Stick mantis explained

Stick mantis and twig mantis are common names applied to numerous species of mantis that mimic sticks or twigs as camouflage. Often the name serves to identify entire genera such as is the case with:^{[1] [2] [3] [4]}

• Brunneria (including Brunner's stick mantis, the Brazilian stick mantis and the small-winged stick mantis)
• Hoplocorypha (the African stick mantises)
• Paratoxodera (including the Borneo stick mantis and the giant Malaysian stick mantis)
• Popa (African twig mantis)^[5]

In cases, some but not all members of a genera are called by a variation of one of these names. For example:

• Archimantis latistyla (Australian stick mantis)^[6]
• Pseudovates peruviana (Peruvian stick mantis)^[7]

Similar insects

Stick mantises should not be confused with stick insects (Phasmatodea) although the latter were long-considered close relatives of all mantises according to classification which is now often considered paraphyletic and outdated. Likewise, both mantises and stick insects are separate from the recently identified Mantophasmatodea.

See also

• Grass mantis
• Dead leaf mantis
• Flower mantis
• List of mantis genera and species

Notes and References

1. http://entnemdept.ifas.ufl.edu/choate/mantid_key1_03.pdf Dichotomous Key to Species of Mantids that may occur in Florida
2. http://entnemdept.ifas.ufl.edu/list_of_slides.htm Department of Entomology and Nematology of the University of Florida
3. http://www.phasmidsincyberspace.com/Mantids.html Phasmids in Cyberspace
4. http://insects.tamu.edu/research/collection/hallan/Arthropoda/Insects/Mantodea/Family/Mantidae.txt Texas A&M University
5. http://www.phasmidsincyberspace.com/DriedPopaSpurca.html Phasmids in Cyberspace
6. http://tolweb.org/tree?group=Amorphoscelis Tree of Life Web Project. 2005
7. http://insects.tamu.edu/research/collection/hallan/Arthropoda/Insects/Mantodea/Family/Amorphoscelidae.txt Texas A&M University