Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods) ➔ Subphylum Hexapoda (Hexapods) ➔ Class Insecta (Insects) ➔ Order Mantodea (Mantids) ➔ Family Empusidae

Hypsicorypha gracilis (Burmeister, 1838)

Sublime Conehead Mantis

Synonyms and other combinations:

Hypsicorypha longifrons Saussure, 1870 |

  • Hypsicorypha gracilis, male 219
    Hypsicorypha gracilis (Burmeister, 1838)    Sublime Conehead Mantis 
    Hypsicorypha gracilis, male
    ES, Fuerteventura, Costa Calma; 2008-02-09 15:26:16
    Image number: 219
    male
    ES, Fuerteventura, Costa Calma
    2008-02-09 15:26:16
  • Hypsicorypha gracilis, male 220
    Hypsicorypha gracilis (Burmeister, 1838)    Sublime Conehead Mantis 
    Hypsicorypha gracilis, male
    ES, Fuerteventura, Costa Calma; 2008-02-09 15:26:34
    Image number: 220
    male
    ES, Fuerteventura, Costa Calma
    2008-02-09 15:26:34
  • Hypsicorypha gracilis, male 221
    Hypsicorypha gracilis (Burmeister, 1838)    Sublime Conehead Mantis 
    Hypsicorypha gracilis, male
    ES, Fuerteventura, Costa Calma; 2008-02-09 15:18:54
    Image number: 221
    male
    ES, Fuerteventura, Costa Calma
    2008-02-09 15:18:54
  • Hypsicorypha gracilis, male 222
    Hypsicorypha gracilis (Burmeister, 1838)    Sublime Conehead Mantis 
    Hypsicorypha gracilis, male
    ES, Fuerteventura, Costa Calma; 2008-02-09 15:24:55
    Image number: 222
    male
    ES, Fuerteventura, Costa Calma
    2008-02-09 15:24:55
  • Hypsicorypha gracilis, male 223
    Hypsicorypha gracilis (Burmeister, 1838)    Sublime Conehead Mantis 
    Hypsicorypha gracilis, male
    ES, Fuerteventura, Costa Calma; 2008-02-09 15:24:50
    Image number: 223
    male
    ES, Fuerteventura, Costa Calma
    2008-02-09 15:24:50
  • Hypsicorypha gracilis 236
    Hypsicorypha gracilis (Burmeister, 1838)    Sublime Conehead Mantis 
    Hypsicorypha gracilis
    ES, Fuerteventura, Costa Calma; 2007-03-04 10:49:22
    Image number: 236

    ES, Fuerteventura, Costa Calma
    2007-03-04 10:49:22
  • Hypsicorypha gracilis 237
    Hypsicorypha gracilis (Burmeister, 1838)    Sublime Conehead Mantis 
    Hypsicorypha gracilis
    ES, Fuerteventura, Costa Calma; 2007-03-04 10:52:29
    Image number: 237

    ES, Fuerteventura, Costa Calma
    2007-03-04 10:52:29
  • Hypsicorypha gracilis 238
    Hypsicorypha gracilis (Burmeister, 1838)    Sublime Conehead Mantis 
    Hypsicorypha gracilis
    ES, Fuerteventura, Costa Calma; 2007-03-04 10:52:55
    Image number: 238

    ES, Fuerteventura, Costa Calma
    2007-03-04 10:52:55
  • Hypsicorypha gracilis 239
    Hypsicorypha gracilis (Burmeister, 1838)    Sublime Conehead Mantis 
    Hypsicorypha gracilis
    ES, Fuerteventura, Costa Calma; 2007-09-03 10:51:05
    Image number: 239

    ES, Fuerteventura, Costa Calma
    2007-09-03 10:51:05
  • Hypsicorypha gracilis 240
    Hypsicorypha gracilis (Burmeister, 1838)    Sublime Conehead Mantis 
    Hypsicorypha gracilis
    ES, Fuerteventura, Costa Calma; 2007-09-03 10:51:26
    Image number: 240

    ES, Fuerteventura, Costa Calma
    2007-09-03 10:51:26
  • Hypsicorypha gracilis 9029
    Hypsicorypha gracilis (Burmeister, 1838)    Sublime Conehead Mantis 
    Hypsicorypha gracilis
    ES, Fuerteventura, Costa Calma; 2019-10-22 14:55:20
    Image number: 9029

    ES, Fuerteventura, Costa Calma
    2019-10-22 14:55:20
  • Hypsicorypha gracilis 9030
    Hypsicorypha gracilis (Burmeister, 1838)    Sublime Conehead Mantis 
    Hypsicorypha gracilis
    ES, Fuerteventura, Costa Calma; 2019-10-22 14:56:59
    Image number: 9030

    ES, Fuerteventura, Costa Calma
    2019-10-22 14:56:59
  • Hypsicorypha gracilis 9031
    Hypsicorypha gracilis (Burmeister, 1838)    Sublime Conehead Mantis 
    Hypsicorypha gracilis
    ES, Fuerteventura, Costa Calma; 2019-10-22 14:58:48
    Image number: 9031

    ES, Fuerteventura, Costa Calma
    2019-10-22 14:58:48
  • Hypsicorypha gracilis 9032
    Hypsicorypha gracilis (Burmeister, 1838)    Sublime Conehead Mantis 
    Hypsicorypha gracilis
    ES, Fuerteventura, Costa Calma; 2019-10-22 15:00:49
    Image number: 9032

    ES, Fuerteventura, Costa Calma
    2019-10-22 15:00:49
  • Hypsicorypha gracilis 9033
    Hypsicorypha gracilis (Burmeister, 1838)    Sublime Conehead Mantis 
    Hypsicorypha gracilis
    ES, Fuerteventura, Costa Calma; 2019-10-22 14:55:58
    Image number: 9033

    ES, Fuerteventura, Costa Calma
    2019-10-22 14:55:58

Classification:
Hypsicorypha gracilis belongs to the subfamily Empusinae, tribe Empusini.
Distribution:
Canary Islands, North Africa, Niger, Somalia, West Asia (Saudi Arabia, Oman).
Habitat:
Dry shrubland, from the Mediterranean vegetation to semi-desert.
Description:
Hypsicorypha gracilis is a large, slender, mostly straw-colored mantis. Females reach a body length of 7 - 8 cm. The somewhat smaller males become 5.5 - 6.5 cm long. The males possess comb-shaped feelers.
The head is triangular with a long conical protuberance divided at the apex. The pronotum is several times longer than broad. The hind femora have no lobes. The fore femora have long spines separated by 3 or 4 short spines.
Biology:
Hypsicorypha gracilis is a predatory living species that feeds on insects and other small animals. Due to its slender shape and colour it is practically invisible in the surrounding dry vegetation.

References, further reading, links:
  1. Otte, D., Spearman, L., & Stiewe, M. B. D. (2021). Mantodea Species File. In O. Bánki, Y. Roskov, M. Döring, G. Ower, L. Vandepitte, D. Hobern, D. Remsen, P. Schalk, R. E. DeWalt, M. Keping, J. Miller, T. Orrell, R. Aalbu, R. Adlard, E. Adriaenssens, C. Aedo, E. Aescht, N. Akkari, M. A. Alonso-Zarazaga, et al., Catalogue of Life Checklist (Aug 2021). https://doi.org/10.48580/d4tm-39n
  2. Battiston, R.; Piciau, L.; Fontana, P.; Marshall: Mantids of the Euro-Mediterranean Area, World Biodiversity Association, Verona, 2010, ISBN-10: 889033231X, ISBN-13: 978-8890332319.