African Blue Emperor vs Wahlberg's Flower Mantis

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute African Blue Emperor Wahlberg's Flower Mantis
Scientific Name Anax speratus Pseudocreobotra amarae
Order Odonata Mantodea
Family Aeshnidae Hymenopodidae
Size 65-78 mm 25-35 mm
Habitat Ponds & Lakes Heathland
Diet Omnivores Omnivores
Regions Africa Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

African Blue Emperor

A large, powerful dragonfly widespread across sub-Saharan Africa. Males have a bright blue abdomen and green thorax similar to the European emperor.

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Did You Know?

It is Africa's ecological equivalent of the European Blue Emperor, filling the same niche.

Wahlberg's Flower Mantis

A small East African flower mantis with spiny projections on its abdomen and thorax. Its coloring ranges from white to green depending on the habitat.

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Did You Know?

The thoracic spines make it one of the most heavily ornamented flower mantises in Africa.