*** Welcome to piglix ***

Sphodromantis gastrica

African mantis
African Green Mantis (Sphodromantis gastrica) (14051620003).jpg
Adult in the Kruger Park, South Africa
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Mantodea
Family: Mantidae
Genus: Sphodromantis
Species: S. gastrica
Binomial name
Sphodromantis gastrica
Stål, 1858

Sphodromantis gastrica, with the common names African mantis or common green mantis, is a species of praying mantis from Africa.

It averages 65–75 millimetres (2.6–3.0 in) in body length, and has a very diverse diet, hunting any pray of reasonable size.

Previously classified as Hierodula bicarinata (Saussure, 1869) and as Sphodromantis guttata (Giglio-Tos, 1907), this species has been found in South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Democratic Republic of Congo, and East Africa.

Dorsal aspect of a late instar female, showing wing-pads

Immature female

Sphodromantis eating bee


...
Wikipedia

...