Stats

Lifespan: Up to 1 yr
Size: Medium
Diet: Insectivore
Activity: Diurnal
Social: Solitary
Biome: Desert
Range: North America
Movement: Walking
Breeding: Egg-laying
Defense: Camouflage
Status: Common

About

The Arizona Mantis is one of the largest praying mantises native to North America, with females reaching up to 7 cm and sometimes too heavy to fly despite their full wings. They are ambush predators capable of taking prey far larger than typical insect fare, including hummingbirds and small lizards.

Life cycle

1.
egg
A small egg is laid on or near the larval food source and hatches within days or weeks.
2.
juvenile
An immature insect feeds and molts, growing through successive instars.
3.
subadult
A near-adult insect has wing buds or near-mature form, one molt away from full size.
4.
adult
Fully grown, with full wings and adult coloration.

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Taxonomy

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Mantodea
Family: Mantidae
Genus: Stagmomantis
Species: Stagmomantis limbata