Monday, July 15, 2013

Unicorn mantis



Unicorn mantis is the common name for several species of praying mantis across different genera with horn-like protrusions on their heads including:
Phthersigena unicornis (Timor unicorn mantis)

 Phyllovates chlorophaea (Texas unicorn mantis, Mexican unicorn mantis)
The Texas Unicorn Mantis (Phyllovates chlorophaea) is a large mantid of Texas and several other southern states. This species has gray-brown legs, neck, and head with green, very leaf-like wings, making it very hard to detect among vegetation.

Pseudovates arizonae (Arizona unicorn mantis
)The Arizona Unicorn Mantis is dark brown with black and light brown stripes. The legs are striped in light and dark brown. The adults have green wings on a dark brown body, as if there are fresh leaves growing on a branch. On their heads they have a little horn (actually two cones close together). Their front legs are rather thin and slightly curved. The section between the forelegs and the rest of the legs and body is long, smooth and thin as a twig. Their camouflage as a stick is amazing.
Pseudovates arizonae will grow until about 6.5 to 7 cm long, with little difference in size between the sexes. The males are thinner with wings that are slightly longer than the abdomen. The females have a wider prothorax than the males and their wings extend to the end of the abdomen. Adult males have much longer antennae than the females.

Zoolea sp. (Paraguay unicorn mantis, etc.)

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