About

The Mantodea or praying mantids (the fore legs are raised as if in the act of prayer), are predacious. They have voracious appetites and for this reason they are sometimes, incorrectly, called "Preying Mantids". Mantids will eat prey of a similar size to themselves, and bigger species will eat vertebrates including mice and lizards. The mantid in this key is represented by only one genus, Pseudocreobotra. The most characteristic feature of Mantodea is the arrangement of the front pair of legs, which are armed with strong spines used to grasp prey. The prothorax is very elongated, and the head is very mobile, allowing the insect to follow the movements of its prey. It has a cryptic coloration for hiding in foliage. The Pseudocreobotra pronotum is laterally expanded. The abdomen is laterally exposed and uncovered by the wings at rest and the fore wing is green with a large circular or eye-ring pattern.