Dot-winged mantis
Iris polystictica
The dot-winged mantis is a praying mantis from the wide open lands of Central Asia. Like all mantises, it folds its spiky front legs as if it is praying. It sits very still and waits for an insect to come close.
Lives in
Central Asia, the Caucasus, southeastern Ukraine, southern Siberia, China and Mongolia
Length
2.8 to 4.9 cm (1.1 to 1.9 in)
Can it hurt you?
Harmless
Harmless. It has no sting and no venom. A big mantis may give a little pinch with its front legs if you hold it.
What does it eat?
It catches other insects with its quick, spiky front legs.
How big is it?
How long is it?
🍚as long as 8 grains of rice in a row🧱as long as 1.5 toy building bricks in a row🍽️could run across a dinner table in 4 seconds
How big is Dot-winged mantis compared to YOU?
Just maths in your browser. Nothing is saved or sent anywhere.
How fast is it?
A tortoise about 0.3 km/h (0.19 mph)
Dot-winged mantis about 0.9 km/h (0.56 mph)
A person walking about 5 km/h (3.1 mph)
A kid running fast about 13 km/h (8.1 mph)
cool stuff
Fun facts
1
It is the only mantis of its kind that lives in Russia.
2
When a grown-up male is scared, it can suddenly flash its wings to surprise an enemy.
3
It lives in many countries, from Ukraine and Iran all the way to Mongolia and China.
you asked
Most asked questions about Dot-winged mantis
?How big is the dot-winged mantis?
It is about 3 to 5 centimetres long.
?What does the dot-winged mantis eat?
Other insects, which it grabs with its spiky front legs.
For bug experts
- Scientific name
- Iris polystictica
- Named by
- Fischer-Waldheim, 1846
- Group
- Mantises
- Classification
- Insecta > Mantodea
- Lives on
- Europe, Asia
Where the facts come from
- Iris polystictica (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0): what it looks like, where it lives, what it eats, sizes and fun facts, retold in simple words.
- Picture by Brunei. CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons. The sticker of this bug is drawn from this picture.
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