New sightings reveal establishment and spread of the allochthonous mantid Ameles spallanzania Rossi, 1792 in Hungary (Insecta, Mantodea)

Biological invasions driven by climate change are one of the major challenges of today’s native ecosystems. One species that undergoes such a phenomenon is Ameles spallanzania Rossi, 1792 (Insecta, Mantodea, Amelidae), a Mediterranean mantid with an extensive range expansion over the last few years. Although several studies mention this northward shift, only one occurrence has been published from Hungary until now. We present all the 27 new localities and data on this allochthonous species, concluding that it has established breeding populations in Hungary, with a growing number of observations suggesting continued expansion towards Central Europe.