Common Green or Giant Mantid

Description:

a robust bright green, leaf coloured mantid with a prominent white spot near the upper corner of each fore wing. The legs are showing a hint of pink which is common in this species where the under surface of the abdomen can be yellow and mauve. This is probably a female due to the plumpness of the abdomen, males are usually thinner.

Habitat:

This species is the commonest mantid in South Africa and Botswana. This particular individual came into the kitchen on our smallholding on the outskirts of the city (poulation +/- 200 000 to put this into perspective) one evening. It was intent on ambushing prey species attracted to the lights. The region experiences a hot, dry climate with summer rainfall averaging 500mm p.a.

Notes:

Photo 3 was taken in the kitchen and then I moved her outside into the garden where she conveniently took up station on the underside of a horizontal stem (photos 1 & 2)