Gongylus gongylodes

Gongylus gongylodes
	Gongylus gongylodes
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Mantodea
Family:	Empusidae
Genus:	Gongylus
Species:	G. gongylodes
Binomial name
	Gongylus gongylodes; (Linnaeus, 1758)
Synonyms
	Gryllus gongylodes Linnaeus, 1758; Gongylus flabellicornis Fabricius, 1793;

Gongylus gongylodes, also known as the wandering violin mantis, ornate mantis, or Indian rose mantis, is a species of praying mantis in the family Empusidae. Characterized by extremely slender limbs with large appendages, it is not a particularly aggressive species^{[citation needed]} and often kept as a pet. The mantis is especially known for swaying its body back and forth to imitate a stick flowing in the wind.^[1] It primarily feeds on flying insects. Its native range is in southern India and Sri Lanka.^{[citation needed]} It can reach up to 11 cm (4.3 in) long. The males of the species are capable of flight. They are a communal species, in that they are able to live and breed in large groups, without unnecessary cannibalism.^{[citation needed]} Adult females are about 10cm (3 in) and adult males are about 9 cm.^{[citation needed]}

Its specific name gongylodes means "roundish" in Greek,^[2] from the same word as its generic epithet Gongylus.

Range

They are found in India, Java, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, and Thailand.^[3]

Gallery

G. gongylodes
G. gongylodes
G. gongylodes
G. gongylodes
Violin mantis at Madikai Ambalathukara, Kerala, India
Violin mantis

References

^ French, Jess. Minibeasts with Jess French: Masses of Mindblowing Minibeast Facts! Bloomsbury Wildlife, 2018.
^ Stearn, William Thomas (1983). Botanical Latin. 275. David & Charles. ISBN 978-0-7153-8548-7. gongylodes / gongyloides: roundish
^ Texas A&M University

External links

Media related to Gongylus gongylodes at Wikimedia Commons

This Mantodea-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

[1] French, Jess. Minibeasts with Jess French: Masses of Mindblowing Minibeast Facts! Bloomsbury Wildlife, 2018.

[2] Stearn, William Thomas (1983). Botanical Latin. 275. David & Charles. ISBN 978-0-7153-8548-7. gongylodes / gongyloides: roundish

[TAMU-3] Texas A&M University

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