Stealth, streamline and speed best describes the Striped Mantis
The cross-crossing stripes on its wings and the mottled pattern are key features
The agile and rapid raptorial front legs are its main armaments
The piercing eyes of a fearsome predator
Wielding its weapons for battle! En garde!
A nymph out in dry branches away from its hiding place
The young predator on the move
The young predator striking a pose on top of a rock
Its time for a little grooming - antennae cleaning moment!
This thick green and white desert bush serves as their hiding and hunting place
It was a cool and windy morning, perfect for an ascend unto the rocky foothills at the Wadi Al Munay, Hajjar Mountains, RAK. From a thick green and white bush, I spotted something moving. I have learned to be extremely careful and mindful with moving objects in the desert vegetation. You might never know if its a snake, a scorpion or spider lurking in the bushes! Behold it was another creature designed for stealth - a perfectly camouflaged Striped Mantis! I got the chance to spot it, as it was moving away from its green and white cover unto a new branch it search for a suitable ambush site.
The Stiped Mantis are large mantis species reaching up to 5 to 6cm. Bright green with white stripes making them perfectly camouflaged in desert vegetation. They have a large disc at the top of their prothorax that conceals their front legs. The front legs (raptorial legs) bear series of spikes that aid in the secure and rapid capture of prey.
The males are more slender compared to the females with the tip of their wings reaching over the tip of the abdomen. The females are broader in size, with a wider prothorax with its wings just reaching the tip of the abdomen. Males have long feathery antennae. Females have long, thin antennae.
Nymphs looks similar in appearance and color patterns with the adults but lacks the functional wings and reproductive organs.
This mantis is also called as the Devils Flower Mantis, Thistle Mantis and Arab Mantis.
DISTRIBUTION of STRIPED MANTIS
The Striped Mantis is present in North Africa (Morocco, Somalia, Sudan, Mauritania), the Middle East (Jordan, Israel, Saudi Arabia, Oman, the United Arab Emirates), South Asia (Afghanistan, India, Pakistan), the Mediterranean (Cyprus, Turkey) and the Canary Islands.
BIODYNAMICS NOTES
The Striped Mantis showcases a deimatic display wherein it will raise its wings and holds its forelegs sideways. This posture will make the mantis look very big and the bright colors much visible. This stand is meant to scare away predators.
Noted as fearsome predators, they are well camouflage in low vegetation in search for insects and spiders. They lie motionless in vegetation to ambush the prey that lands and pass by. This vicious attacks are carried out by its spiked forelegs.
The Striped Mantis are observed to be less aggressive compared with other mantis species. Wherein they tend to avoid larger organisms. However the females mantids can still attack and feed on the male during mating and feed on them (such a dangerous love affair).
Females can produced 10 to 400 eggs after mating.
Adult lifespan can reach up to 10-12 months.
I truly had an awesome time observing and photo capturing these awesome insect predators! I feel they also like to pose for my camera as I disturbed them from their secured vegetation hideaway.
Awesome creature! Awesome CREATOR!
Thanks for your support and careful attention.
If you need Pest Management Training, Technical Field Support, On-Line and On-Site Consultancy, please feel free to send me an email: odelon.reyes@gmail.com
