Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised Aug 2, 2026

Blepharopsis

Blepharopsis mendica is a species of praying mantis found in North Africa, parts of the Mediterranean, Middle East and southern Asia, and on the Canary Islands, and the sole member of the genus Blepharopsis. Egyptian flower mantis, thistle mantis, and Arab mantis are among its common names.

Last revised
Aug 2, 2026
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≈ 1 min
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Blepharopsis
B. mendica on a tyre of a car
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Clade: Pancrustacea
Class: Insecta
Order: Mantodea
Family: Empusidae
Subfamily: Blepharodinae
Genus: Blepharopsis
Rehn, 1902
Species:
B. mendica
Binomial name
Blepharopsis mendica
(Fabricius, 1775)
Subspecies

See text

Synonyms

Mantis mendica Fabricius, 17751

Blepharopsis mendica is a species of praying mantis found in North Africa, parts of the Mediterranean, Middle East and southern Asia, and on the Canary Islands, and the sole member of the genus Blepharopsis. Egyptian flower mantis, thistle mantis, and Arab mantis are among its common names.234

In deimatic display, the adult rotates its head and thorax to one side, displaying the bright colours on the insides of its forelegs and the undersides of its hindwings, and holds its wings slightly spread behind the body, making it seem large and threatening.5

Range

Its range includes Afghanistan, Egypt, Algeria, Ethiopia, India, Iran, Israel, Jordan, Canary Islands, Libya, Lebanon, Morocco, Mauritania, Niger, Oman, Pakistan, Somalia, Sudan, Tschad, Tunisia, Turkey, and Cyprus.1

Habitat

This species lives in terrestrial areas like herbaceous vegetation and spiny bushes. Their color makes them well suited for mimicry of leaves, spiny or dry bushes, and vegetation in deserts due to their coloration.6

Subspecies

See also

See also

References

References

  1. Texas A&M University
  2. Mantis in Iberia Archived July 18, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
  3. Mantis Place Archived 2008-07-05 at the Wayback Machine
  4. Danne's Animals Archived 2012-06-28 at the Wayback Machine
  5. "Thistle Mantis". Keeping Insects. 2013. Retrieved 2013-05-10.
  6. Battiston, R. (2016). "Blepharopsis mendica". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016 e.T44790903A44798444. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-1.RLTS.T44790903A44798444.en. Retrieved 4 July 2024.
  7. Mantodea.SpeciesFile.org species Blepharopsis mendica (Fabricius, 1775) Retrieval date: Feb. 10th 2016