Play Me a Tune, Maestro
Are you wondering if this insect – known as a wandering violin mantis – takes requests? Probably not, because it’s named not for the sounds it makes but for the shape of its body, which resembles a violin.
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DownloadPlay Me a Tune, Maestro
Are you wondering if this insect – known as a wandering violin mantis – takes requests? Probably not, because it’s named not for the sounds it makes but for the shape of its body, which resembles a violin.
What am I looking at?
This is a female wandering violin mantis (Gongylus gongylodes). You can see its compound eyes (1); its slender antennae (2) – by contrast, the males of this species have long, feathery antennae; and its raptorial forelegs (3).
Click on the right arrow to see a side view and a whole-body view of this mantis.
Biology in the background
These mantises live in southern India and Sri Lanka. They are known for the characteristic swaying motion they engage in when they’re hiding or hunting – a behavior that makes them look like a twig wafting in the breeze. They are not especially aggressive and tend to feed on flying insects that they catch from ambush.
The females of many mantis species will eat the males after mating. Therefore, mantises are often solitary, doing their best to avoid conspecifics (members of the same species). However, these mantises can live and breed in large groups without resorting to cannibalism.
A wandering violin mantis can grow up to 11 centimeters long, or roughly the length of a human palm.
Technique
These images were created using macrophotography.
TagsIgor Siwanowicz, HHMI's Janelia Research Campus