Iris oratoria

Abstract: Iris oratoria L. invaded southern California in the 1930s. We describe its subsequent northward and eastward expansion in the southwestern United States. The rate of expansion into Arizona suggests that human activities have played a part in its spread. This mantid has come into contact with a native species Stagmomantis limbata Hahn. We present 3 yr of field data on 2 components of niche overlap between these 2 species: overlap in habitat use over time and in diet. At a field site in Davis, CA, S. limbata hatched earlier in the season than did L. oratoria , and I. oratoria tended to persist longer into the year than did S. limbata . The diets of the species overlapped to a moderate extent, yet they differed with respect to prey type and length. S. limbata ate a greater proportion of orthopterans and mantids than did I. oratoria , and S. limbata ate longer prey than did I. oratoria . Additionally, S. limbata adults had longer pronota and forelegs than I. oratoria adults. This difference in body size might be an important cause of the dietary differences between the species. Furthermore, the earlier hatch date for S. limbata also might result in a reduction of size overlap and, consequently, diet overlap among nymphs of the 2 species. Thus, the differences in body size and phenology may be mechanisms that allow these species to coexist.

Abstract: This paper represents the only study of praying mantids of Pakistan since it became an independent country in 1978. The study focuses on seven additional species fromSindh Province, which are added to the previously confirmed number of five. The male of Iris splendida Uvarov is described for the first time. The following species are recorded for the first time from this area: Mantis religiosa L.; Parhierodula coarctata Saussure; Statilia ocellata Uvarov; Iris oratoria L.; Creobroter sp., and Hestiasula brunneriana Saussure. There are few published papers on praying mantids of Sindh Province in Pakistan (Wood-Mason 1889). The first significant information was provided by Wood-Mason 1878), who described three new species, Aethalochroa affinis, A. spinipes, and Taxoderopsis taurus. Nothing further was published until Uvarov (1931) re- corded Microthespis dmitrievi Werner (1908) from Karachi. Since then no work has been carried out on the praying mantids of Sindh, and to date no faunal survey of mantids of Pakistan exists. In our study, we add seven more names to the previously known fauna of five species (Giglio-Tos 1927). It is likely that this number will increase further when more extensive surveys are under- taken.

Abstract: Abstract First exact records of Mediterranean Mantis, Iris oratoria (Linnaeus, 1758) (Dictyoptera: Mantodea: Tarachodidae), in Croatia are reported based on specimens collected on Korčula Island in 1960s and on Brač Island in 2011. Additional records of I. oratoria from France, Greece, Spain and Turkey found in the collections of National Museum, Praha and Moravian Museum, Brno, are included.

Abstract: In late summer 2016, the first author collected 34 specimens from nine species of Mantodea from Lorestan, chiefly Kuhdasht, Eastern part of the province. Although nine species were determined as new records for this part of the country, more searches in different seasons may lead to finding more species even new ones because this group of insects poorly studied in Iran especially in mountainous western part of the country. It is argued that much more diversity from a short time collecting effort is an evidence of our poor knowledge of the fauna of Iranian mantids. The present work is the first study on this region of Lorestan province which led to reporting nine species for the first time namely, Blepharopsis mendica, Empusa hedenborgii (Empusidae), Ameles persa, Bolivaria brachyptera, Mantis religiosa, Microthespis dmitriewi, Oxyothespis persica, Rivetina caucasica (Mantidae), Iris oratoria (Tarachodidae).