List of Australian stick insects and mantids

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This is an incomplete list of Mantids and stick insects found in Australia.

Phasmatodea order of insects

The Phasmatodea are an order of insects whose members are variously known as stick insects, stick-bugs, walking sticks or bug sticks. They are generally referred to as phasmatodeans, phasmids, or ghost insects. Phasmids in the family Phylliidae are called leaf insects, leaf-bugs, walking leaves, or bug leaves. The group's name is derived from the Ancient Greek φάσμα phasma, meaning an apparition or phantom, referring to their resemblance to vegetation while in fact being animals. Their natural camouflage makes them difficult for predators to detect; still, many species have one of several secondary line of defence in the form of startle displays, spines or toxic secretions. The genus Phobaeticus includes the world's longest insects.

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Common Species

<i>Orthodera ministralis</i> species of insect

Orthodera ministralis, common name garden mantis or Australian green mantis, is a species of praying mantis from Australia. The garden mantis inhabits the whole of Australia, and can often be found hidden in leafy scrub from ground to eye level. It feeds on small insects by ambushing them.

<i>Archimantis monstrosa</i> species of insect

Archimantis monstrosa is 1 of 10 species in the genus Archimantis. A. monstrosa, or Monster Mantis, commonly reaching a length of 90mm or more. It is less common than the often-seen Large-Brown Mantis. A. monstrosa living near the coast can get quite large and sometimes will attack much larger prey.

<i>Archimantis latistyla</i> species of insect

Archimantis latistyla, commonly known as the large brown mantis is a species of mantid native to Australia. The large brown mantis has two subspecies, a widespread subspecies and the stick mantis ghost from Bundabergs Turtle Sands. The stick mantis ghosts are not as aggressive as the widespread species but have a defense display used to make the mantis appear larger by flinging its front legs into the air and putting its head down along with its antennae. Large brown mantids are light brown with short winged female and a long winged male. The subspecies from Bundaberg is a pale cream white with a yellow and black eye in between the arms. The large brown mantis female is short winged - her wings reach only half her abdomen and she is not able to fly—but the long winged male has wings that cover the entire abdomen. They have two pairs of wings - the top pair are the wing covers and the bottom wings enable the mantis to fly.

See also

Related Research Articles

Pterygota subclass of insects

The Pterygota are a subclass of insects that includes the winged insects. It also includes insect orders that are secondarily wingless.

Exopterygota superorder of insects

The Exopterygota, also known as Hemipterodea, are a superorder of insects of the subclass Pterygota in the infraclass Neoptera, in which the young resemble adults but have externally developing wings. They undergo a modest change between immature and adult, without going through a pupal stage. The nymphs develop gradually into adults through a process of moulting.

Tegmen

A tegmen designates the modified leathery front wing on an insect particularly in the orders Dermaptera (earwigs), Orthoptera, Mantodea, Phasmatodea and Blattodea (cockroaches).

<i>Extatosoma tiaratum</i> species of insect

Extatosoma tiaratum, commonly known as the Giant prickly stick insect, the spiny leaf insect, Macleay's spectre, or the Australian walking stick, is a large species of stick insect endemic to Australia. The species has the Phasmid Study Group number PSG9.

<i>Acrophylla titan</i> species of insect

Acrophylla titan, the titan stick insect, is the second-longest stick insect found in Australia.

False garden mantis one of the most common species of mantis in Australia

The false garden mantis is one of the most common species of mantis in Australia. Females reach 70 mm while males reach 50 mm.

<i>Eurycnema goliath</i> species of insect

Eurycnema goliath, the Goliath stick insect, is one of the largest stick insects in Australia. The first instar of a nymph is small, brown, and ant-like, without wings, however the adult insects are green and yellow, though colors can slightly vary, are very large, and have wings.

The pink-winged phasma is a species of phasmid that is endemic to Australia.

Stick mantis

Stick mantis and twig mantis are common names applied to numerous species of mantis that mimic sticks or twigs as camouflage. Often the name serves to identify entire genera such as is the case with:

<i>Bolbe</i> (genus) genus of insects

Bolbe is a genus of praying mantises, sometimes called by the common name Ground Mantis, that is found in Australia. It is in the family Iridopterygidae of the order Mantodea, the mantis.

<i>Bolbe pygmaea</i> species of insect

Bolbe pygmaea is a species of praying mantis in the genus Bolbe in the family Iridopterygidae of the order Mantodea. It is endemic to Australia.

<i>Tenodera australasiae</i> species of insect

Tenodera australasiae, the purple-winged mantis, is species of praying mantis. Found in Australia, it is common in most parts of Brisbane (QLD). Both males and females are capable of flight. The species has not been shown to be parthenogenetic.

Orthopterida

The Orthopterida is a superorder of the Polyneoptera that represents the extant orders Orthoptera, and Phasmatodea. The Orthopterida also includes the extinct orders Titanoptera and Caloneurodea. There is general consensus of monophyly in this superorder, based on reduction of the second valvulae, an ovipositor derived from the gonoplac, and an enlarged precostal region on the forewing.

Mantis order of insects

Mantises are an order (Mantodea) of insects that contains over 2,400 species in about 430 genera in 15 families. The largest family is the Mantidae ("mantids"). Mantises are distributed worldwide in temperate and tropical habitats. They have triangular heads with bulging eyes supported on flexible necks. Their elongated bodies may or may not have wings, but all Mantodea have forelegs that are greatly enlarged and adapted for catching and gripping prey; their upright posture, while remaining stationary with forearms folded, has led to the common name praying mantis.

References

"Stick insects and praying mantids - Phasmatodea and Mantodea". FaunaBase. Australian Museum. Archived from the original on July 21, 2008. Retrieved 2008-10-09.

Australian Museum museum in Sydney, Australia

The Australian Museum is a heritage-listed museum at 1 William Street, Sydney central business district, New South Wales, Australia currently under renovation. It is the oldest museum in Australia, with an international reputation in the fields of natural history and anthropology. It was first conceived and developed along the contemporary European model of an encyclopedic warehouse of cultural and natural history and features collections of vertebrate and invertebrate zoology, as well as mineralogy, palaeontology and anthropology. Apart from exhibitions, the museum is also involved in Indigenous studies research and community programs. In the museum's early years, collecting was its main priority, and specimens were commonly traded with British and other European institutions. The scientific stature of the museum was established under the curatorship of Gerard Krefft, himself a published scientist.