Paraoxypilus

Paraoxypilus
Boxer bark mantis showing red warning colours
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Superorder: Dictyoptera
Order: Mantodea
Family: Amorphoscelididae
Genus: Paraoxypilus
Saussure, 1870

Paraoxypilus is a genus of mantis, known as the boxer bark mantids. Some are native to Australia and Oceania.

Description

This genus gets its name from the unusual way it acts like and resembles a boxer. Boxer bark mantids are black with hints of grey and white. They can mimic an ant due to its small size and its ant-like abdomen and small bumpy thorax. It does this to avoid predators and is excellent at camouflage.

The insects reach 2–3 cm (about 1") long as adults, while nymphs reach only 3 mm (about ⅛").

boxer bark mantis

Although some mantids are kept as pets, this genus of mantids is generally not, due to the difficulties presented by its small size.

See also

References

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