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Flower Mantis

Creobroter

Photo by pamsai
Published on Project Noah
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Field Notes

Description:

Flower Mantis is a common name given to various species of praying mantis that mimic flowers. Seems like this little one could be a nymph of Harpagomantis tricolor.

Notes:

this little one looked like someone spray-painted a praying mantis. He was tiny, less than a half inch long, and very shy. We played hide and seek and chase all round the petal of this flower - an adenium - for a long while before I got this shot!

Reference Links:

Harpagomantis tricolor - Gurders Mantis

Species ID Suggestions

Flower Mantis

Creobroter
Mr. Goldfish
0

praying mantis
Vishu
2

Comments (14)
pamsai
Well that's another one cleared up and identified! Thanks all...
pamsai
thank you Mr Goldfish! I will change it to your ID...Many thanks.
Mr. Goldfish
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Binomial_nomenclature Harpagomantis tricolour are from Africa. Creobroter live in India. Harpagomantis tricolour are tiny, maybe thinner in width than your pinkie finger. Creobroter are larger but some species of Creobroter are kind of small. Yours in your picture is a nymph so it might be small. Video of Creobroter. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dYNRxvJCVgk Harpagomantis tricolour pictures. http://www.mantodeenforum.de/index.php?page=Thread&threadID=4440
pamsai
I have 2 ID's for this flower Mantis, Harpagomantis tricolor and Creobroter. Any help would be gratefully accepted...
pamsai
thanks Maria dB and oxyjack for your comments of a year ago that I have just now noticed! Sorry...
pamsai
Sorry Ashish, someone just gave me a new ID for this mantis and I noticed your comment of a year ago. Not sure what Binomal ID means, and the link now longer seems relevant. Any comment?
Mr. Goldfish
Not Harpagomantis tricolour. I think it is Creobroter.
Ashish
Pam.. This is Binomial ID... http://www.gurdersmantis.com/harpagomantistricolor.htm
oxyjack
Yes, this is a flower mantis. Instead of looking like leaves to camouflage their presence, they look like flowers. Orchid mimicking mantids are a good example. http://www.oddee.com/_media/imgs/articles/a421_orchid.jpg
Vishu
praying mantis are of many colors and sizes.
Vishu
yaa , but those called common praying mantis.
pamsai
thanks Vishu, but aren't praying mantis green, and bigger?

Spotted for Missions

Mission
Tamil Nadu Biodiversity
Photographed
PublishedMarch 15, 2012

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