African Praying mantis
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Mantodea
Family: Mantidae
Genus: Miomantis
Species: M. caffra
Binomial name: Miomantis caffra
Common name: African Praying mantis, Springbok mantis.
Miomantis caffra is a species of praying mantis native to Southern Africa. It was discovered in Auckland, New Zealand in 1978.
The adults 32-60 mm long, They are predacious, that is they catch insects.
They are very active and aggressive and males are usually eaten immediately after copulation. (see video below)
They can be variable in colour, green to brown and they lack the blue patch on front legs that is visable in the New Zealand praying mantis.
African female praying mantis will eat a male after (and while) they mate.
The identifying blue spot on the Orthodera novaezealandiae (New Zealand Praying mantis.)
This blues spot is not on the African species.
Photo of Orthodera novaezealandiae (New Zealand Praying mantis.) 
The Miomantis caffra usually hides under leaves The egg case is fawn and when laid it is foamy like meringue, which then hardens.
Although not considered a pest species, it is thought to be displacing the New Zealand native species (Orthodera novaezealandiae) in urban environments of northern New Zealand.
A female Miomantis caffra
A tiny juvenile, just hatched on my finger 
A male African praying mantis
Head of an African Praying mantis male
This object is an ootheca, (or egg case), deposited by a Miomantis caffra praying manthis. The ootheca is a system used by a number of invertebrates, including many molluscs and a number of the insects such as cockroaches and praying mantis. The mantis lay their eggs into a foamy protein which hardens and forms a protective case. Usually laid on vegetation or sometimes a surface like a wall or brickwork
The young can take from 3-6 months to emerge.
An old empty case
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