About Archimantis latistyla (Serville, 1839)
Archimantis latistyla, commonly called the large brown mantis, and also known as the bunny mantis or Australian ghost hopper mantis, is a species of mantid native to Australia. This species has two subspecies: a widespread subspecies, and the stick mantis ghost from Turtle Sands, Bundaberg. Stick mantis ghosts are less aggressive than the widespread subspecies, but have a characteristic defense display: to make themselves appear larger, they fling their front legs into the air, and lower their head and antennae. Typical large brown mantids are light brown, with short-winged females and long-winged males. The Bundaberg subspecies is pale cream-white, has a yellow and black marking between its arms, and is one and a half times the size of the widespread subspecies. Female large brown mantids have short wings that only reach half the length of their abdomen, so they cannot fly. Male large brown mantids have long wings that cover their entire abdomen. This species has two pairs of wings: the upper pair acts as wing covers, and the lower pair allows flight. For the stick mantis subspecies, males are smaller than females, reaching about 90 mm in length and capable of flight, while females reach about 110 mm in length and cannot fly. During reproduction, the male inserts a single sperm at a time, and the entire mating process can last up to half an hour. When mating, the male ejaculates into the female using a small genital structure, which is inserted through a tiny opening on the female's posterior end. The male attaches his abdomen to the female's egg-holding compartment before inserting a single sperm at a time.
