''Acanthops falcata'',
common name
In biology, a common name of a taxon or organism (also known as a vernacular name, English name, colloquial name, country name, popular name, or farmer's name) is a name that is based on the normal language of everyday life; and is often contra ...
South American dead leaf mantis or boxer mantis, is a
species
In biology, a species is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of ...
of
praying mantis
Mantises are an order (Mantodea) of insects that contains over 2,400 species in about 460 genera in 33 families. The largest family is the Mantidae ("mantids"). Mantises are distributed worldwide in temperate and tropical habitats. They hav ...
in the
subfamily Acanthopinae of the
family
Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Idea ...
Acanthopidae and is one of many
praying mantis
Mantises are an order (Mantodea) of insects that contains over 2,400 species in about 460 genera in 33 families. The largest family is the Mantidae ("mantids"). Mantises are distributed worldwide in temperate and tropical habitats. They hav ...
es from various genera that resembles a
dead
Death is the irreversible cessation of all biological functions that sustain an organism. For organisms with a brain, death can also be defined as the irreversible cessation of functioning of the whole brain, including brainstem, and brain ...
leaf
A leaf (plural, : leaves) is any of the principal appendages of a vascular plant plant stem, stem, usually borne laterally aboveground and specialized for photosynthesis. Leaves are collectively called foliage, as in "autumn foliage", wh ...
.
Description
As the common name describes, ''A. falcata'' resembles shriveled or dead leaves. It is not to be confused with ''
Acanthops falcataria
''Acanthops falcataria'', common name South American dead leaf mantis, is a species of mantis in the family Acanthopidae. It is not to be confused with '' Acanthops falcata'', a different species in the same genus that is often referred to with ...
'', a different species in the same genus that is often referred to with the same common name.
''
Acanthops'' species have an unusual degree of sexual dimorphism compared to other mantids. The flightless female of ''A. falcata'' resembles a curled dead leaf and weighs 400–500 mg. It has reduced wings that can be lifted to reveal brightly colored warning colors on the abdomen. The male weighs under 200 mg and has long functional wings that resemble a flat or rolled-up dead leaf at rest. When perched, males often assume a posture where the head, grasping legs and
prothorax
The prothorax is the foremost of the three segments in the thorax of an insect, and bears the first pair of legs. Its principal sclerites (exoskeletal plates) are the pronotum (dorsal), the prosternum (ventral), and the propleuron (lateral) on e ...
add to the camouflage by recreating the appearance of a dead leaf's shriveled
petiole and
stipule
In botany, a stipule is an outgrowth typically borne on both sides (sometimes on just one side) of the base of a leafstalk (the petiole). Stipules are considered part of the anatomy of the leaf of a typical flowering plant, although in many speci ...
s.
Biology
''A. falcata'' is relatively easy to breed in captivity and has become widely distributed through the pet trade. Females have a lifespan of about 6 months at 25-30 °C, laying up to 16 slender
ootheca
An ootheca (pl. ''oothecae'' ) is a type of egg mass made by any member of a variety of species including mollusks (such as '' Turbinella laevigata''), mantises, and cockroaches.
The word is a Latinized combination of ''oo-'', meaning "egg", ...
e at 8-day intervals.
[https://www.hindawi.com/journals/psyche/1978/058254/abs/ Michael H. Robinson and Barbara Robinson, “Culture Techniques for ''Acanthops Falcata'', a Neotropical Mantid Suitable for Biological Studies (With Notes on Raising Web Building Spiders),” Psyche, vol. 85, no. 2-3, pp. 239-247, 1978. doi:10.1155/1978/58254] Each ootheca usually contains 25-35 eggs, which hatch after 16–19 days. From hatching to adulthood takes about 2 months and 7 molts. Male adults live up to a month after their final molt, and are often able to escape unharmed after mating, rather than falling prey to the female as in the
European mantis
The European mantis (''Mantis religiosa'') is a large hemimetabolic insect in the family of the Mantidae ('mantids'), which is the largest family of the order Mantodea (mantises). Their common name praying mantis is derived from the distinctive ...
.
See also
*
Dead leaf mantis
Dead leaf mantis is a common name given to various species of praying mantis that mimic dead leaves. It is most often used in reference to species within genus '' Deroplatys'' because of their popularity as exotic pets. Examples include '' ...
*''
Acanthops''
*
List of mantis genera and species
The following list of mantis genera and species is based on the "Mantodea Species File", which is the primary reference for the taxonomy shown here.
The insect Order (biology), order Mantodea consists of over 2,400 species of mantises in about 460 ...
References
External links
''A. falcata'' entry in Mantodea Species File website
Acanthopidae
Mantodea of South America
Arthropods of Colombia
Insects described in 1877
{{Mantodea-stub