Life history and Morphometry of the Chinese Praying Mantis, Tenodera aridifolia sinensis (Blattopteroidea: Mantodea)

Mantidae are generalist insect predators of considerable scientific interest, due to their excellent vision and neural coordination of movement patterns. However, data on the life history and morphometry are lacking for most species. This Study contributes to fill this gap by collecting data on the life history and morphometry of the Chinese praying mantis, Tenodera aridfofia sinensis Saussure 187 1, an east Asian species with a wide allochthone distribution in E'North America. There are significant intersexual differences in morphometry and life-history, indicating that the sexes face different selective pressures. females are larger, well adapted to catch large prey species, and tend to live longer than males. males, on the other hand, seem to allocate more resources to mobility and mate finding, and are probably restricted to smaller prey items. The sexual dimorphism in body measurements may also serve to reduce intraspecific competition and lead to resource partitioning among sexes.