects in Serbia: data published during the 21st century. Acta Entomologica Serbica, 30(1), 1-18.
Battiston, R., Amerini, R., Di Pietro, W., Guariento, L. A., Bolognin, L. & Moretto, E. (2020). A new alien mantis in Italy: Is the Indochina mantis Hierodula patellifera chasing the train for Europe? Biodiversity Data Journal, 8, e50779.
Gojšina, V., Marković, V. & Vujić, M. (2024). Three new alien freshwater gastropods found in Serbian waters (Gastropoda, Tateidae and Planorbidae). Spixiana, 46(2), 179-186.
Gojšina, V., Páll-Gergely, B., Vujić, M. & Dedov, I. (2022). First record of the genus Xeropicta Monterosato, 1892 (Gastropoda: Eupulmonata: Geomitridae) in Serbia. Folia Malacologica, 30(1).
Martinović, M., Ćato, S., Lengar, M. & Skejo, J. (2022). First records of three exotic giant mantid species on the Croatian coast. Journal of Orthoptera Research, 31(1), 55-61.
Milenković, M. & Gligorijević, V. (2012). Melanoides tuberculata (Müller, 1774), a new species for the territory of Serbia (Gastropoda: Thiaridae). Biologica Nyssana, 3(1), 43-45.
Nadaždin, B. & Šeat, J. (2022). New data on Perillus bioculatus (Heteroptera: Pentatomidae) in Serbia: Do climate change and a new food source contribute to the true bug expansion? Acta Entomologica Serbica, 27(2), 83-90.
Pavićević, D., Ivković, S. & Horvat, L. (2014). New and rare species of orthopteroid insects in the fauna of Serbia. Fauna Balkana, 3, 103-122.
Petrović-Obradović, O., Smiljanić, D. & Matijević, M. Č. (2020). Ophraella communa (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) has arrived in Serbia. Acta Entomologica Serbica, 25(2), 101-104.
Sevgili, H. & Yılmaz, K. (2022). Contributions of citizen scientists to monitoring alien species: The case study on Giant Asian Mantes, Hierodula tenuidentata and H. patellifera (Mantodea: Mantidae). Zoology in the Middle East, 68(4), 350-358.
Székely, Á., László, M., Mészáros, Á. & Schlitt, B. P. (2025). New sightings reveal establishment and spread of the allochthonous mantid Ameles spallanzania Rossi, 1792 in Hungary (Insecta, Mantodea). Evolutionary Systematics, 9, 99-106.
Šeat, J., Nadaždin, B. & Šćiban, M. (2020). Acrosternum heegeri (Heteroptera: Pentatomidae) in Serbia. Acta Entomologica Serbica, 25(1), 77-81.
Urošević, A., Anđelković, M., Maričić, M., Vučić, T., Šević, M., Tokić, G. & Tomović, L. (2023a). Further introductions and population establishment of Hemidactylus turcicus (Linnaeus, 1758) in Serbia (Squamata: Gekkonidae). Herpetology Notes, 16, 21-24.
Urošević, A., Maričić, M., Šević, M., Vučić, T., Mirč, M., Tomović, L. & Anđelković, M. (2023b). Note on the further spread of the Kotschy’s Gecko (Mediodactylus kotschyi) in Serbia with pholidosis description. Herpetology Notes, 16, 533-537.
Vasilev, Y., Trifonov, T., Naumova, M. & Hristov, G. (2023). First records of Ameles spallanzania (Rossi, 1792) with new data on the distribution of Hierodula tenuidentata Saussure, 1869 in Bulgaria (Insecta: Mantodea: Mantidae). Historia Naturalis Bulgarica, 45(2), 17-23.
Vujić, M. D., Ivković, S., Rekecki, T., Krstić, D., Stanković, V., Đurić, M. & Tot, I. (2021). A first record of the alien mantis species Hierodula tenuidentata (Mantodea: Mantidae) in Serbia. Acta Entomologica Serbica, 26(1), 1-7.
Vujić, M. & Gojšina, V. (2025). Rumina decollata (Linnaeus, 1758), Decollate Snail (Eupulmonata: Achatinidae), in Serbia: First record of a Mediterranean snail in the country. Journal of Conchology, 45, 461-467.
Vujić, M. & Ivković, S. (2023). New records of allochthonous Hierodula tenuidentata Saussure, 1869 (Mantodea: Mantidae) from Southeastern Europe, with evidence of its spread across the Pannonian Plain. Natura Croatica: Periodicum Musei Historiae Naturalis Croatici, 32(1), 69-79.
Vujić, M., Vesović, N., Šević, M., Maričić, M. & Tot, I. (2022). A new greenhouse invader: The first report of the alien ring-legged earwig, Euborellia annulipes (Dermaptera, Anisolabididae) in Serbia, with the first checklist of earwigs of the country. Travaux du Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle “Grigore Antipa”, 65(2), 27-38.
Yılmaz, K. & Sevgili, H. (2025). Detection of the recent arrivals of Ameles spallanzania and Miomantis paykullii in various European countries through citizen science contributions. Journal of Orthoptera Research, 34(2), 175-180.
Žikić, V., Petrović-Obradović, O., Stanković, S. S., Milošević, M. I., Šćiban, M. & Protić, Lj. (2025). Allochthonous insects in Serbia: data published during the 21st century. Acta Entomologica Serbica, 30(1), 1-18.