Mantis religiosa

badala from Leiria, Portugal

Splendid capture!

27 Jul 2007 4:44am

Andrew from New York, United States

Sorry, but she's not a European Mantis (M. religiosa), she's probably a Sphodromantis (Hierodula) lineola. Religiosa doesn't have the spot on each forewing, or the extended area of yellow running along most of the lower edge of the fore coxae (they have a black tipped orange area on the end of each claw, and a black and white eyespot on the inner surface of the basal segment of each coxa, instead) Most of the Sphodromantis species don't have the extensive yellow area on the fore coxae common among S. lineola. She's also carotene deficient (as are most captive mantids); this doesn't seem to harm them, but accounts for her pastel bluish coloration. Wild and carotene supplemented green morph Sphodromantis are VERY vivid jade green as adults.

18 Jan 2008 12:40am

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