''Deroplatys desiccata'', known by the
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 con ...
giant dead leaf mantis, is a
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 ...
from
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia is the geographical United Nations geoscheme for Asia#South-eastern Asia, southeastern region of Asia, consisting of the regions that are situated south of China, east of the Indian subcontinent, and northwest of the Mainland Au ...
. This is the
type species
In International_Code_of_Zoological_Nomenclature, zoological nomenclature, a type species (''species typica'') is the species name with which the name of a genus or subgenus is considered to be permanently taxonomically associated, i.e., the spe ...
of genus ''Deroplatys''.
Description
''D. desiccata'' takes its
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 con ...
from its resemblance to dead,
leaf
A leaf (: leaves) is a principal appendage of the plant stem, stem of a vascular plant, usually borne laterally above ground and specialized for photosynthesis. Leaves are collectively called foliage, as in "autumn foliage", while the leav ...
y
vegetation
Vegetation is an assemblage of plants and the ground cover they provide. It is a general term, without specific reference to particular Taxon, taxa, life forms, structure, Spatial ecology, spatial extent, or any other specific Botany, botanic ...
including having a flattened, greatly extended
thorax
The thorax (: thoraces or thoraxes) or chest is a part of the anatomy of mammals and other tetrapod animals located between the neck and the abdomen.
In insects, crustaceans, and the extinct trilobites, the thorax is one of the three main di ...
and "intricate leaf patterns" on its wings. This insect varies in color from mottled brown through "pale orangey brown" to a very dark brown that is almost black.
[http://www.freewebs.com/vincek/speciesofmantids.htm Species of mantids: Dead Leaf Praying Mantid]
This creature's
camouflage
Camouflage is the use of any combination of materials, coloration, or illumination for concealment, either by making animals or objects hard to see, or by disguising them as something else. Examples include the leopard's spotted coat, the b ...
is aided by its movements as well as its appearance. When disturbed, it rocks gently as if caught in the breeze. When threatened, it typically falls to the ground and lies motionless.
[http://www.exotic-pets.co.uk/dead-leaf-mantis.html Dead exotic-pets.co.uk: Leaf Praying Mantis] It can also react with a threatening display consisting of "black underwings splayed out, with large
eyespots, frightening away unsuspecting
predator
Predation is a biological interaction in which one organism, the predator, kills and eats another organism, its prey. It is one of a family of common List of feeding behaviours, feeding behaviours that includes parasitism and micropredation ...
s."
The intricate lines on the mantis' body, which serve to look like the natural veins on a leaf, as well as its dark brown colors, are beneficial to the species as it has been shown to avoid the attention of aerial predators or other insects.
As its common name indicates, ''D. desiccata'' is larger than other species of
dead leaf mantis
Dead leaf mantis is a common name given to various species of praying mantis that mimicry, mimic dead leaf, leaves. It is most often used in reference to species within genus ''Deroplatys'' because of their popularity as exotic pets. Examples i ...
. Females grow to 75–80 mm long. Displaying the
sexual dimorphism
Sexual dimorphism is the condition where sexes of the same species exhibit different Morphology (biology), morphological characteristics, including characteristics not directly involved in reproduction. The condition occurs in most dioecy, di ...
typical of mantises, males grow only 65–70 mm long and are substantially smaller and lighter than females.
[http://www.phasmidsincyberspace.com/DeroplatysDessicata.html Phasmids in Cyberspace: ''Deroplatys dessicata''] Females'
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 ...
shields end in a sharp pointed curve on each side while the males have a rounder shape. According to one source, males tend to be more "yellowish" than the darker females.
[http://www.mantisphotos.com/deroplatys.htm mantisphotos.com: Malaysian Dead Leaf Mantis]
Bristol.zoo.dead.leaf.mantis.arp.jpg, Adult female at Bristol Zoo
Bristol Zoo was a zoo in the city of Bristol in South West England. The zoo's stated mission was to "maintain and defend" biodiversity through breeding endangered species, conserving threatened species and habitats and promoting a wider underst ...
, 2007
Deroplatys desiccata MHNT CUT 2014 14 7.jpg, Male prepared in the Beauchene technique
Range
''D. desiccata'' inhabits
scrubland
Shrubland, scrubland, scrub, brush, or bush is a plant community characterized by vegetation dominance (ecology), dominated by shrubs, often also including grasses, herbaceous plant, herbs, and geophytes. Shrubland may either occur naturally o ...
and
tropical forest
Tropical forests are forested ecoregions with tropical climates – that is, land areas approximately bounded by the Tropic of Cancer, tropics of Cancer and Tropic of Capricorn, Capricorn, but possibly affected by other factors such as prevailing ...
s of
Borneo
Borneo () is the List of islands by area, third-largest island in the world, with an area of , and population of 23,053,723 (2020 national censuses). Situated at the geographic centre of Maritime Southeast Asia, it is one of the Greater Sunda ...
,
Indonesia
Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania, between the Indian Ocean, Indian and Pacific Ocean, Pacific oceans. Comprising over List of islands of Indonesia, 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, ...
,
Malaysia
Malaysia is a country in Southeast Asia. Featuring the Tanjung Piai, southernmost point of continental Eurasia, it is a federation, federal constitutional monarchy consisting of States and federal territories of Malaysia, 13 states and thre ...
,
Sumatra
Sumatra () is one of the Sunda Islands of western Indonesia. It is the largest island that is fully within Indonesian territory, as well as the list of islands by area, sixth-largest island in the world at 482,286.55 km2 (182,812 mi. ...
and the
Philippines
The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. Located in the western Pacific Ocean, it consists of List of islands of the Philippines, 7,641 islands, with a tot ...
.
See also
*
Dead leaf mantis
Dead leaf mantis is a common name given to various species of praying mantis that mimicry, mimic dead leaf, leaves. It is most often used in reference to species within genus ''Deroplatys'' because of their popularity as exotic pets. Examples i ...
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Deroplatys Desiccata
Desiccata
Mantodea of Southeast Asia
Insects of Indonesia
Insects of Malaysia
Insects of Borneo
Fauna of Sumatra
Insects described in 1935
Taxa named by John O. Westwood