''Stagmomantis limbata'',

common name In biology, a common name of a taxon or organism (also known as a vernacular name, English name, colloquial name, country name, popular name, or farmer's name) is a name that is based on the normal language of everyday life; and is often contrast ...

bordered mantis, bosque mantis, Arizona mantis, or New Mexico praying mantis, is a

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...

of praying mantis native to North America, most prevalent in the south-western United States. This beneficial insect is green or beige in color and grows up to around 3 inches long.

Behavior

''Stagmomantis limbata'' are attracted to lights, and males often fly to lights in numbers, but females are unable to fly.

Description

''S. limbata ''is one of the largest

mantid Mantidae is one of the largest families in the order of praying mantises, based on the type species ''Mantis religiosa''; however, most genera are tropical or subtropical. Historically, this was the only family in the order, and many reference ...

s native to North America, though it is much smaller than some African and Asian mantids such as species in the genera ''

Sphodromantis ''Sphodromantis'' is a large genus of praying mantises concentrated in Africa, sometimes considered a synonym of the genus ''Hierodula'': from the same tribe, Paramantini. Outside their range especially, many share the common name African Mantis ...

'' and ''

Hierodula ''Hierodula'' is a genus of praying mantids in the tribe Hierodulini, found throughout Asia. Many species are referred to by the common name giant Asian mantis because of their large size compared to other mantids. Their large size and vibrant co ...

''. The facial plate (below and between antennae) is about twice as wide as it is long, typical of the

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...

, though the eyes are not as protruding as the

Carolina Mantid The Carolina mantis (''Stagmomantis carolina'') is a species of praying mantis of the subfamily Stagmomantinae. Sexual cannibalism occurs in roughly one quarter of all intersexual encounters of this species, though specimens of this species w ...

's. Females are most often fairly plain green (often with a yellowish abdomen), but sometimes gray, or light brown, with dark spot in middle of the tegmina, which do not completely cover the wide abdomen. Hind wings may be checkered or striped yellow. Males are slender, long-winged, and variable in color, but most often green and brown with the sides of the folded tegmina green and top brownish (may be solid gray, brown, green, or any combination of these). Abdomen without prominent dark spots on top. The wings are transparent, usually with cloudy brownish spots on outer half.

Habitat

Variable, often in open semi-arid areas in tall forbs, shrubs, or trees, but more abundant in lusher, often riparian and wooded areas of streamsides, roadsides, canyons, in towns, etc.

Range

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...

Southern California Southern California (commonly shortened to SoCal) is a geographic and Cultural area, cultural region that generally comprises the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. It includes the Los Angeles metropolitan area, the second most po ...

, north into

Colorado Colorado (, other variants) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It encompasses most of the Southern Rocky Mountains, as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of t ...

and

Utah Utah ( , ) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. Utah is a landlocked U.S. state bordered to its east by Colorado, to its northeast by Wyoming, to its north by Idaho, to its south by Arizona, and to it ...

, south into

Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...

Additional Images

File:Mantis wings spreaqd.jpg, Adult female ''Stagmomantis limbata'' File:Praying mantis in SoCal.JPG, Adult female ''Stagmomantis limbata'' File:Praying Mantis - jsmith.JPG, Adult female ''Stagmomantis limbata'' File:Praying mantis in SoCal 2.JPG, Adult female ''Stagmomantis limbata'' File:Mantis and Eggs 2952.jpg, Adult female ''Stagmomantis limbata'' laying an ootheca File:Prayingmantisdefense.jpg, Adult female ''Stagmomantis limbata''

References