Gongylus gongylodes

Wandering Violin ( Gongylus gongylodes )

The Wandering Violin ( Gongylus gongylodes ) is one of the mantis ( Mantodea ) and looks like an eaten away, from dry leaf.

Description

Its common name comes from the way her appearance that looks vaguely reminiscent of the body of a violin from above. The rear portion is wide and flat. The front part of the thorax is extremely thin and long and looks like a stalk -like neck, which compresses just before the head to a diamond shape at the start fishing legs. Their body color is beige, brown to black. Males reach a size of 7-8 cm, females grow to 8-9 cm usually slightly larger. The females have filiform probe, while the males are feathery.

All six legs have leaf-like outgrowths. The front legs of the wanderers violin are transformed into strong spiny legs catch. The Hüftglieder are greatly elongated and easily molded. The shear arm itself consists of the thigh ( femur) and rail ( tibia). The femur is longer than the Hüftglied and bears on the outside of screening, on the inner side of the shear to thirty spikes, wherein always a long aneianderreiht three short. Makes it one of the two Mantodeaarten with most spines on the leg.

Dissemination

The species occurs from Southeast Asia, mainly in Sri Lanka, Java, Thailand and India. There they live in primary and secondary tropical rainforests on bushes and shrubs.

The changing violin itself is not considered threatened, but their habitat by human overpopulation is in danger.

Way of life

Wandering violins are very compatible with each other.

Wandering violins hanging motionless with the head down to branch factory and are well camouflaged by its sheet-like appearance. They hunt flying insects by clueless take over flying prey with their catch legs.

Lay their eggs in packets ( oothecae ) to 30-40 per piece on the bottom of thick branches from. From hatch in four to five weeks 15-35 nymphs. Female Wandering violins are grown after six molts within three to five months and eight to twelve months old. Male animals are grown after five molts and therefore achieve a life cycle of only three to five months.

Wandering Violin and human

The Wandering violin is not known as a pest or beneficial insect. Occasionally the species is kept as a lover animal in the terrarium. You need this like all mantis much light and heat.