12/8/2021: Likin’ the licheny Liturgusa maya

Gonatista grisea is Florida’s best-known (and previously only known) lichen-mimicking mantid. It has competition, though.

Liturgusa maya was discovered in Florida around 2016, hiding out in several south Florida neighborhoods and parks. How it reached Florida is a mystery, but the population may have gone unnoticed for some time as new invasive often do in Florida. Most interestingly, no males are known from the population, suggesting they may be parthenogenetic.

I received a few of these as an unexpected treat from Alan and Kai after their Florida blitz trip, and I’m quite smitten. Gonatista grisea is one of my favorite mantids as it looks too cool for a North American endemic, especially one that’s not from strictly the tropics.

Liturgusa maya may usurp its throne for me if they are indeed parthenogenetic and a touch easier to raise than the grizzled bark mantids. My three small nymphs are currently feasting on fruit flies, but we’ll see what bugs they’ll take readily as they grow. The only downside to this species is their speed; Kai had compared them to Selenops spiders. Fortunately like Selenops, they also have a tendency not to jump and to just run around the surface their feet are currently touching. They may also be nocturnal which explains some more of the morphological and behavioral convergences.

Time will tell how these unique mantids do for me. They are certainly the epitome of my “mantids are just fancy roaches” philosophy.

-Kyle