Chinese mantis (Tenodera sinensis)

Chinese mantis (Tenodera sinensis) is a species of insect belonging to the family Mantidae. These winged, arboreal predators are active hunters and cannibals, characterized by a long, slender body that can reach 11 cm in length. They exhibit color variation and lead solitary lives, inhabiting shrubs and low-growing trees in forests, agricultural lands, abandoned fields, and urban environments.

T. sinensis displays a range of colors, from solid green to brown; the edges of the back (dorsum) are white, and the forewings feature green or brown longitudinal stripes. The head is triangular, with straight lines running between the eyes.



A pair of large eyes dominates the head; these can be black, green, or gray. The area between the forelegs is yellow or brown. The legs are long and multi-jointed, with the forelegs being large, flattened, and equipped with rows of spines.

Females produce several hemispherical egg cases, or oothecae—each about 2 cm in diameter—containing up to 400 eggs. These oothecae are typically attached to shrubs or small trees. This species preys on a wide variety of animals, including bees, spiders, grasshoppers, cicadas, small reptiles, amphibians, and even hummingbirds.

TAXON

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Hexapoda
Class: Insecta
Subclass: Pterygota
Order: Mantodea
Suborder: Eumantodea
Infraorder: Schizomantodea
Superfamily: Mantoidea
Family: Mantidae
Subfamily: Tenoderinae
Tribe: Tenoderini
Subtribe: Tenoderina
Genus: Tenodera Burmeister (1838)
Species: Tenodera sinensis Saussure (1871)

SYNONYMS

Tenodera aridifolia sinensis Saussure (1871)
Mantis mandarinea Saussure (1871)
Paratenodera sinensis Saussure (1871)

PUBLICATIONS

Saussure (1871) Mem. Soc. Hist. nat. Geneve, 21.

VERNACULAR NAME

Arabic: فرس النبي الصيني
Chinese (simplified): 中华大刀螳 - 中华窄颈螳
Chinese (traditional): 中華大刀螳
Czech: Kudlanka čínská
English: Chinese mantis, Chinese mantid
French: Mante chinoise
German: Große Chinesen-Mantis
Guangdong: 中華大刀螳
Hong Kong: 中華大刀螳
Indonesia: Sentadu tiongkok, Sentadu cina, Belalang sentadu tiongkok
Italian: Mantide cinese
Japanese: オオカマキリ
Java: Sentadu cino
Korean: 왕사마귀
Macao: 中華大刀螳
Ningbo: 喫髪郎
Polish: Modliszka chińska
Portuguese: Louva-a-deus-chinês
Russian: Китайский богомол
Taiwan: 中華大刀螳
Thai: ตั๊กแตนตำข้าวจีน
Wuu Chinese: 喫髪郎
Zhoushan: 喫髪郎

Aryo Bandoro
Dlium TheDlium
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