''Acanthops falcataria'',
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, 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
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 ha ...
in 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. It is not to be confused with ''
Acanthops falcata'', a different species in the same genus that is often referred to with the same common name.
''A. falcataria'' is one of many mantis species from various
genera
Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial ...
that resemble 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 ...
. ''
Acanthops'' species have an unusual degree of sexual dimorphism compared to other mantids. The flightless female resembles a curled dead leaf and weighs twice as much as the male. It has reduced wings that can be lifted to reveal brightly colored warning colors on the abdomen. The male flies well 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 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.
It is native to South America.
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 '' ...
*
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. falcataria'' entry in Mantodea Species File website
Acanthopidae
Mantodea of South America
Insects described in 1778
Taxa named by Johann August Ephraim Goeze
{{Mantodea-stub