Boxer Bark Mantid
S3, Female Nymph, dorsal
Ellura
Boxer Bark Mantid
S5, Male Nymph, dorsal
 
                      
Boxer Bark Mantid (Paraoxypilus tasmaniensis)Class: Animals (Animalia) - Jointed Legs (Arthropoda) - Insects (Insecta)
Order: Mantises (Mantodea)
Family: Bark Mantis (Amorphoscelidae)     iNaturalist Observation
Species: Boxer Bark Mantid (Paraoxypilus tasmaniensis)
This Photo:     S4, Male Nymph, dorsal

Thank you Matthew Connors for identifying this species for us

General Species Information:
Found on Ellura (in the Murray Mallee, SA), the Adelaide Hills and elsewhere
These are a small mandid. The females we found range in size from ~8 (nymphs) to ~17mm (adult) long, are wingless, and have a very sculptured body.
We haven't found an adult male as yet. Finding 4 females in Apr, Oct & Dec; with 2 juvenile males in Mar & Nov; they have wing buds. However the male nymphs were larger than the female nymphs, at ~13mm long.
Matthew said "Distinguished by prominent dorsal spines on the abdomen which it shares only with P. verreauxii"

Copyright © 2018-2024 Brett & Marie Smith. All Rights Reserved. Photographed 06-Mar-2018
This species is an Australian Native Species, not listed in the SA Murray Mallee Survey of 2010.