Category Archives: Wildlife

Insects of Spain, Mantis, Wildlife

Iris oratoria – Mediterranean Mantis – Mantis mediterránea

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  • Family: Mantidae
  • Scientific: Iris oratoria
  • English: Mediterranean Mantis
  • Spanish: Mantis mediterránea

Iris oratoria, commonly known as the Mediterranean mantis, is a species of mantis that is native to lands surrounding the Mediterranean Sea. While originally from this area, its range has been expanding to include the Middle East, Western Asia, and even the United States.

Iris oratoria - Mediterranean Mantis - Mantis mediterránea
A nymph of Iris Oratoria

One distinguishing feature of the Mediterranean Mantis is the red-orange spot on the ventral side of the fourth abdominal segment, which sets it apart from other mantids that share similar ranges and general size and shape, such as the Mantis religiosa.

Iris oratoria - Mediterranean Mantis - Mantis mediterránea
Female Iris oratoria close to egg laying (ootheca) time

As Iris oratoria – Mediterranean Mantis – mantis mediterránea, it changes from being very pale to a grass green color, and grows to a length of about 6.5 centimeters. The cerci, or paired appendages near the end of the abdomen, are also shorter than those of Mantis religiosa.

Iris oratoria - Mediterranean Mantis - Mantis mediterránea
Often laid underneath rocks which is another key to identification of Iris oratoria

In terms of reproduction, the Mediterranean Mantis is capable of parthenogenic reproduction when males are scarce, meaning that females are able to produce offspring without mating.

Additionally, the nymphs of Iris oratoria may emerge from their oothecae (egg cases) in the both the first and second year after they are produced.

When the Mediterranean mantis is in danger, it does something called a “deimatic display”, which is made up of a series of actions. The mantis turns around to face the attacker, raises its back by arching it, curls its abdomen upwards, waves its front legs up and down, and raises its wings to show its big, bright eyespots on its hindwings. It also makes a noise by scraping its back wings against its front wings.

Iris oratoria - Mediterranean Mantis - Mantis mediterránea
The defensive pose of Iris oratoria

More general information and images on Mantises and a list of the species within Iberia here: https://wildsideholidays.co.uk/mantis-in-iberia/

The Caminito del Rey

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Mantis, Wildlife

African Mantis – Sphodromantis viridis – Mantis africana

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  • Family: Mantidae
  • Scientific: Sphodromantis viridis (Forskal, 1775)
  • English: African mantis
  • Spanish: Mantis africana
The African Mantis - Sphodromantis viridis - Mantis africana has a very similar lifecycle as the common Praying Mantis (Mantis religiosa).
Note the white spot on the wing that the praying mantis does not haveBoth can be easily recognised in the adult stage as they have a white spot on the wing.

The African Mantis – Sphodromantis viridis – Mantis africana can be either green or brown despite its scientific name (viridis meaning green). The female can grow to 8cm while the male is smaller.

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Mantis, Wildlife

Cone-head mantis – Empusa pennata – Mantis palo

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  • Family: Empusidae
  • English: Cone head mantis
  • Scientific: Empusa pennata
  • Spanish: Mantis palo
Cone-head Mantis (Empusa pennata) Nymph in April and adult female
The unmistakeable feather and cone of Empusa pennata

The Cone-head mantis – Empusa pennata – Mantis palo, although similar in size to the common European Praying mantis (Mantis religiosa), is easily distinguished by the protrusion from its crown. Both male and females, even from first hatching carry this tall extension giving them a very alien appearance. They live in areas that are warm and dry and use their cryptic colouring of either greens and pinks or various shades of brown to keep them hidden from predators. The female may grow to a length of 10cm while the male is shorter and slimmer. The male has distinctive ‘feather’ type antennae as shown on the image above.

Cone-head mantis - Empusa pennata - Mantis palo
Can you find this well hidden cone head mantis?

They live and hide within rough grass and annual flowering plants from which they hunt small insects. As with other forms of mantis most food is gathered in a very patient manner. Poised by a flower, using their colours for camouflage, they use four legs to hold the position whilst the front legs are held up and folded. They swivel their heads and use binocular vision to locate small flying insects and then grab it from the air impaling it onto the serrations of the forelimbs so that it cannot escape. Eating the head and neck first is a way to ensure that the prey does not struggle.

They will often rest upside down as seen in the image below-right, of an adult female, the image was taken in early June just after she laid the ootheca.

Cone-head mantis - Empusa pennata - Mantis palo
Cone-head Mantis (Empusa pennata) Nymph in April and adult female
Life cycle of the Cone-head mantis – Empusa pennata – Mantis palo

The life cycle of a Conehead Mantis (Empusa pennata) is unusual amongst the European mantids as it hatches in the summer time, remains as a nymph through the winter and does not reach adulthood until the following spring. The ootheca (egg case) is attached to a plant stem and contains around 30 eggs. When the temperatures are right the tiny (1cm) nymphs all hatch at the same time and quickly disperse. From this point until mating in the following year they lead a solitary life.

Cone-head mantis - Empusa pennata - Mantis palo
Cone-head Mantis (Empusa pennata) ootheca and just hatched nymph

This ootheca with its distinctive shape, colour and ‘thread’ was laid on the 5th June on a thistle stem and the nymph is shown on the day of hatching 9th July. These images are taken of wild mantis in Andalucía, Southern Spain.

(A similar coloured mantis Empusa fasciata exists further east around the Mediterranean but does not occur in Iberia.)

More general information and images on Mantises and a list of the species within Iberia here: https://wildsideholidays.co.uk/mantis-in-iberia/

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Dragonflies and Damselflies, Wildlife

Iberian Bluetail – Ischnura graellsii – Cola azul ibérico

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  • Family: Coenagrionidae
  • Scientific: Ischnura graellsii (Rambur, 1842)
  • English: Iberian Bluetail
  • Spanish: Cola azul ibérico

The Iberian Bluetail – Ischnura graellsii – Cola azul ibérico is a small slender damselfly species. It is possibly the most commonly encountered and frequently the most numerous damselfly on the Iberian peninsula.

Iberian Bluetail - Ischnura graellsii - Cola azul ibérico
Immature female Iberian Bluetail with “pinched” blue marking on segment 8 of the abdomen similar to that of a female Island Bluetail
  • Total length: 26 to 31mm
  • Hind Wing length: 13 to 19mm
  • Flight period in Iberia: early June to early November
  • Habitat: Any wetland habitat with plentiful emergent vegetation including rivers, ditches and pools. Can sometimes be numerous around coastal lagoons & saltmarshes.
  • Distribution: The Mediterranean regions of Morocco, Algeria & Tunisia, Portugal & most of Spain
  • Similar species: Very similar to the Common Bluetail (Ischnura elegans) and the Scarce Bluetail (Ischnura pumilio) both of which occur on the Iberian peninsula.
Iberian Bluetail - Ischnura graellsii - Cola azul ibérico
Mature female Iberian Bluetail, eating prey, with the same colour markings as a male.

Mature male Iberian Blue-tails have blue eyes, a black & blue thorax, and a generally black abdomen setting off the characteristic blue “tail light” on segment 8. On both males and females this blue segment sometimes has black markings within it, breaking up the blue, giving variations that are not uncommon in large populations in southern Portugal and Andalucia.

Iberian Bluetail - Ischnura graellsii - Cola azul ibérico
An Iberian Bluetail male not quite matured, the thorax will soon change to blue

Immature females are variable in colour with a lilac/purple, orange or pink thorax and sometimes have a “pinched” blue marking on segment 8 of the abdomen, similar to that of a female Island Bluetail (Ischnura genei) which is currently not known from the Iberian peninsula. Mature females can be green, or blue on the thorax, with identical markings to a mature male. Unlike many other small species of this size the female I.graellsii oviposits alone.

Where the Common Bluetail (Ischnura elegans) also occurs great care should be taken when identifying the insect at hand. Colour markings are not sufficient to separate the two species, so close scrutiny of the pronotum from the side is needed. Male I.graellsii lack the upright projection at the rear of the pronotum which is clearly visible in male I.elegans. When looking from above this projection will be visible as a well defined median lobe which I.graellsii, in common with other Bluetail species, lacks.

Iberian Bluetail - Ischnura graellsii - Cola azul ibérico
Two images showing different species of Ischnura, with and without the upright projection at the rear of the pronotum. The left hand image: Immature female Iberian Bluetail with no upright projection at the rear of the pronotum. Ischnura graellsii. The right hand image: Male Common Bluetail with upright projection at the rear of the pronotum. Ischnura elegans
Credits

Thanks to Steve Jones for the images and excellent, informative text in this article.

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