Subject: Katydid, Cricket or Alien?
Geographic location of the bug: South west Jordan, Middle East
Date: 11/12/2019
Time: 06:04 PM EDT
Your letter to the bugman: I have trawled the net to identify this bug I photographed on October 14 this year without result, can you assist please.
Insect was about 1″ long, in dry stony desert habitat.
Not perfect photos due to high ISO as getting dark.
How you want your letter signed: Paul Lathbury, Nuneaton, U.K.
Dear Paul,
This fascinating insect looked to us like a Mantid, and we located this unidentified, similar looking individual in this Smithsonian posting. We feel confident it is in the genus Eremiaphila after visiting Mantids and More . On USMantis we learned: “RARE AND UNUSUAL DESERT MANTIS Requires hot dry environment. The desert mantis is able to camouflage so well into its habitat. They live molt and lay ooths in the sand. They thrive in the most unforgivable environment in the desert where temperatures reach well over 100F and extremely dry.“
Hi Daniel,
That’s great thanks. I agree with your identification now that I have a reference to search on. I did see the Smithsonian posting and it is extremely similar.
Thanks again,
Regards,
Paul.