Texas Unicorn Mantis

[Orin]

Does anyone have a detailed (name of all countries) distribution account for this species? One source I found gives the distribution from Texas down through Central America but recently I found a source claiming it's found in Columbia as well. Phyllovates chlorophaea

I have a secondary question as well, there's no doubt it comes from Texas, USA since that's where the stock came from (I also found a reference to Blatchley recording this species from Florida, USA but it's doubtful since nobody else seems to have found them since). This species comes from a number of different countries, so why do some people list it as a mexican unicorn when that is not the country anybody's stock came from and only one of the many countries it is found in?

 

[Christian]

Does anyone have a detailed (name of all countries) distribution account for this species? One source I found gives the distribution from Texas down through Central America but recently I found a source claiming it's found in N Columbia as well.

Yes, there are several records for Colombia also. The species is distributed from SE Texas (Florida is probably erroneous) throughout Mesoamerica to Colombia. Ph. maya and Ph. cornuta are possibly synonyms of Ph. chlorophaea.

This species comes from a number of different countries, so why do some people list it as a mexican unicorn when that is not the country anybody's stock came from and only one of the many countries it is found in? OM- sorry that was a rhetorical question pointing out that the use of the name mexican is a misnomer.