Archimantis latistyla
Encyclopedia
Archimantis latistyla, commonly known as the large brown mantis (also known as the stick mantis or Australian mantis) is a species of mantid
native to Australia
. The large brown mantis has a few subspecies, and one of them is the stick mantis ghost from Bundabergs Turtle Sands. The stick mantis ghosts are not as aggressive as the original species but have a defense display used to make the mantis appear larger by flinging its front legs into the air and putting its head down along with its antennae
. Large brown mantids are light brown with short winged female and a long winged male. The subspecies from Bundaberg is a pale cream white with a yellow and black eye in between the arms (one and a half times the size of the original species). The large
brown
mantis female
is called "short winged"—the pair of wings reach only half her abdomen
and she is not able to fly
—but the long winged male has wings that cover the entire abdomen. The wings have four sets of wings and wing covers. The top set are the covers and the bottom wings enable the mantis to fly.
stick mantis is smaller than the female and is about 99 mm long and can fly; the female cannot fly
and is about 110 mm long. Reproduction occurs when the male injects a single sperm at a time and can last up to half an hour. When mating, the male ejaculates on the female with a miniature penis which is then inserted into a tiny opening at the female's posterior. The male clips its abdomen to the female's egg holding compartment and then the male inserts a single sperm at a time.
Mantidae
Mantidae is the largest family of the order Mantodea, commonly known as praying mantises; most are tropical or subtropical. Historically, this was the only family in the order, and many references still use the term "mantid" to refer to any mantis. Technically, however, "mantid" refers only to...
native to Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. The large brown mantis has a few subspecies, and one of them is the stick mantis ghost from Bundabergs Turtle Sands. The stick mantis ghosts are not as aggressive as the original species but have a defense display used to make the mantis appear larger by flinging its front legs into the air and putting its head down along with its antennae
Antenna (biology)
Antennae in biology have historically been paired appendages used for sensing in arthropods. More recently, the term has also been applied to cilium structures present in most cell types of eukaryotes....
. Large brown mantids are light brown with short winged female and a long winged male. The subspecies from Bundaberg is a pale cream white with a yellow and black eye in between the arms (one and a half times the size of the original species). The large
Large
Large is an English surname, with variants including, but not limited too Lardge, Lurge, and Larg. Its meaning is variable, though it may derive from the Norman French adjective, large , as it is found in the surname "le Large" in English records dating back as far...
brown
Brown
Brown is a color term, denoting a range of composite colors produced by a mixture of orange, red, rose, or yellow with black or gray. The term is from Old English brún, in origin for any dusky or dark shade of color....
mantis female
Female
Female is the sex of an organism, or a part of an organism, which produces non-mobile ova .- Defining characteristics :The ova are defined as the larger gametes in a heterogamous reproduction system, while the smaller, usually motile gamete, the spermatozoon, is produced by the male...
is called "short winged"—the pair of wings reach only half her abdomen
Abdomen
In vertebrates such as mammals the abdomen constitutes the part of the body between the thorax and pelvis. The region enclosed by the abdomen is termed the abdominal cavity...
and she is not able to fly
Fly
True flies are insects of the order Diptera . They possess a pair of wings on the mesothorax and a pair of halteres, derived from the hind wings, on the metathorax...
—but the long winged male has wings that cover the entire abdomen. The wings have four sets of wings and wing covers. The top set are the covers and the bottom wings enable the mantis to fly.
Behavior
These large brown mantids are aggressive as adults and are known to attack large prey, such as small birds, and rarely, fish, frogs, and lizards. The large brown mantids are cannibalistic and are known to attack humans if disturbed or not handled properly. They can also jump about a meter from a perched spot to escape enemies.Reproduction
The maleMale
Male refers to the biological sex of an organism, or part of an organism, which produces small mobile gametes, called spermatozoa. Each spermatozoon can fuse with a larger female gamete or ovum, in the process of fertilization...
stick mantis is smaller than the female and is about 99 mm long and can fly; the female cannot fly
Fly
True flies are insects of the order Diptera . They possess a pair of wings on the mesothorax and a pair of halteres, derived from the hind wings, on the metathorax...
and is about 110 mm long. Reproduction occurs when the male injects a single sperm at a time and can last up to half an hour. When mating, the male ejaculates on the female with a miniature penis which is then inserted into a tiny opening at the female's posterior. The male clips its abdomen to the female's egg holding compartment and then the male inserts a single sperm at a time.
External links
- Mantids on geocities.com (Archived 2009-10-25)
- Mantids on ozanimals.com
Sources
- The 10 species in the genus
- A. monstrosa
- Latistyla
- Mantid devours flower wasp
- Underside of male showing 6 segments
See also
- Long & short winged-BrachypterousBrachypterousBrachyptery is an anatomical condition meaning that an animal has very reduced, non-functional wings. Such as animal may be described by the adjective "brachypterous"....
- Sphodropoda tristis
- Orthodera ministralisOrthodera ministralisOrthodera ministralis, common name Garden Mantis or Australian Green Mantis, is a species of praying mantis from Australia. The Garden Mantis inhabits the whole of Australia, and can often be found in hidden in leafy scrub from ground to eye level....
- A. monstrosa
- List of mantis genera and species