KevinsWither
Arachnodemon
- Joined
- Jul 11, 2014
- Messages
- 671
I don't see characteristic black spot on the front femur, near coxa. I think it may be another species (or North American populations of M. religiosa have different coloration).Mantis religiosa, European mantis.
You are right too I see that spend too much time with beetles(...)
By the way, the spot is on the coxa, not the femur. It's confusing on mantids because the front coxae are so enlarged and the whole leg functions differently, but the femur is the "middle" section with the movable spines.
This is just barely a logical sentence. It only works if you are neglecting mantids for beetles.I see that I spend too much time with beetles
I'm coleopterologistThis is just barely a logical sentence. It only works if you are neglecting mantids for beetles.
They probably do suppress a few species with their ability to go long times without food or water. Many of our native species in the southwest are more agile and quick, like ground mantids, which are active and run their prey down.. I'd say stagmomantis is probably the one mantid species in danger of extirpation, should iris' numbers get out of hand. Fortunately, lots of animals like to eat themLooks female to me, probably not gravid though. I counted six visbible abdominal segments and I think I can see her ovipositor, mantids are easy to sex by looking at the end of the abdomen. They are technically invasive, introduced from overseas, but I don't know if they've had any appreciable ecological impact. Bugguide says that its range is expanding.
I don't know if this species has a preference about where it lays, but I would guess that oothecae could be found on walls and sturdy plants, maybe rocks and logs.