【Specimen】Kenran Mantis Spider-Man Mantis Red Roach Fruit Fly

Scientific Name: Metallyticus splendidus

Japanese Name: Kenran Kamakiri / Nijiiro Kamakiri (Iridescent Mantis)
English Name: Iridescent Bark Mantis


Also known as the Tiger Beetle Mantis, it is one of the living fossils.
It is distributed in Southeast Asia, including islands, such as Indonesia and Malaysia.

Its mating method is unique compared to other mantises. The male does not mount the female; mating is completed by attaching the tip of the abdomen, where the reproductive organs are located, to the male's accessory genitalia. Cockroaches also have a similar mating method, which further indicates that this is a primitive mantis. Its egg-laying habits are also unusual, with a tendency to lay eggs in crevices or holes in tree bark. The ootheca is about 3 mm long.

It is a relatively small mantis, measuring 3-4 cm in length, with a flattened body. Its raptorial forelegs are not as long as those of other species, and its thorax is also somewhat shorter compared to other species. It is a primitive type of mantis that moves quickly on tree trunks and branches with the speed of a cockroach. When observed in its natural habitat, its movements are very similar to those of a cockroach.
Unlike many mantises that ambush their prey, this mantis captures its prey, brings it back to a crevice, and then feeds on it there.
Also, when running, it uses all six legs, unlike many other mantises that raise their front two legs high.

As it is also called the Tiger Beetle Mantis, its characteristic metallic green coloration, similar to that of a tiger beetle, has earned it the title of the world's most beautiful mantis. The body color differs between males and females: females have a green base color mixed with red, while males are entirely glossy blue. Larvae also have a glossy appearance like adults.
There are five species in this genus.

We apologize, but we cannot guarantee against downgrading due to transport. Please understand this in advance.
We will ship the individual pictured from Jambi Province, Sumatra Island, Indonesia. It was collected in August 2021.