African Bark Mantis vs Iranian Desert Mantis

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute African Bark Mantis Iranian Desert Mantis
Scientific Name Tarachodes afzelii Eremiaphila iranensis
Order Mantodea Mantodea
Family Eremiaphilidae Eremiaphilidae
Size 25-35 mm 15-25 mm
Habitat Woodlands Deserts & Drylands
Diet Predators Predators
Regions West Africa, Central Africa Iran
Conservation Least Concern Data Deficient

African Bark Mantis

A small flat mantis with mottled grey-brown coloring perfectly matching tree bark. It presses its body flat against trunks to hunt.

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Did You Know?

They run sideways across bark surfaces with remarkable speed, a behavior unique among mantises.

Iranian Desert Mantis

A small, pale mantis endemic to the deserts of Iran. It runs rapidly across gravel plains to ambush small invertebrate prey.

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Did You Know?

It is one of the few mantis species able to survive in salt flat environments.