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Garden Praying Mantid - Orthodera ministralis
Family MANTIDAE
- This page contains information and pictures about Garden Praying Mantids that we found in the Brisbane area, Queensland, Australia.
- Body length 40mm
- Garden Praying Mantids are also known as Green Mantids. As compare with other mantids, they are small to medium in size. They are green in colour with the relative wide and straight flat thorax. Their forewings cover all of its abdomen.
- Male, body length 40mm
- Garden Praying Mantids are one of the most common seen mantids in Brisbane. They live in gardens and feed on different kinds of small insects.
- Female, body length 40mm
- When we took the above picture, this female adult mantid was hunting the small moths on the plant outside our house. Female Garden Praying Mantid lay eggs in oothecae which is hard and woody look, usually attached to leaf, stem, fences or well.
- Nymph, length 20mm
- Garden Praying Mantids are one of the most common seen mantids in Brisbane. They live in gardens and feed on different kinds of small insects. Nymphs look similar to their parents, except smaller and wingless.
- Late instars, length 40mm
- The above pictures show a Praying Mantid Nymph, later instars, could be one or two molting stages before become an adult. We can see its wings is still developing. This nymph is green in colour, with the relatively wide and straight flat thorax. We did not notice it at all when we cut a branch of leaves as foods for the stick insect, which we kept for studying. Then we saw it on the branch and trying to escape from us. This Praying Mantid held its front legs very tight under its thorax and it became hardly be noticed. When disturbed, it spreads its front legs and show the distinctive bright blue marks, as seen on the 2nd picture.
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- Small nymph
- We sometimes find this mantid hunting small moths near the window outside our house.
- Reference and links:
- 1. Insects of Australia, CSIRO, Division of Entomology, Melbourne University Press, 2nd Edition 1991, p 355.
- 2. Insects of Australia and New Zealand - R. J. Tillyard, Angus & Robertson, Ltd, Sydney, 1926, p93.
- 3. Wildlife of Greater Brisbane - Published by Queensland Museum 1995, p73.
- 1. Insects of Australia, CSIRO, Division of Entomology, Melbourne University Press, 2nd Edition 1991, p 355.
Mantid Oothecae parasitised by Wasp
Ootheca - Mantids eggs case of Garden Praying Mantid, 10mm x 15mm
We collected a oothecae of the Garden Praying Mantid during mid summer, which was laid under a leaf near the forest ground. We brought it home and expected to see some young mantids come out. However, a few days later, we saw a small wasp came out instead. The oothecae was parasitised by wasp. More information please click here.
