A baby hooded praying mantis is among the new residents of the Bohart Museum of Entomology, 1124 Academc Surge, on the UC Davis campus.
It's a Rhombodera basalis or Giant Malayasian Shield Mantis and is a gift from a teacher in Elk Grove.
"It will grow to be about three inches long," said Brian Turner, the Bohart's outreach coordinator. It prefers warm, wet climates.
Visitors to the Bohart Museum can check out the hooded praying mantis during the campuswide UC Davis Picnic Day, set for 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Saturday, April 18.
The Bohart Museum, founded in 1946, is dedicated to teaching, research and service. The museum, directed by Lynn Kimsey, professor and chair of the Department of Entomology, houses more than seven million specimens, making it the seventh largest insect collection in North America. The worldwide collection also includes the California Insect Survey, a storehouse of the insect biodiversity of California’s deserts, mountains, coast and great central valley.
Attached Images:
Hooded Praying Mantis