mantid ID?

I know, no pic. Working on that, have to borrow a camera. I found a couple of bright green mantises in my yard this summer in Scottsdale, AZ. The one I found in July is now about 4" (well fed all summer) and the other I found a couple weeks ago and is about 3". I've seen a few of these over the years in my yard, and they all appear to be of this species. Look like your classic mantis, similar to Chinese that I used to see in Pennsylvania, but much smaller. Also much the same shape and size as the Carolina mantises I saw in PA, but not brownish like those. A friend and I want to buy some Ootheca and let the babies loose in our yards and gardens once they hatch, but I want to be sure to get the native species. Someone posted the scientific name here once, but I can't find it. I'd also like to know the common name. If anyone can help me before I post a pic, that would be great.

Thanks,
John

Is it this species?
http://www.bugsincyberspace.com/mantids/stagmomantis_limbata.html

Thanks, Navaros. I don't think that's him, though. No stripes on the wings and mine is not as heavily bodied. Looks more like the AZ Tan Mantis (S. gracilipes), but not sure. Guess I am going to have to borrow a damn camera after all...

what about Iris oratoria thata found in Az

Wayne, he looks alot like Iris oratoria, but doesn't have the "distinctive orange spot" on the abdomen, at least I can't find it, so I'm stumped. Still might be the one though, cause it fits in every other way. Unfortunately he died this morning. The other one that I gave to my friend is still alive, so I'm going to try to get a picture of him if I can find someone who has a digital camera.

The Stagmomantis are highly variable. I collected a very pale, nearly white, specimen in southren Arizona and she laid an ootheca and I raised about 25 of the babies. There were brown ones, various shade of green ones, as well as some of the nearly white ones. Even S. carolina ar very variable, from the gray bark-like form, to the brown dead leaf form to the bright green form.

I'm betting on Stagmomantis as your genus, at least.

Wade