Tenodera australasiae

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.

Tenodera australasiae
Adult female Tenodera australasiae
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Arthropoda
Class:
Insecta
Order:
Mantodea
Family:
Mantidae
Subfamily:
Mantinae
Tribe:
Polyspilotini
Genus:
Tenodera
Species:
T. australasiae
Binomial name
Tenodera australasiae
Leach, 1814
Synonyms
  • Mantis australasiae (Leach, 1814)[1]
  • Mantis darchii (Mac Leay, 1827)[1]
  • Mantis tessellata (Burmeister, 1838)[1]

Range

All of Australia,[2] but said to be absent in New Zealand.[3]

Diet

The purple-winged mantis has varied diet consisting mainly of other insects, however, they have been seen eating much larger animals such as small frogs, lizards etc. Tenodera australasiae can be cannibalistic but not quite an aggressive mantis.

The genus Tenodera has a number of species including:

Tenodera aridifolia,
Tenodera sinensis - Chinese mantis,
Tenodera australasiae - purple-winged mantis,
Tenodera superstitiosa found in Africa.

Additional Images
  • Detailed view of the arm of an adult female Tenodera australasiae
  • Adult male Tenodera australasiae
  • Adult Tenodera australasiae
  • Adult female Tenodera australasiae

See also
  • List of Australian stick insects and mantids
  • Mantodea of Oceania

References
  1. Texas A&M University
  2. www.ces.csiro.au Tenodera australasiae (Leach)
  3. Ramsay, G. W. 1990. Mantodea (Insecta) with a review of aspects of functional morphology and biology. Fauna of New Zealand 19, 96 pages. ISBN 0-477-02581-1. Published 13 June 1990.
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