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- This page contains pictures and information about Boxer Bark Mantids that we found
in the Brisbane area, Queensland, Australia.
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 - Female, body length 20mm
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- We used to put this Boxer Bark Mantid II together with the Boxer Bark
Mantid I as one species. Then we found they look quite different and
thought they may be in different species and put them in separated pages.
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- The male and female of Boxer Bark Mantid species Paraoxypilus are markedly
dissimilar to each other. The male is winged, slender and a little longer in
body length. They have the cryptic colours and hard to be seen on bark.
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- During bush-walking along Stockyard Creek in Burbank, we found two Bark
Mantids moving on ground among the dry gum tree leaves and falling barks. One
was dark grey and the other was brown in colour. They were well camouflage and
we can only see then because they are moving.
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- The Boxer Bark Mantids that we found are wingless, so they should be females
(male is winged and with slender body, see below). They have long legs and holding their front pair of legs
in 'boxing' display as most other praying mantids.
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 - We also found them in a Bushland near Tingalpa Reservoir. It was hunting
on a large smooth bark gum tree trunk, ran onto the forest floor when we
came close.
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- Like some other praying mantids, they also have colour patches on their inner forelegs.
This Boxer Bark Mantids have the orange ones. It
is believed this is a territorial display to space out individuals of the same
species.
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- Reference and links:
- 1. Insects
of Australia, CSIRO, Division of Entomology, Melbourne University
Press, 2nd Edition 1991, p 353-354.
- 2. Insects of Australia and New Zealand - R. J. Tillyard, Angus &
Robertson, Ltd, Sydney, 1926, p93.
- 3. Insects of Australia - Hangay, George, & German, Pavel, Reed New Holland, Sydney, 2000. p41.
- 4. Wildlife of Greater Brisbane - Published by Queensland
Museum 1995, p72.
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