Sphodromantis gastrica

Sphodromantis gastrica, with the common names African mantis or common green mantis, is a species of praying mantis from Africa.

It averages 65 - 75 mm in body length, and has a very diverse diet, hunting any prey of reasonable size. It has a lifespan of approximately 332 days and usually females live longer than males. Their survival rate until adulthood is about 41.8%.

Previously classified as Hierodula bicarinata (Saussure, 1869) and as Sphodromantis guttata  (Giglio-Tos, 1907), this species has been found in South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Democratic Republic of Congo, and East Africa.