Wahlberg's Velvet Mantis vs Thread-legged Bug

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Wahlberg's Velvet Mantis Thread-legged Bug
Scientific Name Ameles decolor Emesaya brevipennis
Order Mantodea Hemiptera
Family Mantidae Reduviidae
Size 20-30mm 30-37 mm
Habitat Indoors Caves
Diet Predators Predators
Regions Europe North America
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Wahlberg's Velvet Mantis

A small ground-dwelling mantis from the Mediterranean. Females are wingless and brachypterous while males fly readily.

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Did You Know?

One of the few European mantis species where the female has completely lost the ability to fly.

Thread-legged Bug

An extremely slender assassin bug with stick-like legs that hunts in spider webs. It plucks web strands to lure spiders close enough to seize and consume them.

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Did You Know?

It invades spider webs and mimics trapped prey vibrations to lure the resident spider within striking distance.