Small Desert Mantis vs Italian Acerentomid

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Small Desert Mantis Italian Acerentomid
Scientific Name Eremiaphila typhon Acerentomon italicum
Order Mantodea Protura
Family Eremiaphilidae Acerentomidae
Size 15-25 mm 0.7-1.2 mm
Habitat Deserts & Drylands Forests
Diet Omnivores Omnivores
Regions Egypt, Libya, Tunisia Europe
Conservation Least Concern Not Evaluated

Small Desert Mantis

A tiny, wingless mantis found in the Sahara Desert that runs across open sand to catch prey. Its pale body color matches the desert substrate perfectly.

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Did You Know?

It is one of the fastest-running mantises relative to its body size.

Italian Acerentomid

A small proturan originally described from Italian soils. It is typical of Mediterranean forest floor environments.

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Did You Know?

Like all proturans, this species was completely unknown to science until Filippo Silvestri first described the order in 1907.