Species Stagmomantis limbata - Bordered Mantis

Arizona Bordered Mantis, Arizona Mantis

Stagmomantis limbata (Hahn 1835)

Moderately large Mantid. Facial plate (below and between antennae) about twice as wide as long (as for genus), eyes not as protruding as in Carolina Mantid. Females most often fairly plain green (often yellowish abdomen), but sometimes gray, or light brown, with dark spot in middle of tegmina. Tegmina do not completely cover wide abdomen. Hind wings checkered or striped yellow. Blue upper lip more pronounced in females, brighter in green forms and darker in brown forms.

Males slender, long-winged, variable in color but most often green and brown with sides of folded tegmina green and top brownish (may be solid gray, brown, green, or any combination of these). Abdomen without prominent dark spots on top. Wings transparent, usually with cloudy brownish spots on outer half.

sw US (CA to CO-TX) to Venezuela(1)

Variable, often in open semi-arid areas in tall forbs, shrubs, or trees, but more abundant in lusher, often riparian and wooded areas of streamsides, roadsides, canyons, in towns, etc.

Overwinter as eggs; hatch in spring or early summer; adults mostly in summer and autumn. Females in particular may sometimes survive well into winter.

males often fly to lights in numbers; females flightless