Plate 059 · female in threat display IdentificationSix marks on the plate
- 1Pale forewing spot, the key mark of the species.
- 2Clear hindwings that give it the name hyaloptera.
- 3Long pronotum with toothed edges.
- 4Raptorial front legs with spines on femur and tibia.
- 5Triangular head with large eyes.
- 6Broad green abdomen, typical of the female.
Easily confused with Eyespot mantisStagmatoptera biocellataEach forewing carries a round, eye-like ocellus, not a simple pale spot. 059 / 100 · INVERTEBRATES · MANTIDAENOT EVALUATED Argentine mantis
Stagmatoptera hyaloptera
Mamboretá · Argentine crested mantis
The big green mantis of foothill gardens and forest edges. When threatened it rears up, opens its wings and raises its front legs. A pale spot on each forewing sets it apart.
- Length
- female 7 – 8 cm; male 5.5 – 6.5 cm
- Altitude
- up to c. 1,200 m
- Adults in Tucumán
- Dec – Apr
- Eggs
- in a foamy egg case
- Ambush predator
- Threat display
- Common in gardens
- Native
Altitude rangeIn the foothills
Range in the region It reaches about 1,200 m. Tucumán records come from San Miguel de Tucumán, Yerba Buena and Tafí Viejo, below 700 m.
FoodA generalist hunter
- Grasshoppers and cricketsOrthoptera
- Butterflies and mothsLepidoptera
- Bees, wasps and fliesat flowers
- Small frogs and lizardsrarely, large females
It hunts by ambush, motionless among leaves, and seizes prey with its spiny front legs.
BehaviourStill, green and threatening
J F M A M J J A S O N D AdultsFirst and last adults - Ambush. Active by day. It waits motionless and strikes with a fast blow of the front legs.
- Threat display. It opens its wings, shows the pale spots and raises its legs to look bigger.
- Egg case. The female lays her eggs in a foam that hardens on twigs. The nymphs mature in under a year.
Where to look in Tucumán- Yerba Buena
- San Miguel de Tucumán (parques)
- Tafí Viejo
- Reserva Experimental Horco Molle