Helvia

Helvia is a genus of praying mantises in the family Hymenopodidae found in Southeast Asia. It is monotypic, being represented by the single species, Helvia cardinalis.^[1]

Helvia cardinalis
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Mantodea
Family:	Hymenopodidae
Genus:	Helvia Stal, 1877
Species:	H. cardinalis
Binomial name
Helvia cardinalis Stal, 1877
Synonyms
(Genus) Parhymenopus Wood-Mason, 1890 Parymenopus Wood-Mason, 1890 (Species) Parymenopus davisoni Wood-Mason, 1890

Taxonomy

Helvia cardinalis is known by various common names including yellow flower mantis and Davison's mantis. It is one of several species known as flower mantises due to their appearance and behaviour which gives them a camouflaged resemblance to flowers.

Description

Anatomical drawing by James Wood-Mason, 1890

This slender species is mainly plain yellow or greenish.^[2] The female (38 mm long) is much larger than the male, with three dark spots on the somewhat pointed wings.

See also

• List of mantis genera and species
• Flower mantis