''Choeradodis'' is a

genus Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...

of praying mantises with

common name In biology, a common name of a taxon or organism (also known as a vernacular name, English name, colloquial name, country name, popular name, or farmer's name) is a name that is based on the normal language of everyday life; and is often con ...

s such as shield mantis, hood mantis (or hooded mantis), and leaf mantis (or leafy mantis) because of their extended, leaf-like thoraces.
Wood-Mason, J. 1880. Synopsis of the species of Choeradodis, a remarkable genus of Mantodea common to Indian and Tropical America. Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal 47(1):82-84. Texas A&M University The distinguishing characteristic of ''Choreododis'' from which it takes its common names is a laterally expanded thorax. This adaptation for the purpose of

camouflage Camouflage is the use of any combination of materials, coloration, or illumination for concealment, either by making animals or objects hard to see, or by disguising them as something else. Examples include the leopard's spotted coat, the b ...

, as well as a rounded wing case and a habit of staying relatively flattened, aid its leaf

mimicry In evolutionary biology, mimicry is an evolved resemblance between an organism and another object, often an organism of another species. Mimicry may evolve between different species, or between individuals of the same species. In the simples ...

. Tiny

liverwort Liverworts are a group of non-vascular land plants forming the division Marchantiophyta (). They may also be referred to as hepatics. Like mosses and hornworts, they have a gametophyte-dominant life cycle, in which cells of the plant carry ...

lichen A lichen ( , ) is a hybrid colony (biology), colony of algae or cyanobacteria living symbiotically among hypha, filaments of multiple fungus species, along with yeasts and bacteria embedded in the cortex or "skin", in a mutualism (biology), m ...

s and

fungi A fungus (: fungi , , , or ; or funguses) is any member of the group of eukaryotic organisms that includes microorganisms such as yeasts and mold (fungus), molds, as well as the more familiar mushrooms. These organisms are classified as one ...

have been found growing on the pronotum and wing case of many ''Choeradodis'' mantids; these appear to be opportunistic growths rather than an example of coevolution with the mantids to afford extra camouflage.

Distribution

''Choeradodis'' is

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found only in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also foun ...

to the

Neotropical realm The Neotropical realm is one of the eight biogeographic realms constituting Earth's land surface. Physically, it includes the tropics, tropical Ecoregion#Terrestrial, terrestrial ecoregions of the Americas and the entire South American temperat ...

, ranging from tropical South America, through Central America, to Mexico. The similar Asian shield mantis that formerly were included in ''Choeradodis'' have been moved to their own genus '' Asiadodis''.

Species

The following species are recognised in the genus ''Choeradodis'': *'' Choeradodis columbica'' (Colombian shield mantis) *'' Choeradodis rhombicollis'' (Peruvian shield mantis) *'' Choeradodis rhomboidea'' (tropical shield mantis, hooded mantis, leaf mantis *'' Choeradodis stalii'' (tropical shield mantis, hooded mantis, leaf mantis) *'' Choeradodis strumaria'' (leaf mantis, hooded mantis
Leaf Mantis - ''Mantis strumaria'')

References

Mantidae Mantodea genera Mantodea of North America Mantodea of South America {{mantidae-stub

Distribution

Species

See also

References