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Project Noah Nature School
Empusa Fasciata
Very small. brown in color.
Hi hexforlife, I believe this is a Carolina Mantis nymph. There is a good chance this a male since it has a long, slender body. As far as I know, Empusa fasciata, does not occur in the United States.
Here are some pictures Carolina Mantis males to compare with yours:
http://bugguide.net/node/view/31536
http://bugguide.net/node/view/323467
http://bugguide.net/node/view/143437
They are an attractive native species to North America.
I'd say that it was a nymph of the conehead mantis (Empusa fasciata) or similar empusa type, mainly because of the banded colouring on the forelegs, and the odd shape of the head.
Spotted on Aug 3, 2011
Submitted on Aug 3, 2011
