Description

Idolomorpha lateralis (Alien Head Mantis)

Idolomorpha lateralis (Alien Head Mantis) (4th/5th instar) 1 x nymph

Idolomorpha lateralis is from the genus; Idolomorpha, and is a genus of mantises in the family Empusidae. This amazing looking species can be found in parts of Madagascar, Tansania, Kenya, Mozambique.

A mesh-style cage is best for them, and is recommended more than any other enclosure. This is due to their inability to climb glass/plastic walls, unlike many other mantis species.

subfamily Empusinae

tribe Idolomorphini
genus Idolomorpha Burmeister, 1838

species Idolomorpha lateralis Burmeister, 1838

urn:lsid:Mantodea.speciesfile.org:TaxonName:3195

• Ecology:
  • Terrestrial.
• Specimen records are available.
• Citations (14):
  • Burmeister. 1838. Handb. Ent., Burm. 2:547 >> Note: Empusa (Idolomorpha)
  • Gerstaecker. 1883. Mitt. maturw. Ver. Neu-Vorpomm. 14:97
  • Kirby. 1904. Syn. Cat. Orth. 1:314
  • Werner. 1928. Mitt. zool. Mus. Berl. 14:13- >> Note: in Cameroon
  • Beier. 1934. Genera Insect. 197:4 >> Note: Idolomorpha
  • Chopard. 1954. Mem. Inst. fond. Afr. noire 40:24 >> Note: of Mount Nimba
  • Roy. 1964. Bull. Inst. fond. Afr. noire A 26:1177- >> Note: Idolomorpha; In Senegal
  • Roy. 1964. Bull. Inst. fond. Afr. noire A 26:735- >> Note: in Ivory Coast
  • Roy. 1965. Bull. Inst. fond. Afr. noire A 27:577- >> Note: in Guinea
  • Ragge & Roy. 1967. Bull. Inst. fond. Afr. noire A 29:586- >> Note: in Ghana
  • Roy. 1968. Bull. Inst. fond. Afr. noire A 30:318- >> Note: in Congo
  • Roy & Leston. 1975. Bull. Inst. fond. Afr. noire A 37:297- >> Note: in Ghana
  • Ehrmann. 2002. Mantodea der Welt 192
  • Roy. 2004. Revue Francaise D’Entomologie. 26(1):1-18 >> Note: Fig.5-6
• Type specimen information:
  • Type locality:
  • Kind of type:  unspecified primary type

• synonym defoliata Serville, 1839
• synonym spinifrons Saussure, 1859

Reference: http://mantodea.speciesfile.org/Common/basic/Taxa.aspx?TaxonNameID=1182375