Bug FAQThistle Mantis
Blepharopsis mendica · Order: Mantodea · Family: Empusidae
Also called: Arab Mantis, Devil's Flower Mantis, Egyptian Flower Mantis, Striped mantis
The thistle mantis shows a deimatic display by turning its head and thorax, flashing bright colours on its foreleg interiors and hind-wing undersides while spreading its wings slightly. It lives among herbaceous plants and spiny bushes, its colouration helping it blend with leaves, dry shrubs and desert vegetation. Its native range covers North Africa, the Mediterranean, the Middle East, southern Asia and the Canary Islands, including countries such as Egypt, Morocco, Iran, India and Turkey.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
This species inhabits terrestrial areas with herbaceous vegetation and spiny bushes. Its coloration provides camouflage that mimics leaves, spiny or dry bushes, and desert vegetation.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
Blepharopsis mendica is native to North Africa, parts of the Mediterranean, the Middle East and southern Asia, and the Canary Islands.
Source: Wikipedia
More photos
Questions people ask
Where does the thistle mantis live?
It is found in North Africa, the Mediterranean region, the Middle East, southern Asia and the Canary Islands, with records from many countries such as Egypt, Morocco, Iran and India.
Source: Wikipedia
What kind of habitat does the thistle mantis prefer?
It lives among herbaceous plants and spiny bushes, using its leaf-like coloration to blend into dry or desert vegetation.
Source: Wikipedia
How does the thistle mantis defend itself?
When threatened it rotates its head and thorax, displays bright colours on its foreleg interiors and hind-wing undersides, and spreads its wings slightly to look larger.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Empusidae)
.jpg){kind=link}
.jpg){kind=link}
_female_..._(52606139007).jpg){kind=link}
Sources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blepharopsis
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-23 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-23.