European Mantis

Praying mantis Mantis religiosa

Adult female Lisbon, Portugal
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Mantodea
Family:	Mantidae
Subfamily:	Mantinae
Tribe:	Mantini
Genus:	Mantis
Species:	M. religiosa
Binomial name
*Mantis religiosa* (Linnaeus, 1758)
Subspecies
See Text

Mantis religiosa, with the common name praying mantis, and outside Europe the European mantis, is an insect in the family Mantidae. It is one of the most well-known and widespread species of the order Mantodea, the Mantis.

It is an example of a common name for a single insect species becoming used for a larger group of related species. "Mantis" now refers to the insect order Mantodea, and the other families, genera, and species within it. Other examples are "hornet" and "wasp."

Range

Mantis religiosa is native to Europe, Asia, and Africa. It was introduced to North America in 1899 on a shipment of nursery plants from southern Europe. Now it is found from the Northeastern United States to the Pacific Northwest, and across Canada.

Despite being an introduced species, it is the official state insect of Connecticut.^[1]

Mantis religiosa, female with indicative marking (black spot) on fore coxa

Description

The European mantis is usually 5–7.5 cm (2–3 inches) in length, and has shades of bright green to tan. It can be distinguished easily by a black-ringed spot beneath the fore coxae.

Subspecies

Mantis religiosa beybienkoi found in Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Mongolia and West Siberia
Mantis religiosa caucasica found in Stavropol
Mantis religiosa eichleri found in Ethiopia, Mauritania, Niokolo-Koba, Ghana, Cameroon, Kenya, Congo, Niger, Senegal, Somalia, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Zimbabwe, Burkina Faso, Zambia and Anatolia
Mantis religiosa inornata found in India, Iran
Mantis religiosa langoalata found in Uzbekistan
Mantis religiosa latinota found in Kazakhstan
Mantis religiosa macedonica found in Macedonia
Mantis religiosa major
Mantis religiosa polonica found in Poland, Russia^[2]
Mantis religiosa religiosa found in United States (introduced), Europe.^[3]
Mantis religiosa siedleckii found in Southeast Asia: Taiwan, Thailand, Malaysia, Java, Sulawesi
Mantis religiosa sinica found in China, Japan, South Korea, Vietnam and East Africa