African flower mantis

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African flower mantis
Pseudocreobotra wahlbergii 0068.jpg

African flower mantis ( Pseudocreobotra wahlbergii )

Systematics
Class : insects
Order : Mantis (Mantodea)
Family : Hymenopodidae
Subfamily : Hymenopodinae
Genre : Pseudocreobotra
Type : African flower mantis
Scientific name
Pseudocreobotra wahlbergii
Stål , 1871

The African flower mantis ( Pseudocreobotra wahlbergii ) is a fishing insect from the family Hymenopodidae . It is one of the more prominent species of this order and is also often kept as a terrarium animal.

features

Side view of an African flower mantis that lacks the right tentacle.

Females reach a body length of 40 to 50 millimeters. Males one from 30 to 40. The African flower mantis is colored white, the segments of the segments are green, some parts of the thorax and the head as well as the legs have green ribbons or spots, but the African flower mantis can turn to the ground after each molt customize, it can be colored blue, white, green or purple. Also striking are the lobed growths on each side of the abdomen , which seem to imitate petals, as well as vesicular distended appendages on the anterior part of the thorax (pronotum). The wings show a yellow-green-black eye markings that play a role in the threat pose. In the case of not yet fully grown animals, in which the wings are not yet fully developed, an eye drawing can be seen on the abdomen instead. The abdomen is recorded when threatening behavior. The posterior end has two small appendages dorsally.

The animals' eyes shimmer slightly blue-violet. They reach far beyond the outline of the head.

The males are good fliers, the females can only fly to a limited extent.

Occurrence

The African flower mantis occurs in East and South Africa . The type specimen comes from southern Ethiopia . She is also known from Angola , Kenya , Congo , Malawi , Mozambique , Tanzania including Zanzibar , Zambia , Zimbabwe and the Transvaal . It lives on bushes and flowers, preferably on blossoms.

Way of life

A partially purple colored African flower mantis on the inflorescence of a zinnia .

Females have a lifespan of nine months and molt 7 times during this time, males reach seven months of age and molt 6 times. Females are ready to mate 14 to 20 days after the imaginal moult, males after ten. Mating takes 4 to 6 hours.

The up to six oothecs are then filed every 10 days. The oothecae are thin and long and are attached to the base on a solid surface such as tree trunks, branches or leaves. Four to six weeks after oviposition, 20 to 80 nymphs hatch from the ootheca.

The African flower mantis feed on insects and spiders, the larvae feed on smaller insects such as fruit flies . While the males of the species are quite passive and only rarely present the eye markings on the erect wings during courtship, the females are more aggressive and tend to threaten.

Taxonomy

The species was described by Carl Stål in 1871 . The epithet wahlbergii was chosen in honor of the Swedish naturalist Johan August Wahlberg , who sent the insect to Sweden. Within the family Hymenopodidae , the species belongs to the subfamily Hymenopodinae , which includes 14 genera.

Trivia

The African flower mantis is depicted on a stamp of the state of Zimbabwe.

gallery

  • Nymph.

  • Frontal view.

  • Threatening attitude.

  • African flower mantis with prey.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Pseudocreobotra wahlbergii ( memento of April 5, 2012 in the Internet Archive ) at Swissmantis
  2. ↑ Subfamily Hymenopodinae in Earthlife
  3. ↑ a b c d e f Claudia Heßler, Ingrid and Rudolf Bischoff: Mantiden - Fascinating Lauerjäger . 2nd corrected and enlarged edition. Edition Chimaira, Frankfurt am Main 2008, pp. 163–167.
  4. ↑ Family Hymenopodidae at Earthlife
  5. ↑ Reinhard Ehrmann: Mantodea: Gottesanbeterinnen der Welt. Natur und Tier Verlag, Münster 2002, p. 292.
  6. ↑ Reinhard Ehrmann: Mantodea: Gottesanbeterinnen der Welt. Natur und Tier Verlag, Münster 2002, p. 26.
  7. ^ Carl Stål: Orthoptera quaedam africana. Öfversigt af Konglia Vetenskaps-Akademiens förhandlingar, 3, pp. 375–401, 1871, p. 385.
  8. ↑ Hymenopodinae . Tree of Life Web Project. Version dated November 22, 2005
  9. ↑ Reinhard Ehrmann: Mantodea: Gottesanbeterinnen der Welt. Natur und Tier Verlag, Münster 2002, p. 45.

literature

  • Reinhard Ehrmann: Mantodea: praying mantises of the world. Natur und Tier Verlag, Münster 2002, ISBN 3-931587-60-6 .
  • Claudia Heßler, Ingrid and Rudolf Bischoff: Mantids - Fascinating watchers . 2nd corrected and enlarged edition. Edition Chimaira, Frankfurt am Main 2008, ISBN 978-3-930612-45-1 , pp. 163-167.
  • Carl Stål: Orthoptera quaedam africana. Öfversigt af Konglia Vetenskaps-Akademiens förhandlingar, 3, p. 375–401, 1871, p. 385 (first description)

Web links

Commons : African Blossom Mantis  - Album with pictures, videos and audio files
  • Pseudocreobotra . Tree of Life Web Project. Version dated November 22, 2005