Preying Mantis - Stagmomantis limbata

Stagmomantis limbata, or Arizona mantis, is a species of praying mantis native to North America. This praying mantis is a beneficial insect and is green or beige and can grow up to 3 inches long. Stagmomantis limbata is attracted to lights, and males often fly to lights in numbers while females are unable to fly.

Female S. limbata hunts for dinner

S. limbata is a moderately large mantid. The facial plate (below and between antennae) is about twice as wide as it is long, typical of the genus, though the eyes are not as protruding as the Carolina Mantid's. Females are most often fairly plain green (often with a yellowish abdomen), but sometimes gray, or light brown, with dark spot in middle of the tegmina, which do not completely cover the wide abdomen. Hind wings may be checkered or striped yellow.

Males are slender, long-winged, and variable in color, but most often green and brown with the sides of the folded tegmina green and top brownish (may be solid gray, brown, green, or any combination of these). Abdomen without prominent dark spots on top. The wings are transparent, usually with cloudy brownish spots on outer half.

Often found in open semi-arid areas in tall forbs, shrubs, or trees, but more abundant in lusher, often riparian and wooded areas of streamsides, roadsides, canyons, in towns, etc. Most common in the south west; Texas to Southern California, north into Colorado and Utah, south into Mexico.