Tarachodes

Life-forms

Superregnum: Eukaryota
Cladus: Unikonta
Cladus: Opisthokonta
Cladus: Holozoa
Regnum: Animalia
Subregnum: Eumetazoa
Cladus: Bilateria
Cladus: Nephrozoa
Cladus: Protostomia
Cladus: Ecdysozoa
Cladus: Panarthropoda
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Hexapoda
Classis: Insecta
Cladus: Dicondylia
Subclassis: Pterygota
Cladus: Metapterygota
Infraclassis: Neoptera
Supercohort: Polyneoptera
Cohort: Dictyoptera
Ordo: Mantodea

Familia: Tarachodidae
Subfamilia: Tarachodinae
Genus: Tarachodes

The bark mantises and ground mantises (genus Tarachodes) are praying mantids now placed in the family Eremiaphilidae[1] that are native to the Afrotropics. They are generally light brown but more silvery on the wings. The wings are attractively reticulated, and the veins may be mottled dark and pale.[2] The head is wider than the pronotum, which is rounded anteriorly, and doesn't overlap with the rear of the head. The pronotum is depressed, with its sides more or less parallel, and only a weak supra-coxal bulge is present.[3] The anterior tibia are flattened and greatly expanded longitudinally, and the tibial claw does not fit into a pit between the 1st and 2nd external spines of the anterior femora, as in a few mantis groups.[3]

These mantids are ambush predators and many species are cryptically coloured to blend in with their surroundings. Some have brightly coloured undersides which are displayed to startle and drive off assailants. Some species such as Tarachodes maurus brood their eggs, and others, such as Tarachodes afzelii, not only brood their eggs but continue to guard their young after they hatch out.[4]

Face
Reticulated wings
Pronotum, front legs
Full body

Species

Members of this genus may be called Bark mantises[5] or Ground mantises.[6]

Tarachodes abyssinicus
Tarachodes aestuans
Tarachodes afzelii (Tanzanian ground mantis)
Tarachodes alluaudi
Tarachodes arabicus
Tarachodes basinotatus
Tarachodes beieri
Tarachodes betakarschi
Tarachodes bicornis (two-horned mantis)
Tarachodes bispinosus
Tarachodes brevipennis
Tarachodes chopardi
Tarachodes circulifer
Tarachodes circuliferoides
Tarachodes davidi
Tarachodes dissimulator
Tarachodes dives
Tarachodes feae
Tarachodes fraterculus
Tarachodes fuscipennis
Tarachodes gerstaeckeri
Tarachodes gibber
Tarachodes gigas
Tarachodes gilvus
Tarachodes griseus
Tarachodes haedus
Tarachodes insidiator
Tarachodes karschi
Tarachodes lucubrans
Tarachodes maculisternum
Tarachodes maurus
Tarachodes minor
Tarachodes modesta
Tarachodes monstrosus
Tarachodes namibiensis
Tarachodes natalensis
Tarachodes nubifer
Tarachodes nyassanus
Tarachodes obscuripennis
Tarachodes obtusiceps
Tarachodes okahandyanus
Tarachodes oxynotus
Tarachodes perloides
Tarachodes pilosipes
Tarachodes pujoli
Tarachodes rhodesicus
Tarachodes robustus
Tarachodes rotundiceps
Tarachodes sanctus
Tarachodes saussurei
Tarachodes schulthessi
Tarachodes severini
Tarachodes similis
Tarachodes sjostedti
Tarachodes smithi
Tarachodes taboranus
Tarachodes tananus
Tarachodes taramassi
Tarachodes ugandensis
Tarachodes usambaricus
Tarachodes vitreus
Tarachodes werneri

See also

List of mantis genera and species

References

Mantodea Species File (Version 5.0/5.0, retrieved 12 July 2020)
Alan Weaving; Mike Picker; Griffiths, Charles Llewellyn (2003). Field Guide to Insects of South Africa. New Holland Publishers, Ltd. p. 62. ISBN 1-86872-713-0.
Ramel, Gordon. "Family Mantidae: Key to subfamilies". The Earthlife Web. Retrieved 18 December 2014.
James T. Costa (2006). The Other Insect Societies. Harvard University Press. pp. 136–137. ISBN 978-0-674-02163-1.
"Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2008-06-17. Retrieved 2008-07-29. List of mantises and common names
"Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2008-07-20. Retrieved 2008-07-29. Tanzanian Ground Mantis