Gallery Category: Mantodea

Iridescent Bark Mantis

Illustration of a shiny metallic mantis with a green, blue, yellow and red sheen to its iridescent body. This mantis has particularly chunky forelegs.

Metallyticus splendidus Distribution: Southeast Asia Size: 31mm (female) 21mm (male) Diet: Butterflies, termites, flies and cockroaches M. Splendidus usually live on, and in, dead trees – often coming out to snatch their prey before retreating back inside. Unlike most mantises, they will run using all 6 of their legs, rather than just the rear 2 […]

Dragon Flower Mantis

Drawing of a slender pink and yellow praying mantis. It has incredibly thin legs and a very long thorax.

Toxodera integrifolia Distribution: Southeast Asia Size: 160mm Diet: Other bugs (mainly butterflies and moths) Most mantises in the genus Toxodera are camouflaged to resemble sticks (often with leaves and thorns, courtesy of various protrusions on their abdomens), as you can probably imagine given their slender bodies and appendages. They are typically mottled green and brown, […]

Malaysian Shield Mantis

A detailed drawing of a green praying mantis with its large wings spread

Rhombodera basalis Distribution: Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Singapore & Borneo Size: 120mm (females), 100mm (males) Diet: Other bugs I couldn’t find any interesting facts about these mantises, so for now I suggest you scroll up and look at the drawing again. And again. It’s not listed in my Esty shop just yet, but will be soon. […]

Banded Flower Mantis

Illustration of a praying mantis with green and orange wings

Theopropus elegans Distribution: Borneo, Malaysian peninsula, Myanmar, Java & Sumatra Size: 50mm (females), 30mm (males) Diet: Other bugs Mantises are my favourite bugs, and I’d been looking forward to drawing this one for some time. I love the striped patterns on its legs and the bold orange wings, presumably used as a startle defense. When […]

Dead Leaf Mantis

Detailed illustration of a mottled brown mantis that's camouflage d to appear like a dead leaf

Deroplatys lobata Distribution: Thailand, Java, Borneo, Indonesia, Sumatra & the Malay Peninsula Size: 65 – 70mm (female), 45mm (male) Diet: Other bugs D.lobata lives primarily on the ground amongst dead leaves, so you can see why its incredible mimicry is so useful. Like many mantises, the prothorax is enlarged, and in this case it’s crumpled […]