Mantis
Many will have heard of the Praying Mantis (Mantis religiosa) which is a common European species, but there are 14 more mantid species on the Iberian Peninsular. Their colours vary from greens, browns to greys and all take on the habit of sitting still on foliage waiting for a meal (smaller insects) to pass closely by. The highly adapted front legs secure the prey with a series of spikes. The common name of “praying” has been adopted due to the position of the forelegs while hunting, as if in prayer.

There is one which is endemic only to the mainland of Iberia, which is protected, the scientific name is Apteromantis aptera (Fuente, 1893). The Thistle Mantis (Blepharopsis mendica) occurs in the Canary Islands (and Africa) but not on the Iberian Peninsular.

The smaller mantids, the Ameles family of 5, are currently undergoing taxonomic change following new studies.

Stick Insects
Bacillus rossius is a common Stick Insect across Europe and North Africa. It is just one of six species that live within Iberia. There is one species only found in mainland Iberia, Leptynia attenuata and two that are only found in Spain; Leptynia caprai (Scali 1996) and Leptynia montana (Scali 1996).
They are in colours of green or brown and have evolved to mimic twigs and leaves. They do this incredibly well, making it hard to observe them, especially as they are active by night. Even the eggs are camouflaged, looking like plant seeds.