New Zealand Glow-Worm Firefly vs Giant Shield Mantis

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute New Zealand Glow-Worm Firefly Giant Shield Mantis
Scientific Name Atyphella flammans Rhombodera basalis
Order Coleoptera Mantodea
Family Lampyridae Mantidae
Size 8-12 mm 70-90 mm
Habitat Forests Farmland
Diet Predators Predators
Regions Oceania Asia
Conservation Data Deficient Least Concern

New Zealand Glow-Worm Firefly

An Australasian firefly found in subtropical forests of eastern Australia. It produces a steady amber glow rather than a blinking flash.

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Did You Know?

Despite sharing the name 'glow-worm' with New Zealand cave glow-worms, this is a true firefly beetle, not a fungus gnat.

Giant Shield Mantis

A large, robust mantis with a distinctive broad shield-shaped pronotum and vivid green coloring. It is one of the most impressive mantis species in Southeast Asia.

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Did You Know?

The broad shield-like pronotum of this species serves as both camouflage among broad leaves and as armor protecting the vital organs in its thorax.