Grass-mimicry

Guides

Thesprotia graminis
American grass mantis, grass-like mantis
Thesprotia graminis is a small, cryptic mantid native to the southeastern United States. It exhibits remarkable camouflage resembling pine needles or grass blades, achieved through both coloration and posture. The species is notable as the only member of its genus occurring outside South America. It can reproduce both sexually and parthenogenetically.
cryptic-coloration parthenogenesis sexual-dimorphism wing-dimorphism grass-mimicry pine-needle-mimicry southeastern-US-endemic hemimetabolous ootheca beneficial-insect Thespidae mantodea predatory camouflage-behavior pronotum-elongate single-dorsal-spine-foreleg non-feeding-first-instar pseudo-iteroparous-reproduction semelparous-with-multiple-oothecae tympana-present-(unstudied)sexual-cannibalism-unknown