Lebia Greenhead vs Springbok Mantis

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Lebia Greenhead Springbok Mantis
Scientific Name Lebia viridis Miomantis caffra
Order Coleoptera Mantodea
Family Carabidae Mantidae
Size 5-8 mm 30-50mm
Habitat Heathland Heathland
Diet Parasitoids Predators
Regions Eastern North America Africa, Oceania
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Lebia Greenhead

A small, brightly colored ground beetle with a metallic green head and pronotum and reddish-brown elytra. Its larvae are parasitoids of leaf beetle pupae, an unusual life history for carabids.

💡

Did You Know?

Its larvae are ectoparasitoids that attach to and consume leaf beetle pupae, a lifestyle extremely rare among ground beetles and more typical of parasitic wasps.

Springbok Mantis

A small bright green mantis native to southern Africa that has become invasive in New Zealand. Females are notorious for always cannibalizing males during mating. Males approach females with extreme caution.

💡

Did You Know?

Female sexual cannibalism is nearly universal in this species, with males being eaten during mating over 60% of the time.