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Acanthopid Mantid
Acontista sp.
16.73, -92.97
Field Notes
Description:
A wonderful chunky Mantid with both the wings and the abdomen in matching banded coloring. Some bright red on the lower abdomen as well. The raptorial front legs were extremely large and powerful. It blended into the leaves and shadows of the trees really well. About 3 cm long. This appears to be a Flower Mantis species of Acontista (or now Acontiothespis?) in the family Acanthopidae. Acontista mantises also appear to be parthenogenic
(http://www.usamantis.com/9-3-10amulticolor.html). I don't yet know which species this is since there are too few pictures and none of Acontista mexicana.
Habitat:
Forest on the edge of the highway between San Cristobal de Las Casas and Tuxtla Gutierrez, Km. 11.5. Chiapas, Mexico.
Notes:
Acontista mexicana is a species of mantis in the genus Acontista in the family Acromantinae. Acanthopidae is a family of praying mantis in the order Mantodea. Mantodea or mantises is an order of insects that contains approximately 2,200 species in nine families worldwide in temperate and tropical habitats. Most of the species are in the family Mantidae. Historically, the term "mantid" was used to refer to any member of the order because for most of the past century, only one family was recognized within the order; technically, however, the term only refers to this one family, meaning the species in the other eight recently established families are not mantids, by definition (i.e., they are empusids, or hymenopodids, etc.), and the term "mantises" should be used when referring to the entire order.
https://www.morebooks.de/store/es/book/acontista-mexicana/isbn/978-613-…. See also:
http://www.jeunescientifiques.com/#!mantodea/e9ubi
http://www.mantodea.cz/Acontista-multicolor.html?fotka=1
http://www.flickriver.com/photos/tags/prayingmantis/interesting/
http://www.flickriver.com/photos/46613803@N05/popular-interesting/
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