James Wood-Mason was an English zoologist. He was the director of the Indian Museum at Calcutta, after John Anderson. He collected marine animals and lepidoptera, but is best known for his work on two other groups of insects, phasmids and mantises.
Hymenopus coronatus is a mantis from the tropical forests of Southeast Asia. It is known by various common names, including walking flower mantis, orchid-blossom mantis and (pink) orchid mantis. It is one of several species known as flower mantis, a reference to their unique physical form and behaviour, which often involves moving with a “swaying” motion, as if being “blown” in the breeze. Several species have evolved to mimic orchid flowers as a hunting and camouflaging strategy, “hiding” themselves in plain view and preying upon pollinating insects that visit the blooms. They are known to grab their prey with blinding speed.
Creobroter is a genus of flower mantises in the tribe Hymenopodini; species are concentrated in Asia. The name comes from the Greek kreo-, meaning "flesh") and broter" meaning "eating", therefore, "flesh-eating", an apt name for a predatory insect. Both sexes have long wings and are capable fliers. Full-grown males are about 3 to 4 cm in length; females are about 4 to 5 cm.
Choeradodis is a genus of praying mantises with common names such as shield mantis, hood mantis, and leaf mantis because of their extended, leaf-like thoraces. The distinguishing characteristic of Choreododis from which it takes its common names is a laterally expanded thorax. This adaptation for the purpose of camouflage, as well as a rounded wing case and a habit of staying relatively flattened, aid its leaf mimicry. Tiny liverworts, lichens and fungi have been found growing on the pronotum and wing case of many Choeradodis mantids; these appear to be opportunistic growths rather than an example of coevolution with the mantids to afford extra camouflage.
Archimantis is a genus of praying mantis found in Australia. These species are ranging from 150 mm to 180mm, and can be quite aggressive when full adult.
Paraoxypilus is a genus of mantis, known as the boxer bark mantises. They are native to Australia and Oceania.
Statilia maculata, common name Asian jumping mantis or "小蟷螂", ko-kamakiri or "좀사마귀", joem-sa-ma-gui, is a species of mantis native to Asia that can be found in Romania, China and Japan and Korea, Jamaica and Sri Lanka.
Brunneria is a genus of praying mantises in family Mantidae. They are often called stick mantis for their slender shape and the species of the genus are native to the Americas.
Paratoxodera cornicollis, common name giant Malaysian stick mantis, is a species of praying mantis found in Indonesia (Java).
Grass mantis is a common name mostly given to various species of praying mantis that mimic grass or other slender vegetation. Species to which this name has been applied include but are not limited to:
Rhombodera is a genus of praying mantises native to Asia and possessing common names such as shield mantis, hood mantis, and leaf mantis because of their extended, leaf-like thoraxes.
Ground mantis is a common name given to various species of praying mantis believed to hunt on or near ground level rather than high amid foliage.
Tenodera australasiae, the purple-winged mantis, is species of praying mantis. Found throughout Australia, it is common in the eastern regions. Both males and females are capable of flight. The species has not been shown to be parthenogenetic.
Hierodula doveri is a species of praying mantis in the family Mantidae. Their habitat is West Bengal, India
The bark mantises and ground mantises are praying mantises now placed in the family Eremiaphilidae that are native to the Afrotropics. They are generally light brown but more silvery on the wings. The wings are attractively reticulated, and the veins may be mottled dark and pale. The head is wider than the pronotum, which is rounded anteriorly, and doesn't overlap with the rear of the head. The pronotum is depressed, with its sides more or less parallel, and only a weak supra-coxal bulge is present. The anterior tibia are flattened and greatly expanded longitudinally, and the tibial claw does not fit into a pit between the 1st and 2nd external spines of the anterior femora, as in a few mantis groups.
Mantises are an order (Mantodea) of insects that contains over 2,400 species in about 460 genera in 33 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.
Toxodera is the type genus of mantises in the family Toxoderidae, known for their stick mimicry. There are four confirmed species in Borneo restricted to old-growth forests, and are considered to be rare. Species of the South-East Asian Toxoderini inhabit beneath the forest canopy. Not much is known regarding their ecology. Males however, are often attracted to lights. One species, Toxodera maxima, can reach 18 cm in total length.
Oligonyx is a genus of mantises in the family Thespidae.
Coptopterygidae is a family of mantises in the order Mantodea. There are at least 2 genera and more than 20 described species in Coptopterygidae.
