Tenodera australasiae, the purple-winged mantis, is species of praying mantis. Found throughout Australia, it is common in the eastern regions. Both males and females are capable of flight. The species has not been shown to be parthenogenetic.
| Tenodera australasiae | |
|---|---|
| |
| Adult female | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Mantodea |
| Family: | Mantidae |
| Genus: | Tenodera |
| Species: | T. australasiae
|
| Binomial name | |
| Tenodera australasiae Leach, 1814
| |
| Synonyms | |
Range
editAll of Australia,[2] but said to be absent in New Zealand.[3]
Diet
editThe purple-winged mantis has varied diet consisting mainly of other insects, however, they have been seen eating much larger animals such as small frogs, lizards etc. Tenodera australasiae can be cannibalistic but not quite an aggressive mantis.[citation needed]
Vision
editThis was one of two mantis species in which binocular stereopsis was first shown in an insect.[4]
Related
editThe genus Tenodera has a number of species including:
- Tenodera aridifolia,
- Tenodera sinensis - Chinese mantis,
- Tenodera australasiae - purple-winged mantis,
- Tenodera superstitiosa found in Africa.
Additional Images
edit-
Detailed view of the arm of an adult female Tenodera australasiae -
Adult male Tenodera australasiae -
Adult Tenodera australasiae -
Adult female Tenodera australasiae
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b c [1] Texas A&M University
- ^ [2] www.ces.csiro.au Tenodera australasiae (Leach)
- ^ [3] Ramsay, G. W. 1990. Mantodea (Insecta) with a review of aspects of functional morphology and biology. Fauna of New Zealand 19, 96 pages. ISBN 0-477-02581-1. Published 13 June 1990.
- ^ Rossel, Samuel (1983). "Binocular stereopsis in an insect". Nature. 302 (5911): 821–822. doi:10.1038/302821a0. ISSN 0028-0836.