Costa mantis (Tenodera costalis)

Costa mantis (Tenodera costalis) is an animal species in the Mantidae, winged and arboreal insects, active predators and cannibals, has a long and slender shape with varying colors, lives solitary in bushes and low trees in forests, agricultural land, abandoned lands and urban.

T. costalis has an elongated and slender shape, the color varies from overall green to brown, the upper surface of the wings is green or brown, the back has white margins with green side lines. The head is triangular in shape with linear lines between the eyes.

A pair of eyes have a large size and dominate the head, green or gray or black. The legs are long and have several joints. The forelegs are large and flattened with rows of spikes and black tips.

Oothecae are often attached to plants such as shrubs and small trees. Costa mantis eat bees, spiders, grasshoppers, cicadas, small reptiles, amphibians to hummingbirds.

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Hexapoda
Class: Insecta
Subclass: Pterygota
Order: Mantodea
Suborder: Eumantodea
Infraorder: Schizomantodea
Superfamily: Mantoidea
Family: Mantidae
Subfamily: Tenoderinae
Tribe: Tenoderini
Subtribe: Tenoderina
Genus: Tenodera
Species: Tenodera costalis

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