Moss Mantis vs Wandering Desert Mantis

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Moss Mantis Wandering Desert Mantis
Scientific Name Haania lobiceps Eremiaphila cerisyi
Order Mantodea Mantodea
Family Liturgusidae Eremiaphilidae
Size 15-25 mm 15-25 mm
Habitat Mountains Deserts & Drylands
Diet Wood Feeders Omnivores
Regions Southeast Asia (Borneo, Malaysia, Indonesia) Africa, Middle East
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Moss Mantis

A small mantis covered in spiny projections and textured to look like a piece of living moss. Its green, brown, and grey mottling provides extraordinary camouflage on moss-covered bark.

💡

Did You Know?

This mantis is so well camouflaged that even experienced entomologists struggle to spot it on moss-covered surfaces in its natural habitat.

Wandering Desert Mantis

A tiny, wingless praying mantis that runs across desert sand like a spider. Its flattened, sand-colored body provides excellent camouflage.

💡

Did You Know?

Unlike most mantises, it is a ground-running predator that chases down prey rather than ambushing it.