Theopropus elegans

Theopropus elegans, common name banded flower mantis, is a species of praying mantis native to Southeast Asia.[1][2][3]

Theopropus elegans
Female at Zoologische Staatssammlung München
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Mantodea
Family: Hymenopodidae
Genus: Theopropus
Species:
T. elegans
Binomial name
Theopropus elegans
Westwood, 1832
Synonyms
  • Theopropus flavicans Giglio-Tos, 1927
  • Theopropus praecontatrix Saussure, 1898

Until their first moult, nymphs have red and black exoskeletons that aid them in ant mimicry. They are green and white starting at their second instar and adults are similar in size and appearance to Creobroter species. Adult females are up to 5 cm in length while males only grow to 3 cm in length due to the sexual dimorphism common in mantises. Both sexes have green and white spots with bright orange hind wings and a large white transverse stripe on the forewings.[4][5]

Individual T. elegans hatched from a single ootheca and reared under the same conditions can show color variation between tones of red, green, and yellow. Individuals can also change their color in as little as a week.[6]

See also

References
  1. Boxer Mantis
  2. Archived 2012-09-25 at the Wayback Machine Phasmids in Cyberspace
  3. Theopropus elegans
  4. Archived 2012-09-25 at the Wayback Machine Phasmids in Cyberspace
  5. Theopropus elegans
  6. Theopropus elegans


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