Chloroharpax modesta

Nigerian flower mantis
Adult female Chloroharpax modesta
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Mantodea
Family: Hymenopodidae
Subfamily: Hymenopodinae
Tribe: Hymenopodini
Genus: Chloroharpax
Species: C. modesta
Binomial name
Chloroharpax modesta
Gerstaecker, 1883
Synonyms
  • Chloroharpax ocellifer (Werner, 1908)

Chloroharpax modesta, commonly called the Nigerian flower mantis, is the only species of praying mantis in the genus Chloroharpax in the order Mantodea. The species is distributed across West Africa.

Description

Both males and females are about 3-4 centimeters in length when adult while 1st instar nymphs are about 4-5 millimeters in length.[1] The adults are bright green with rounded blue eyes; adult females have a pair yellow ocellated eyespots on their wings.[2] The species is able to hunt prey larger than itself, attacking and chasing its prey.[2]

Range

Ivory Coast, Guinea, Ghana, Congo, Gabon, Cameroon.[3][4]

Captivity

Chloroharpax modesta are kept in captivity. This species of mantis are cannibalistic.

See also

References

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